VDS/VPS is a reliable and efficient alternative to shared hosting and a dedicated server. Among the advantages, there is functionality, a high level of protection against hacking, stability in operation. Virtual servers operate on a physical basis, and the launch of multiple machines is due to virtualization.
What is the essence of the concept?
Virtualization is the process of dividing a physical server into several isolated virtual servers using the software. In fact, it is a software platform that provides isolation of computing processes launched on a single medium. Each virtual server can launch its own operating systems independently of each other.
All account holders only see their own virtual environment, so they will use VPS as if they were using a dedicated server. This way, virtualization gives businesses many benefits. With this, a single physical server is enough to run several virtual servers efficiently.
Basic Virtualization Types
The process is carried out in several different ways. Depending on the method used, the technologies are divided into several types:
- Hardware (full). In this case, access sharing is performed by the hypervisor. This is a manager of virtual machines that allow to perform their complete isolation. Thus, their work is significantly accelerated, as well as the level of protection increases.
- At the level of the operating system (container). This technology uses a common modified core. Isolation occurs at the OS process level. This type of isolation works only if the core of the guest and the host operating systems are the same.
- Paravirtualization. As in the case of the hardware type, a hypervisor is used to distinguish resources. However, the difference is the modification of the guest operating systems cores. The efficiency of this type of virtualization is higher than that of the hardware type.
Next, let's look at popular types of virtualization that are used for virtual servers.
Common VPS and VDS virtualization technologies
There are many ready-made software solutions for users to choose from. Each of them has its advantages and disadvantages, so it is worth choosing technology based on your own needs. Below there are the most well-known types of virtualization, which are popular among users.
OpenVZ
This is one of the most well-known and widespread technologies that work at the operating system level. On the basis of the OpenVZ type of virtualization, there is a Linux operating system. It is a good option for those who are just beginning to work with virtual servers. Among its advantages, there is a high-performance level as well as a low price. Resource management and administration on the base of OVZ are quite simple.
An obvious disadvantage of OpenVZ is the ability to work only with Linux distributions, as the modified core of this operating system is used. Also, a drawback is considered to be the shared virtual memory and disk cache on one physical server. In addition, the users will not be able to change the core version.
Virtuozzo
The technology works at the operating system level. Virtuozzo is a product of the company Parallels. Virtuozzo works with Windows and Linux operating systems. The version for Linux was partly developed using open-source OpenVZ but has a wider feature set.
Virtuozzo shows excellent performance with minimal loss allocates resources faster and provides big opportunities for data recovery and backup. The disadvantage of this solution is the lack of support for the FreeBSD operating system.
VMware
This is a commercial solution that is one of the leaders in the world market. Most often VMware is chosen by users in the corporate segment. The virtualization of this type has numerous advantages. High performance and stability allow you to work almost without losses. Users can dynamically allocate resources. Important advantages include the full isolation of the neighbors on one physical server.
Among the disadvantages of VMware, you can only note the high cost. For start-up projects with a reduced budget, this is not the most optimal option.
XEN
A cross-platform hypervisor that is open-source and supports a wide range of platforms: x64, x86, Itanium, Power PC, ARM, and others. Among the advantages of XEN, there are the following ones:
- complete isolated separation of resources;
- support for paravirtualization mode, so that the virtual system is at about the same level as the real "hardware" in terms of performance;
- guest operating systems can be launched in hardware virtualization mode;
- users can perform the migration of running machines without stopping all or part of the work processes;
- up to 32 processors are available for guest operating systems, the number of processors can be changed almost immediately.
The development was conducted as a research project that began at the University of Cambridge. At the moment the technology takes the leading position among other options.
KVM
The leading open-source solution for complete virtualization on x86 hardware. The technology was developed by the corporation Red Hat and is designed to provide services on the platform OS Linux. KVM now supports all major operating systems, including Linux and Windows.
KVM provides stability and performance by completely isolating adjacent operating systems and preventing one of them from dominating the resource generation process. Each has its own area on the hard drive and in RAM. If necessary, virtual machines can interact and share files or other data. Also, support for VNC, a system for remote access to the PC desktop, is available by default.
From the disadvantages of KVM, we can only distinguish the lack of the opportunity for paravirtualization. In this, the technology significantly loses to XEN described above.
Hyper-V
The technology was developed by Microsoft Corporation and was formerly known as Windows Server Virtualization. It refers to hardware virtualization systems based on a hypervisor. When working with servers on Windows, Hyper-V shows high performance.
The only relative disadvantage of this option is the insufficient support for obsolete MS-DOS applications. However, this is a minor disadvantage, so Hyper-V technology is positioned as the optimal solution for the Windows operating system.
What kind should be selected when switching to VDS/VPS?
Selection criteria depend on user requirements for performance, availability, scalability, and cost. King Servers offers VDS/VPS rental with XEN virtualization. From our point of view, this is an optimal and productive option. This is confirmed in the feedback from the company's customers who initially planned to use a virtual server based on KVM, OpenVZ, or other existing processes.
If different virtualization technologies have their advantages and disadvantages, the advantages of VDS/VPS are undeniable. It is the best option for projects of different directions, from electronic commerce to gaming platforms. Among their advantages - increased security, reliability, ease of use, easy scalability, and affordability. In addition, if desired, it will not be difficult to switch to a dedicated server. If you initially use virtual hosting, the transition to VDS/VPS will be quite problematic and, as a rule, more expensive.
The rental of a virtual server in King Servers will not cost very cheap, but we offer fair and competitive prices. By paying for our services, customers receive:
- minimum server installation time;
- 24-hour technical support;
- high connection speed;
- a stable operation that we confirm through preliminary testing.
Contact us via the feedback form or any other convenient way. Together we will start successful cooperation that will make your business more profitable and productive!
