The Beginners Guide to Cloud VPS Hosting

While researching for hosting options best suited for your website, you would have surely learnt about Dedicated and Shared Hosting. But, there�s a new kid on the block that has created quite a buzz among webmasters. Cloud VPS Hosting is the latest and hottest concept that has seen rapid growth in the past few years.

Though as of now only a limited number of web host companies who are offering true VMware cloud VPS hosting, it�s likely to expand its market share as more webmasters shift to enterprise grade cloud from other traditional hosting options like Shared, Dedicated, and Reseller Hosting.

The cost factor has played its part in preventing rapid growth of its user base. This will change soon, as more companies come forward to offer cloud services. With increase in competition there�ll be a resultant reduction in prices.

Cloud VPS hosting � What is it?

In cloud VPS hosting, the website doesn�t reside in a single physical hardware. Instead, a cluster of servers work together to feed the browser with the page it requests. While this may sound similar to Clustered Hosting, there is a marked difference between the two.

Compared to Clustered Hosting, the cloud server network is more numerous, complex, and virtual. Cloud VPS hosting is gaining traction since it�s not bound by the limitations that other traditional methods have.

Hosting on virtual server reduces instances of downtime in case of any technical server problem. Additionally, increase in demand for a website won�t lead to any bandwidth issues, since another system in the cloud network can provide resources to keep the website functioning.

You don�t have to look far to see a live example of cloud VPS hosting. Thousands of servers spread over hundreds of locations work around the clock to keep the search engine giant Google online.

How does it work?

Webmasters tend to give an overly technical explanation to how cloud hosting works. We�ll try to simplify that for you. In cloud hosting there are no physical servers directly involved in managing a website.

Here virtual servers with their own resources like memory, CPU core, operating systems and software operate independently of the physical server. They derive their resources from the existing physical servers, but virtual servers are created, configured, and customized as per the developer�s choice.

Benefits of cloud Virtual Private Servers

Many may wonder how creating a virtual environment and distributing workload over numerous systems benefit the user. Here are the features that differentiate cloud from other hosting options.

One huge advantage of cloud servers is its scalability. The cloud network may consist of a small number of machines, say 10 � 15, or there can be scaled up to add unlimited systems running as a single cloud setup.

As mentioned above resources needed to create and run a virtual platform are drawn from a wide range of physical servers. What this means is unlimited resource is at the administrator�s disposal, so adding and removing them as and when needed adds flexibility to the hosting setup.

The virtualization process allows the administrator to have backend access to monitor crucial system information such as CPU load of the servers. Those manning the cloud setup can effortlessly optimize the virtual environment for data backups, optimal power usage, storage efficiency, and more.

With cloud server customers pay for what they use. Having a cloud host a web application is a better and long-term cost effective option than the hardware server hosting. The premise is simple, if you�re using limited bandwidth to deliver just text, pay only for that.

But, in case of images, streaming videos and music higher bandwidth requirement will increase the cost. Probably, this is the most popular feature of this hosting solution � rent additional processing power for the duration you want at a fraction of what you�ll have to shell out in case of other services.

Cloud Servers vs. Dedicated hosting � the difference

If you want to set up an ecommerce platform, you have a choice between two different concepts: cloud servers which places multiple servers at your disposal or dedicated hosting that gives exclusive use of a server or part of a server.

Your decision should rest on how the options, compare with each other under two conditions: Reliability and Cost. With a cluster of servers forming one cloud your website is well equipped to face any emergency. The same is not true in case of dedicated hosting.

Obviously, setting up a virtual architecture is a pricey affair and not the best choice in case you�re looking to keep your investment low. So, cloud VPS hosting scores on reliability, but fails on the cost factor.

The future of cloud hosting

A technology that until a few years back was affordable only by large enterprises has slowly trickled down to small businesses. It�s where the future of cloud server hosting lies, among small businesses and emerging markets that drive innovation and make it more readily available for the masses.

At present the cost concern is holding back small businesses from shifting to cloud en masse. In the very near future we�ll most likely see majority of Fortune 500 companies and small businesses take to cloud infrastructure in a big way.

Technology enthusiasts predict in near future cloud infrastructure to become the home of all web servers. With innovation, they believe cloud VPS hosting can emerge as the right solution to the limitations of existing high priced private servers.

The next logical step in the development of cloud virtual machine is building of tools and applications that are compatible with cloud infrastructure. Developers around the world are already working on creating open source tools for cloud serves, so more people can build on it and add to its functionality and robustness.

What we have presented here is a map which gives a brief presentation of cloud hosting. With this information in mind, you can further explore the finer particulars of the cloud environment. Gather more information on cloud servers, list its pros and cons, and decide if moving your website to the cloud will benefit your business or not.