“Server”, a term that most of us have heard frequently, has become an important IT component in the infrastructure of most enterprises these days as businesses rely heavily on technology to carry out their operations in this global business world. Now, what exactly is a server?

A server can either be software or it can be a hardware device, which is meant to accept and then appropriately respond to requests that are made over the Internet. Devices that generate requests and receive servers’ responses are known as clients. Functionality, which is known as a service, is provided by servers (hardware or software) to these clients (devices or programs). The client-server model is used for this purpose. Servers can be of various types, such as print servers, database servers, file servers, mail servers, application servers, game servers, proxy servers, web servers etc.

Let us take the example of web servers to further understand the role of a server. Web servers are used and provided by web hosting companies for storing the files of websites in order to deliver the service of web hosting. Web hosting is the service that renders different websites accessible over the Internet. When the files of websites that are stored on web servers, are delivered over the Internet, to the Internet connected devices of users, then websites become accessible to those users.

A web server essentially caters to accepting and fulfilling the requests of clients with regard to the content of websites (images, videos, HTML pages etc.). The usual “clients” of web servers are browsers or mobile applications. The requests that are generated are in the form of Hypertext Transfer Protocol messages (HTTP) and the web servers’ responses to these requests are also in the form of HTTP messages. In the context of web hosting companies, which provide these servers, the most competent web hosting service providers are referred to as the “Best VPS Hosting Company”, the “Best Linux Dedicated Hosting Company”, the “Top Cloud Hosting Company” etc.

Servers, along with other essential network equipment, are usually kept in a glass house or a closet. This is meant for isolating these important IT resources from unauthorized access. Servers that are not hosted on-site are present in data centers that make these servers available for use.

It is essential for servers to remain functional at all times because these provide such services that are required constantly. Enterprises use servers for many functions, which include but are not limited to hosting websites, applications, emails, data storage etc.

In this blog our focus is on VPS (Virtual Private Server) and dedicated servers. These are two types of servers that are used by web hosting companies for the purpose of web hosting. VPS hosting involves the use of VPS and dedicated hosting involves the use of dedicated servers. Let us elaborate on these two types of servers, and shed light on their differences.

VPS

VPS is the abbreviation for Virtual Private Server. It is a type of server that uses virtualization technology to ensure that every user of a VPS has access to dedicated (private) resources that exist on a shared server hosting multiple clients. In a Virtual Private Server, multiple clients utilize the isolated instances on the same parent server. A VPS delivers enhanced security, performance and stability at a much lesser price than that which is needed for renting an entire server and its resources (dedicated server). Hence, a VPS offers one of the best solutions to those whose requirements have exceeded that which could be effectively catered to by shared hosting but are not at that level which requires them to invest in a dedicated server.

A Virtual Private Server is capable of successfully emulating a dedicated hardware by mimicking virtually a dedicated server’s environment within a shared server, which is called the parent server/host. In this way, it offers functionality similar to that of a physical server. By virtue of being software-defined, a VPS can be created as well as configured easily. In it, virtualization technology is used for delivering dedicated resources to the virtual servers that exist within the host/parent server. A VPS runs its own copy of an operating system. The multiple virtual servers that exist within a parent server remain separated from each other. Software called Hypervisor is used in order to implement a virtual layer atop the OS (operating system) for segmenting the virtual servers. This segregation enables each VPS to have its own OS and software installed, resulting in the creation of individual private servers. The installation of custom software and the creation of isolated development environments are enabled by a VPS. It aids in isolating multiple digital service offerings. A VPS can either be managed or unmanaged, when it is availed from a service provider.

Dedicated Servers

A dedicated server is a type of a server, wherein the entire server and its resources are used by a single tenant. This type of hosting service is known as dedicated hosting or single-tenant hosting. In it, the user has exclusive access to all the resources of the server, which are not shared with any other user, as the entire server belongs to a single entity. Hence, one is able to configure it entirely based on one’s requirements. A dedicated server delivers enhanced speed, flexibility and security and lets its user have full control over the server set up, which includes hardware configuration as well as options for custom software.

Dedicated servers are known to deliver the highest levels of performance and present one of the best solutions for business critical applications, revenue-generating online stores, enterprises, websites that need enhanced security and customization, experience a lot of traffic, and/or those sites that anticipate rapid growth.

Conclusion

Virtual Private Servers and Dedicated servers, both are very efficient types of servers and opting for either of these servers depends on one’s requirements and budget. Availing a dedicated server is usually more expensive than availing a VPS but in a dedicated server one has total control over the physical hardware and the server’s software, and it offers enhanced speed and security. Unless one has the requirement for a dedicated server in particular, a VPS proves to be an extremely viable alternative.