How to Shop For and Find the Best Virtual Server?

Answer 1

Virtual servers are one of the most useful ways to take advantage of computing resources without forking out a huge amount of cash upfront. To put it simply, virtual servers abstract computing systems that run within a real hardware system. The difference between a virtual server and a real one is that several virtual servers can exist on just one physical hardware server, each running within their own separate sandbox. A virtual server is protected from crashes and failures experienced by other virtual servers running alongside it, as each virtual server runs in isolation from the others.

From a user's perspective, virtual servers are cheaper to operate than traditional hardware servers because the user only pays for the portion of computing resources they need, with items like power and network bandwidth being shared amongst other virtual server users operating on the same physical server. Although physical hardware traits like processors, memory and hard disk space are shared, each user gets a fully-functioning virtual server which, in most cases, is equivalent to a physical server. Each virtual server gets its own operating system and application set, all of which operate independently of those running on other virtual servers residing on the same hardware server. Virtual servers can even be independently rebooted, powered-down, or re-installed without affecting the operation of other virtual servers. All of this magic happens by virtue of a hypervisor, a manager of sorts residing between the virtual server layer and physical hardware. The hypervisor is tasked with allocating physical hardware resources between the individual virtual servers in such a way that each virtualized operating system isn't even aware it is running within a virtual environment.

One of the key selling points for virtual servers is their flexibility. Whatever choices you make in the beginning can easily be changed as you go to reflect current needs. You can start out with a small virtual server and then expand it on-the-fly should your project grow, all without having to switch over to a new hardware platform. You can also scale down should your actual needs be lower than you initially expected. Whether it's memory, storage space, processors or bandwidth, practically everything can be scaled in a virtual server.

Although virtual servers can be created on one's own, it is far easier to choose a hosting company offering hardware servers upon which your virtual server will reside. This is similar to selecting a Web Hosting company offering servers where websites reside. Hardware quality and the quality of the provider's facility are important. Available bandwidth and up-time is also critical, as you will always be interfacing with the virtual server from a remote location. For those who require assistance running their virtual server, a managed host is essential. Those wishing to control everything themselves can choose unmanaged hosting. Unmanaged hosting, which requires the customer to monitor and administer the server themselves, tends to be considerably cheaper than managed hosting. High-traffic servers will want to go for unmetered hosting, where the customer is not charged for the amount of data transferred to and from their virtual server. You'll also want to make sure you choose a company that provides the operating system you want to use or offers the ability for you to install your own. Virtual servers are pretty flexible, so it's hard to go wrong when choosing one. The real problems boil down to making sure the hardware they run on and those responsible for their upkeep are reliable.