What is a VPS?

[jayadev]

A VPS is a virtual private server. Also known sometimes as a VDS, or virtual dedicated server. A VPS is very similar to a dedicated server, except that you are still sharing the server with other users. However, with a VPS, you are in an isolated environment. Each VPS user has its own partition of the server, and therefore an abusive user does not effect other users on the VPS. You get root access to the server, and can install your own software. You also have the ability to create reseller accounts. With a VPS, you can do everything that shared and reseller hosting users can, as well as complete control over your slice of the server. VPS costs more than shared and reseller hosting, with usually starting around $40 a month. I can recommend PowerVPS.com with firsthand experience, I am very happy with them. Their lowest price for a cPanel VPS is $44.50 a month with 10GB storage and 150GB bandwidth. I also recommend (without firsthand experience) LiquidWeb.com, which starts at $60/month with 20GB storage and 200GB bandwidth.

[TWD_Tony]

Thanks for pointing out the Pro's to VPS solutions but I would also like to point out the Con's>You have no control on how many accounts are on a single server - you don't even know how many other VPS's are on your server with you...>The VPS software by itself uses server resources.>A cheap "low end" dedicated server will probably produce more "bang for your buck" in the performance stakes, although with a VPS you get an allocated amount of RAM and CPU - thinking about this logically means that if the server hosting your VPS is for example a 3.0Ghz Pentium 4 (with HT) then this processor is like running 2 x pentium 4's (even though the maths doesn't quite work out like that but that's another story) so you have a theoretical 6Ghz to split... Take out some for the OS, the VPS software and the multiple cPanels that are installed and you probably have less that 5Ghz of useable power - if a host puts 5 VPS's on that server you get an allowance of just 1Ghz! As you can tell - I AM NOT a fan of VPS solutions - they are a half arsed attempt at sharing a dedicated machine between clients... Either get a dedicated machine or a massive reseller account

[brian]

Also a more lengthy explanation on VPS here:
http://www.webhostingworld.co.uk/vps...ained-141.html

[CuriousGal]

Good one guys! I also have some basic knowledge on VPS. Here I have given below some collection of some tips and good description on VPS which I learnt from various web sites

Virtual private servers or Virtual dedicated servers are a form of virtualization that split a single physical server into multiple virtual servers. The practice of partitioning a single server so that it appears as multiple servers has long been common practice in mainframe computers, but has seen a resurgence lately with the development of software and technologies such as VMware, Xen, FreeBSD Jail, User-mode Linux, Linux-VServer, FreeVPS, OpenVZ, and Virtuozzo.


Internet hosting
In the Internet hosting service industry, virtual private servers fill a void between shared web hosting service and dedicated hosting service, and are quickly becoming the main-stay of many hosting companies.

They allow root-level access to individual clients without requiring physically dedicated servers. They are most widely used by businesses and individuals that need a customized solution that cannot be filled in a shared hosting environment.


Computer security
Virtual private servers have also become popular for their ability to establish sandboxes. For example, a single physical server might have two virtual private servers running: one hosting the production-level (live) website, and a second which houses a copy of it. When updates to crucial parts of software need to be made, they can be tested in the second VPS, allowing for detailed testing to be conducted without requiring several physical servers.


Virtual private servers are also sometimes employed to provide honeypots, allowing a machine to deliberately run software with known security flaws. Because it is possible to quickly deploy multiple virtual private servers on a single computer, honeypots are much easier to deploy, allowing better insight into the world of computer security.

[ItsComeToThis]

Hey this is great! Really breaks it down to a very easily understandable format. Thanks for putting all of that in one location. Sometimes, even though I know what something is, I get confused, like a brain over-load or something LOL and this is perfect for those times!