VPS / Dedicated Hosting.

Purpose

If you received an email from your host saying that you are overusing the shared server's hardware and software resources, maybe it's time to consider moving to a VPS or a dedicated server. You should also consider VPS / dedicated hosting when you have a large e-commerce website, a website that gets a lot of traffic or runs a lot of scripts or if you decide to start your own hosting business as a reseller.

By having a dedicated server, you rent in fact the "whole" server, so you have all of the hardware resources of the server for yourself. Dedicated hosting has different requirements than shared hosting. You are renting the server so the server's hardware configuration becomes more important than the features offered, which are no longer an issue because you will have remote access to the server (via SSH or other remote access software) and you can install whatever you like. Besides bandwidth, the speed of the connection is also a factor to be considered.

The Difference Between VPS and Dedicated

VPS stands for Virtual Private Server and can be the first step from "leaving" shared hosting, if you don't want to manage a dedicated server. Virtual Private Servers provide you with root level access to the server while having the simplicity of a shared hosting account. VPS hosting is usually cheaper than dedicated hosting even if you're not in charge of managing the server, but that's because dedicated servers usually have better hardware configurations. Yet, if you are at the "limits" of your shared account, maybe a VPS is a better benefits/costs choice than a dedicated account.

The VPS is like a dedicated server except that you own only a part of the server's resources (CPU, RAM, etc.). This is done by creating "layers"; at the base resides the standard host operating system, next is the virtualization layer with a proprietary file system and a kernel service abstraction layer that ensure isolation and security of resources between different virtual environments. The virtualization layer makes each virtual environment appear as a standalone server. Finally, the virtual environment itself houses the application or workload.

What to look for?

• Server configuration. The processor type and speed, the amount of memory, the hard drives capacity are some of the features you need to look for. Usually the upgrades are correlated so a server with a better processor has more RAM memory and larger hard drives. Look for at least 512 MB of memory.
• Bandwidth. As with any hosting offer, the more the better.
• The pipe. Or in other words the speed of the connection. This is your "dedicated" speed that you don't share. The larger the data pipe, the more simultaneously connections (visitors) the server can handle without lagging. Look for at least a speed of 1 Mbps.
• Medium-high prices. Virtual Private Servers start at around $40 per month. Dedicated servers start at around $100 per month.

What we found?

The good reviews we found for the VPS and dedicated servers of Liquid Web got our attention. They own & operate their entire infrastructure and their "Heroic Customer Support" services are available with all dedicated server plans. The Heroic Support services include 24 hour pro-active server level monitoring, pro-active service restoration and the peace of mind of a 100% network uptime guarantee. They are not the cheapest offer around, but the fact that they own and operate the facilities being thus able to provide fast, 24/7 "tipped" the balance in their favour.

About the company

Formed in August of 1997, Liquid Web Inc. owns and operates two private data centers. By owning the data centers rather than leasing, they are able to design, build and maintain an ideal server environment. This allows them to provide to their clients fast, secure and reliable performance at all times with premium tier 1, multi-home bandwidth from AT&T, MCI, L3 and Savvis.