Virtual dedicated Server or Virtual private server are a hot topic these days for good reason. They combine the control and security advantages of a dedicated server environment with the lower cost of a shared server environment. Virtual dedicated Servers should not, however, be confused with Virtual Hosting, which is a completely different type of shared-server environment.
With Virtual Hosting, you are sharing the physical server and you are also sharing a single set of software applications, which is configured and controlled by the server’s administrators – not you.Unlike Virtual Hosting, a Virtual dedicated Server is a single physical server that is “partitioned” at the root into multiple virtual “dedicated” servers. This allows you to share the cost of hardware, network connectivity, and system maintenance with other hosting customers while still enjoying the flexibility and freedom of a dedicated server.
In the Virtual dedicated Server environment, only the hardware is controlled by the server administrators while the software is controlled by you. Because you have root access to the server, you pretty much have complete control over the function of your Virtual dedicated Server.Indeed, many virtual dedicated servers on the Unix platform have become so advanced that they even permit users to install Linux RPM packages. This allows users to take source code for new software and package it into source and binary form, such that binaries can be easily installed and tracked, and source can be easily rebuilt. The use of RPM packages also allows VPS users to maintain a database of all packages and their files that can be used for verifying packages and querying for information about files and/or packages.
A virtual dedicated server will ensure "performance isolation" so that heavy traffic or CPU loads will not affect other VPS solutions on the same infrastructure. Others major features that characterize VPS solutions include: "fault tolerance," which ensures that errors, which affect one specific private server, do not affect others; and "enhanced security," which ensures that e-business applications can be deployed with greater privacy.
Small businesses that run their own e-commerce Web sites also appreciate the functional isolation of their private server, because it allows them to obtain their own secure certificates and shopping cart software for their e-business operations. Indeed, many sophisticated VPS solutions will even offer third-party plug-ins or modules, allowing users to take advantage of control panel functionality in order to install everything from the simplest CGI scripts to the most advanced shopping carts.
For these reasons, a Virtual Private Server can be an excellent solution for small- to medium-sized businesses that have increasingly complex needs for their Web sites but also need to stretch their budget.Due to these advantages, virtual private servers are very popular and are a relatively inexpensive choice for small to mid-sized enterprises seeking to maintain their own Web presence.
Drawbacks of Virtual dedicated Server
If apache server crashes - all sites down! Usually a host company will partition the drive and if one customer's apache crashes only their sites go down. If you are at risk of crashes by high bandwidth you should go with dedicated hosting. If you aren't at risk you really shouldn't worry too much about this happening to you.
