Dedicated Virtual Server Hosting Guide
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Dedicated Virtual Server Hosting Guide - Choosing The Right Hosting Plan
Dedicated virtual server hosting plans can be confusing, and it is almost certainly a good idea to have a plan of action in place before shopping.
A plan of action will require a careful analysis of current hosting needs, projected hosting needs, and an evaluation of various plans offered by various providers. Before any of these topics can be addressed, it is bet to understand exactly what dedicated virtual server hosting is, and how it works.
In essence, dedicated virtual server hosting, also known as virtual dedicated server hosting and virtual private server hosting, is loosely defined as a type of hosting that allows one server to run several complete virtual systems. In some cases, server farms are established that can run multiple copies of virtual sites, thus allowing individual servers within a cluster to be taken offline without disruption to services.
This brings up the first point that one needs to consider when shopping around for a host: how important is redundancy? If one is planning to host a blog that is updated once or twice a day, then a few minutes of downtime here or there may not be a big deal. Anyone hosting an online store that will be active 24/7 may have less tolerance for downtime, so be sure to discover whether the sites are internally mirrored on redundant servers within a cluster.
In the same vein, it also pays to determine backup needs at this time. Will the site(s) being hosted need to be automatically backed up, or will backup on demand be important? What about fault tolerance of the drive arrays? Is RAID 1 and onsite support an absolute requirement? It certainly should be for any busy online store, forum server, or high-traffic web site, but that expense might be pointless for blogs or family web pages that can be restored without significant loss of data.
From this point on, the real needs assessment has to be undertaken in earnest. Will the site(s) require certain support for software and/or databases? If so, the appropriate support must be present on the dedicated virtual server hosting plans under consideration. Most hosts will offer control panels with dedicated virtual server hosting plans, but not always.
Different control panels work well with specific software packages, so be sure to choose the right software package for the right task. The same is true of choosing whether one should opt for virtual servers running Linux or Microsoft, as each OS excels at specific tasks while falls somewhat short in others.
Make sure the requirements regarding databases are well planned out ahead of time, but be wary of blanket support for any particular type of database or feature without calling a support representative for clarification. Be wary of trusting sales reps with such questions as they may not necessarily know enough to answer prudent questions 100% accurately and honestly.
Lastly, be sure that there is an upgrade path that does not require extensive work and restore when upgrading to the next tier of service.