When it comes to server arrangements, companies have several options available. Among those options, virtual private servers (VPS) have recently become much more popular in the enterprise sector, and for good reason.
Instead of using traditional physical components, a VPS lives on a computer system belonging to a service provider.
"A virtual private server, VPS, also called a virtual dedicated server (VDS), is a virtual server that appears to the user as a dedicated server but is actually installed on a computer shared by multiple website owners," noted TechTarget contributor Margaret Rouse. "A single computer can have several VPSs, each one with its own operating system that runs the hosting software for a particular user."
There are several advantages any business can reap from using a VPS, including:
Reduced reliance on the internal IT team
Today's IT teams have a plethora of tasks and projects on their plates. Any opportunity to shift work away from the internal IT department to off-site experts is worth considering. Instead of having to perform all the maintenance and updates on a VPS itself, the business can entrust them to the service provider. This returns time to the internal IT team to focus on other mission-critical initiatives.
Boosted control over shared hosting environments
Server Mania also noted that a VPS provides more control over a client's environment when compared to shared hosting arrangements. With VPS, businesses generally have root access, allowing their engineers to implement and customize software as needed instead of waiting for their service provider to offer support.
"Shared Web servers are typically optimized for security and performance as best as possible, and this means that there are many popular software packages that are not support[ed] due to their security limitations," Server Mania contributor Justin Blanchard wrote. "Having your own virtual environment allows you to bypass all of those issues."
Enhanced performance and uptime
A private virtual environment also offers better performance and stability in comparison to shared configurations. With shared hosting services, the traffic of other clients can severely impact the way a business's services perform. In contrast, VPS comes with privately allocated resources for the use of one client alone. This ensures the organization has the performance it expects without interruption.
Sustainability
VPS also provides boosted sustainability for companies seeking ways to reduce their carbon footprint. Within VPS environments, more users are able to leverage available resources, which can greatly reduce the energy demands of any one given Web host.
"With dedicated server hosting you are taking all of the resources of a server - which means you are the only person benefiting from that server's power consumption," Blanchard noted. "However, with a virtual private server, a large dedicated server is sliced or divided into many different virtual environments."