OpenVZ VPS

VPS on OpenVZ are virtual personal servers that are created using virtualization at the OS level. On a physical computer with the Linux operating system installed, special software is launched that emulates the operation of separate servers (VPS) for users.

Creating a VPS using this technology and administering them requires little effort, so users can rent servers for their own needs at an affordable price. Hardware resources are allocated depending on the wishes of the tenants and taking into account the selected tariffs.

When choosing this service option, it must be remembered that the technology in question has its own characteristics and differences from KVM and alternative options. Let’s analyze them in more detail.

Why Rent a VPS

A physical server is a computer with lots of processors, RAM, and storage. The hardware resources of such a PC are too much to solve the problems of most users, and its rental requires significant costs.

To reduce them, most specialists resort to renting a VPS or a virtual server. This is a virtual space created with the help of special software (hypervisor) that mimics a full-fledged server. But at the same time, several virtual VPS devices can run on one physical PC.

Thanks to this approach, users get a platform for hosting websites and network applications at an affordable price and without the restrictions inherent in website hosting.

You can use a virtual server (VPS) to solve various problems:

• Hosting commercial sites, online stores, and other online projects. However, their number is limited only by hardware resources.
• Hosting server parts of corporate applications. On a virtual server (VPS) you can install a boxed version of CRM and organize the work of remote employees.
• Location of databases. Thanks to the guaranteed operation of the VPS, they will be constantly available online for customers and company employees.
• VPN Deployment. Server VPS will be guaranteed to be secure and will allow you to organize access to commercial information without the risk of its disclosure and while bypassing blocking imposed by government agencies.
• Launching online projects. Server VPS can be a platform for launching online games, mail servers, platforms for accounting applications, etc.

Please note that in this case, the user is solely responsible for setting up and maintaining the server software. The provider guarantees the operation of the hardware, ensures uninterrupted communication and power supply, and also supports the operation of virtualization software.

What is virtualization

The technology with which you can create several virtual VPS on one physical server is called virtualization. Specialized software uses hardware resources (processor, memory, storage), but distributes them among several “sandboxes”. The end user sees them as separate PCs with their respective capabilities (with a few exceptions).

OpenVZ virtualization works at the operating system level. Linux is used as the host OS, but each virtual server can have a different operating system installed on the Linux kernel.

Virtualization expands the possibilities for using hardware. Several VPSs are running on one real computer, which has several advantages:

• Reduces the cost of purchasing equipment;
• The cost of renting a server is reduced;
• Computing resources are rationally spent.

The hypervisor is responsible for maintaining the operation of virtual servers (VPS). It is an application that runs isolated software environments and allocates hardware resources between them. They can be rigidly assigned to a specific “sandbox” or distributed dynamically depending on the load.

There are two ways of virtualization:

1. Hardware. Each of the virtual machines is created on the hardware without the use of an “intermediary” in the form of the host operating system. As a result, the risk of interference with the work of virtual machines or VPS in case of gaining access to the main OS. This is how KVM or XEN virtualizers work.
2. Software. A way to create a VPS, in which the Linux kernel is launched on the server and virtual containers for end users are created on this basis and use the technology described in this article, as well as Virtualbox or Docker.

Basic concepts of OVZ virtualization technology

This is one of the ways to create virtual VPS servers at the OS level of the host computer. Since the hypervisor itself is based on Linux, it can only work in this environment, and only Linux-like OSes need to be installed on the VPS. This is due to the fact that this technology uses the so-called container virtualization.

The application is distributed openly and is used under the GNU GPL version 2 license. Administration utilities are distributed along with the application itself.

The main feature of this system is the dynamic distribution of hardware resources between individual VPS. The consumption of processor power and RAM depends on the load on a separate sandbox. Each of the users on one physical server receives as many resources as they need now to perform current tasks.

In this case, the hardware is used as efficiently as possible. If a site or database processes a lot of requests, it will be allocated more processor power or RAM, or conversely, these resources will be reduced.

But this approach has a drawback. If all the VPS virtual servers require a large number of resources, they may not be enough. In this case, performance will drop significantly, which will affect the performance of sites or corporate applications. Therefore, the provider must control the load and scale hardware resources in a timely manner or redistribute virtual VPS servers between real ones.

Another limitation (in addition to using only Linux OS) is slow work with the storage system. Since virtualization is done at the operating-system level, all sandboxes share the same disk space. Therefore, each request is checked before it is executed, which requires a certain amount of time. The more separate VPS there are running on one PC, the slower the read and write commands will be executed.

Slow operation is also associated with the use of a shared disk cache. If many VPS work with the disk at the same time, the data of each of them will begin to force each other out of the cache, which will reduce the overall efficiency.

Limitations of virtualization technology

When choosing a virtual VPS server created using the described technology, it is important to consider the following limitations:

• You cannot install operating systems based on other kernels (not Linux);
• It is possible to use the ext4 file system without alternatives;
• Increases the time to perform operations related to the storage system. The hypervisor always checks whether the storage quota is met.
• You cannot change the OS kernel parameters, which excludes the possibility of using non-standard modules. For example, PPTP or IPSec.
• IPSec data protection protocols cannot be used.

Based on the features of the hypervisor and due to the dynamic allocation of resources between individual VPS, it is highly recommended not to host such projects on such servers:

• Video content streaming services;
• Servers for online games operating under constant high load;
• Cryptocurrency mining applications and distributed computing platforms;
• Bulk email services;
• Other applications use server resources to the maximum.

In this case, due to the dynamic allocation of resources, the VPS server with a resource-intensive project will constantly “take away” hardware capacity from other sandboxes, affecting their performance.

Benefits of using virtualization

Despite some limitations, this technology for creating a VPS has many advantages:

• Affordable rental costs thanks to the rational use of hardware resources. Users can rent a VPS for less, but still, get enough performance for most complex tasks.
• High-performance virtual server. The hypervisor consumes almost no resources. Compared to running programs on regular Linux, there is a decrease of 3% or less.
• Flexibility and scalability. The hypervisor makes it possible to place dozens and hundreds of virtual VPS. This significantly reduces the provider’s costs and allows him to reduce the cost of the rent. At the same time, each VPS receives the hardware resources it needs to run the installed programs and the site.
• Process planning. Despite the dynamic distribution of processor power and RAM, a special algorithm prevents one container from overloading the CPU. Thanks to this, other “sandboxes” also keep working.
• Individual network interface. Interaction with a VPS for the end user is no different from working with a regular physical server. Each container receives a network address, routing, stack, and other attributes necessary for the normal functioning of the project on the Internet.
• Data protection. The connection to the server is carried out via SSH, which precludes data interception by third parties and interference using remote software.

Comparison of the OpenVZ hypervisor with KVM

The abbreviation KVM stands for and translates into Russian as a “kernel-based virtual machine. This hypervisor is also created on the Linux kernel and is used to create a VPS within a single physical service.

The key difference between KVM is the rigid assignment of hardware resources to a specific virtual machine and complete isolation from others. You can install any operating system, including MS Windows, into the sandbox.

When concluding a lease agreement, the user chooses a tariff with the processor power, memory, and storage capacity he needs. They are assigned to it regardless of the load and are not “selected” by neighbors. In this case, the possibility of an oversale of hardware resources by the provider is excluded, and the user receives guaranteed performance within the selected tariff.

However, it should be taken into account that the cost of operating virtual servers based on KVM is higher in comparison with the technology in question. Therefore, you will have to pay more money for rent such as VPS.

What to choose: OpenVZ or KVM?

The exact answer to this question depends on the nature of the tasks that the VPS tenant faces. It is also important to consider the costs that the tenant is willing to bear to maintain the network infrastructure.

A few tips will help you choose the right technology:

• If you need to minimize the cost of renting a server and maintaining it, it is recommended to choose software virtualization based on Open VZ. But it is important to remember that performance is sacrificed, which can drop at peak loads.
• If the load on the site or corporate applications is low, and their performance fades into the background, Open VZ is a more acceptable option. There is no need to overpay for the allocation of hardware resources.
• If a project requires an operating system other than Linux (MS Windows or FreeBSD), the only option is the KVM hypervisor.
• When guaranteed performance is important for the user without the possibility of redistributing resources between neighboring virtual machines, then it is necessary to choose the KVM option.

In the case when constant performance is important for the user and he runs applications that consume a lot of resources, the KVM virtualizer should be chosen, even if you have to pay more money for rent, such as with a VPS.

For programs that do not care about high server performance, Open VZ is suitable. This is an excellent and inexpensive option for launching a small website, an unloaded online store, or a personal cloud service for storing or backing up data.

Also, Open VZ technology is suitable if you need to constantly scale resources. In this case, you can scale without stopping the server and restarting it, since they are distributed dynamically.

Choosing a hosting provider for VPS rental

For business users, it is important to choose the right provider that offers virtual server rental services. This affects the performance of the VPS, its availability for users and the administrator, and the availability of additional modules and features.

It is important to consider the following factors:

1. The reputation of the provider. You should not trust your projects and data to companies that are not known in the market and offer services at the lowest possible prices. It is better to pay more, but get guaranteed reliability for your money.
2. Convenient management. The provider must provide tools for managing the virtual server (ISPManager and others) and additional functions. For example, tools for creating a VPN network, servers with a Python interpreter, etc.
3. Speed of work. This parameter affects the page loading time and the efficiency of using corporate software. It is recommended to rent servers with SSD storage.
4. Convenient technical support. The provider’s technical support specialists should be in touch around the clock and solve user problems as quickly as possible.

How to place an order

Don’t want to rent a dedicated server due to unreasonably high costs? Order VPS from KingServers. We provide virtual servers for rent, created using OpenVZ virtualization technology.

The virtual server resides on computers located in data centers in the Russian Federation, Europe, and the USA. It is suitable for hosting websites, databases, or corporate software. Unlike hosting services, you can host any number of projects on a virtual server.

To file an application, you must select the processor power, memory, and disk, and then order services from technical support. We offer the most affordable rates on the Russian market. We also guarantee the reliability of servers and their constant availability.