Many businesses are too sophisticated and have reliability needs that go beyond shared hosting but want to cut the costs associated with a dedicated machine. For these organizations, a virtual private server (VPS) is the right choice. Many of these businesses also want a Windows environment, rather than Linux, for their back end. The best option to meet those needs is a VPS running on Windows Server 2012 R2.
VPS hosting: conventional vs. cloud
Virtual private servers can be structured on a conventional model or a cloud model. In a conventional setting, a VPS is essentially one section of a physical server. The machine is partitioned so that multiple organizations are using it at once, increasing cost-effectiveness. Unlike shared hosting, a VPS operates just like a regular machine does. You have your own operating system, storage space, RAM, CPU, and bandwidth. You only see your own server parameters in your control panel, and you can reboot as needed.
In a cloud setting, the VPS is taken to a second level of virtualization. Rather than the virtual private server residing on one physical machine, it is “in the cloud” – meaning that the VPS operates through many servers, connected and managed via cloud technology. The data for your website is distributed across a vast supply of machines. That means your performance is faster, your site and applications are more reliable, and scaling can be conducted instantaneously.
The cloud can be difficult to understand and trust. However, cloud computing is similar, in a sense, to the Internet. The Web as a whole involves many machines acting together to create one cohesive virtual environment. As Hongkiat puts it, “The Internet behaves as one macroscopic cloud system.”
Strengths of a VPS
Here are several benefits of a virtual private server that will help you understand why it’s such a popular choice for businesses, as indicated by Daily Host News:
- Affordability – Choosing a VPS allows a business to select the right amount of resources for their purposes, rather than having to commit to a dedicated machine with rigid specifications. Going with a VPS means that rather than underutilizing your environment, you are paying based on your needs. That is particularly the case in a cloud environment, in which you can increase or decrease your level of resources at the click of a button.
- Control – Just as with a dedicated server, you have control over the environment. With shared hosting, there are typically hundreds of other accounts on the server, and a problematic application from any one of them could temporarily stop service for your business. The “private” aspect of a VPS means that your virtual server environment is truly yours.
- Migration – One potential issue with dedicated servers is that it can be difficult to move from place to place. With VPS, though, if you decide you want to switch to a larger or smaller account type, VPS management software allows the host to move you simply and quickly. The hosting service has an icon of each server, similar to a PC desktop, that they can transfer to a different physical server’s drive (in a conventional setting). With cloud, no migration needs to occur because it’s simply changing your resource level. The infrastructure stays the same.
- Performance – Your performance and reliability are not impacted by other businesses that are on the hardware used for your VPS, whether it is cloud or conventional. Your CPU, RAM, bandwidth, and storage are isolated for your private use.
- Security – Security is not just a critical element for online communication. It’s paramount. According to the National Cyber Security Alliance, 20% of small businesses get hacked annually, and 3 out of 5 hacked businesses are bankrupt within half a year. VPS, whether cloud or conventional, keeps your files partitioned so that they are completely inaccessible to other accounts.
Specific advantages of Windows Server 2012
Some of the most notable advantages of a Windows Server 2012 VPS include the following, as outlined by InfoWorld:
- Resiliency – Two features related to storage and files are Storage Spaces and the Resilient File System (ReFS). Storage Spaces is a cost-effective alternative to RAID (redundant array of independent disks) storage that creates virtual disks using JBOD (just a bunch of disks) technology. ReFS avoids corruption of your data by using two techniques: allocate-on-write and checksums.
- State-of-the-art virtualization – Windows Server also includes the biggest competitor to VMware, Hyper-V. This virtualization platform delivers the technology that makes your full-featured VPS possible. Windows Server 2012 includes its latest release.
- PowerShell – This high-powered tool allows you to automate any aspect of server administration. Server Manager is the interface through which you can manage your account, but PowerShell is the engine that drives all management activities.
Atlantic.Net believes strongly in the future of VPS for business, particularly cloud VPS. We’ve recently added Windows Server 2012 R2, a new formulation of Microsoft’s latest version, to our OS offerings. Sign up for an account, and you can have a Windows cloud VPS server up and running within 30 seconds.
By Kent Roberts; comic words by Kent Roberts and art by Leena Cruz.