Dedicated vs Virtual Private Servers
At the pricey end of the Web Hosting spectrum, we find » Dedicated servers: the single-family homes of the Web Hosting world. Here we have the whole enchilada to ourselves. Our web hosting life is good as it gets. We don't have to "share" with anyone. (Not if we don't want to.)
The downside to Dedicated hosting » CO$T. We'll pay anywhere from $100 to $280 per month, depending how much horsepower our site needs.
Like a single-family home, a Dedicated server is the dream of every site owner (including me). Heck, I'm drooling all over my keyboard just thinking about a dedicated server .. not having to worry that another account might be using more than its fair share of my server's resources.
I also like that we would be able to configure a Dedicated server anyway we please, and change that configuration at will.
Terminology Note: Some companies refer to Virtual Private Servers as » Virtual Dedicated Servers. I know what they're trying to say, yet this is a misnomer. While a VPS *is* private (via virtualization), it's NOT really dedicated (if you think about it).
The very definition of (the term ») virtualization contradicts the concept of "dedicated." Which is why I don't use the term Virtual Dedicated Server here.
Virtual Private Servers (VPS)
Virtual Private Servers, on the other hand, are like condominiums (or townhomes). In other words, like single-family homes, they offer many of the benefits associated with dedicated servers, yet allow us to enjoy these benefits at a fraction of what we'd normally pay for a dedicated server.
VPS servers employ a technology known as virtualization. Expect to hear more about this (sophisticated) technology as it continues to mature and develop.
Virtualization is the process where a physical server is divided into virtual divisions (sometimes called "containers"), making it appear as if your site is running on a dedicated server. If you're familiar with the concept of how a large hard disk drive is partitioned into smaller logical drives, you have an idea how virtualization works.
There are several players in the virtualization game. I delve more deeply into a "compare-n-contrast" on the next page .. but for now, let's introduce the main characters:
• Virtuozzo (by Parallels). This is the software that WiredTree uses. It's what most VPS hosts use. Virtuozzo is not free. Efficient use of server resources is it's primary strength (far as you & I are concerned).
• OpenVZ (also by Parallels). This is the open source version of Virtuozzo. It comes sans (without) the high-end features that accompany it's expensive big brother.
• Xen (open source). Cool name. A hypervisor. Primary strength is that it's hard to over-sell a hypervisor. You can be fairly confident you're getting what you paid for.
• VMWare. Generally considered the most mature virtualization software on the market. Also the most expensive. Probably the closest you can get to a true dedicated server in a VPS environment. Like Xen, VMWare is also a hypervisor.
Consider that » a VPS is typically a high-end server. For example, if you look at the specs of the WiredTree VPS (dual-Xeons, 8 CPUs), you'll notice they exceed those found on top-of-the-line Dedicated servers .. for which you'd likely pay $280/month (dual-processor, dual-core = 4 cores) .. and NOT one that costs only $100/month (single Celeron-based).
In other words, all Dedicated servers are NOT created equal. Not hardly. Virtual Private Servers, on the other hand, tend to be the very best high-end beasts. Let's do the math, and you'll see why Web Hosts can afford to buy the very best high-end servers for their VPS accounts.
For example, my particular server has 16 gigs of RAM. Let's assume Virtuozzo needs 2 gigs to virtualize and set up the "containers" (probably less). That leaves 14 gigs to allocate to clients. Let's also assume half the remaining memory is allocated to clients enrolled in the 256-MB plan ($50/month), while the other half are enrolled in the 512-MB plan ($90/month).
That means each group gets 7 gigs. Seven gigs would equal 28 clients using the 256-MB plan, and 14 clients using the 512-MB plan. 28 x $50 = $1,400/month. While 14 x $90 = $1,260/month. For a grand total of $2,660/month (for a fully-loaded server).
Certainly our web host will have to pay overhead and other expenses (e.g. salaries) out of that revenue, but you can see how $2,660/month for a VPS far exceeds the $280/month they pull in for a (high-end) Dedicated server. And some servers can have up to 32 gigs of memory.
On the other hand, you won't find many plans offering prices much less than this, so I'm guessing this is roughly what is costs to run (and support) a fully-loaded VPS.
And your host is likely to put you on a new server (as they did with me), so it's likely to be the fastest thing out there (at the time you sign up).
Years later however, it will begin to show its age. This is why it's best to find a small company that's growing (like WiredTree, who launched in June, 2006). If you go with a big, old company, they may put you on an old server. And I doubt they'll be as motivated to keep your business, as the small, aggressive upstart.
Final Thoughts on Dedicated Servers
Before we leave the topic of dedicated servers, I have two other options you might find interesting. (I did.) I'll merely provide the linkage and leave you to do your own research (if you're interested).
1. WiredTree's Hybrid Server.
This seems to be a VPS with few client-accounts assigned to each physical server (the "hardware node"), each with either 1-GB or 2-GB dedicated memory.
If each physical server comes with 16-GB RAM, and it takes 2-GB to run Virtuozzo (I'm guessing), that would leave enough memory for ~14 clients.
For this service, WiredTree charges ~$100/month for their cheaper plan and ~$200/month for their more expensive plan. Tho I'm sure they'd have no problem giving you a 10% discount if you asked.
Note: WiredTree used to call these servers "Hybrid Dedicated," a term I had problems accepting. Now they simply call them Managed Hybrid. (A more accurate description, and something I'd enjoy upgrading to.)
2. Mosso - "The Hosting Cloud." This could easily be little more than marketing smoke-n-mirrors, but I really like the idea. If they didn't charge so much ($100/month), I might check them out. Haven't spent much time researching them, but the concept *does* interest me.
Mosso (subsidary of Rackspace) is able to run both Linux *and* Windows (both *.net & *.php) on the SAME SERVER (for the same web site .. a good trick), using a proprietary technology they call "TrueHybrid Hosting". This tells me they are possesses technological savvy. So I'm inclined to believe their other claims.
The problem with a 30-day trial is that a host can tweak a server to give you great performance for the first 30 days, then slowly throttle you back after you decide to host with them. Call me skeptical, but such trials (to me) seem dubious.
On the next page, we'll take a closer look at comparisons between the different virtualization softwares available, and their respective strengths & weaknesses.