As a website owner, who doesn’t need dedicated server resources, dedicated server space, dedicated IP address, flexibility to customize the server, enhanced site speed, augmented site security and peak site performance, when purchasing web hosting services! If you are thinking that to avail these features you need to purchase an exorbitantly expensive dedicated server, then you have a cheaper yet equally effective alternative, a VPS. Virtual Private Servers (VPS) are configured to offer these aforementioned features and much more, at prices that are way less than that for availing dedicated servers.
With such benefits to offer, a VPS is in high demand as a value for money website hosting solution. It can be availed as either a Managed VPS or as a Self-managed VPS. The purpose of this blog is to not only provide information on a VPS, its benefits and its self-managed and managed versions but also to let you know about the three main reasons that go in favour of opting for a Managed VPS rather than a Self-Managed VPS. But first, let us find out what a VPS is and how a Managed VPS differs from a Self-managed VPS.
VPS: A Virtual and Private Web Server
VPS is the abbreviation for a Virtual Private Server. It is a web server that carries out all the functions of a web server and is used in website hosting for hosting the files of websites. Its main functions include not only storing and processing the files of the hosted websites, but also receiving the incoming requests of the browsers of website visitors and responding to those requests by making available the requested files of the hosted sites for their quick retrieval by the browsers.
Server space on a Virtual Private Server can be acquired by purchasing a VPS Hosting plan from a reliable service provider, such as HTS Hosting, which is a professional and popular web hosting company and offers a wide range of affordably-priced and efficient website hosting plans, including various plans for availing VPS Hosting. As the Best Website Hosting Company, HTS Hosting, offers VPS Hosting plans for Linux Managed VPS, Linux Self-managed VPS, Windows Managed VPS and Windows Self-managed VPS. These are the four types of VPS Hosting services that are provided by most of the web hosting companies to website owners for hosting their websites on a VPS.
When you purchase a VPS Hosting plan, the files of your website not only get stored on a VPS and are processed there, but also benefit from the hosting features that are included in every hosting plan, such as SSD, dedicated IP address, a certain amount of bandwidth, high uptime, fast speed, secure hosting service, 24/7 technical support, etc. In order to make the hosted websites accessible to various site visitors, the stored files of the hosted sites are processed on the VPS and are retrieved from there by the browsers of the site visitors that initiate communication with the VPS.
A Virtual Private Server hosts several websites but is configured to offer dedicated server space and dedicated server resources to each of the hosted sites that exists on the same web server (VPS). By utilizing Virtualization Technology, the physical web server space in a VPS is virtually segmented into multiple servers that remain isolated from each other and are private. Each of these virtually created servers can function independently and host a site, as well as install its own software and operating system (OS). This enables a VPS to offer the environment of a dedicated server, which provided dedicated server space and dedicated server resources, even in a shared server space that hosts multiple websites.
The Main Benefits of Using a VPS
When you opt for a VPS, you pretty much get the same benefits that a dedicated server offers but at a much lesser price. This is one of the main benefits of availing web server space on a VPS, through a VPS Hosting plan. Some of the other major benefits of using a VPS, to host your website, are being mentioned below.
Flexibility to customize the server (installation of own software and Operating System)
Availability of dedicated server resources
Enhanced site speed
Powerful site performance
Availability of dedicated server space
Enhanced site security
Availability of dedicated IP address
Both, a Managed VPS and a Self-managed VPS, offer the same aforementioned benefits. Next, let us touch upon these two types of VPS and understand how a Managed VPS differs from a Self-managed VPS.
What Are the Different Types of VPS?
As mentioned previously, a Virtual Private Server can be availed as either a Managed VPS or as a Self-managed VPS. Web server space on either of these types of VPS can be availed through their respective VPS Hosting plans (Managed VPS Hosting plan or Self-managed VPS Hosting plan).
The service provider provides both these types of Virtual Private Servers but the service provider manages, maintains, updates and keeps secure only the Managed VPS and not the Self-managed VPS. This is how both these types of VPS differ from each other. Both provide the same service of hosting websites and deliver all the aforementioned benefits. The only difference has to do with either the service provider managing the VPS (Managed VPS) or the user managing the VPS (Self-managed VPS).
To summarize, a Managed VPS is a VPS that is provided, updated, kept secure and managed by the service provider of the VPS Hosting, whereas a Self-managed VPS is only provided by the service provider but is updated, kept secure and managed by the user of the VPS. That is why a Self-managed VPS is also referred to as an Unmanaged VPS.
How a Managed VPS Scores Over a Self-Managed VPS?
It is evident that both, a Managed VPS and a Self-managed VPS perform the same function and offer the same benefits (dedicated server resources, dedicated IP address, dedicated server space, server customization, enhanced site speed, powerful site performance and augmented site security). Then why should you opt for a Managed VPS, whose plans are usually priced a bit higher than the plans for a Self-managed VPS? That is because a Managed VPS has some additional benefits to offer, as it is managed by your service provider. Next, let us shed light on three main reasons due to which a Managed VPS scores over a Self-managed VPS.
Expert Server Management by the Service Provider
When you avail a Managed VPS Hosting plan, you don’t have to be bothered about the management, the maintenance and the security updates of your Virtual Private Server. All these tasks become the responsibility of your service provider from whom you have purchased your VPS Hosting plan.
A professional service provider, such as HTS Hosting, employs a well-trained and adept team of experts that ensures the proper management of servers and works proactively, round the clock, to keep your Managed VPS fully secure. You can be rest assured that your Virtual Private Server is being managed by those with expertise in this matter. In this way, a Managed VPS adds to your convenience, as you don’t have to manage your VPS on your own.
Saves Your Time and Resources Needed for Server Management
In a Managed VPS, you, as the user of the VPS are not responsible for its management. This saves your time as well as your resources that are needed for carrying out all the tasks related to server updates, management and maintenance. Moreover, you do not have to worry about the security of your Managed VPS, which is also taken care of by the expert team of your service provider that is managing your Virtual Private Server.
You neither have to have technical know-how about managing a Virtual Private Server, nor do you have to hire trained people for carrying out the management of your VPS. Thus, opting for a Managed VPS saves your time, efforts and resources that are required for ensuring the proper management, maintenance and security of your VPS.
Ensures Your Overall Convenience as a User
A Managed VPS plan is designed to ensure your convenience as the user of the VPS. Unlike the self-managed version of a VPS, in a Managed VPS, the user of the VPS need not be bothered about either server management or its maintenance or its updates and security. All that you need to do, as the user of a Managed VPS, is to purchase your Managed VPS Hosting plan in order to host your website on the Managed VPS. After that, everything related to server management becomes the responsibility of your service provider.
These three above-mentioned benefits are not provided by a Self-managed VPS and help a Managed VPS score over a Self-managed VPS.
Conclusion:
When you avail a Managed VPS, it not only delivers all the benefits of a VPS, but also saves your time and resources and ensures your convenience as the user of the VPS, as your VPS is managed by the expert team of your service provider.
HTS Hosting, a globally popular web hosting service provider, offers a range of feature-rich, VPS Hosting plans for both Managed and Self-managed VPS for Linux and for Windows. All the VPS Hosting plans of HTS Hosting are available at massively discounted prices. You can contact the customer care team of HTS Hosting at any time and an expert will help you choose the best VPS Hosting plan, based on your hosting requirements and your budget.
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