Windows VPS Server

A Windows VPS server is seen as the next upgrade for you to make if you are currently using shared web hosting as a VPS server is generally the next highest form of web hosting offered by most web hosting providers after Windows shared hosting, and if you are upgrading from Windows shared hosting then the likelihood is that you require dedicated web hosting services. Most web hosting providers offer Windows Server 2003 and Windows Server 2008 based VPS server hosting services, but to make Windows VPS server hosting worthwhile it is advised that you choose Windows Server 2008 VPS server hosting so that you can make the most of the new features that Microsoft has to offer with its new server operating system. Most web hosting providers will be using the popular Virtuozzo VPS platform to provision their Windows VPS server hosting services, and Virtuozzo VPS server hosting services are well known for being both reliable and secure – they are also easy to manage with the use of the Parallels Power Panel; however, for Windows Server 2008 VPS server hosting services, some web hosting providers are using the Hyper-V platform which comes as part of Windows Server 2008 to provision their VPS server hosting services, and this not only saves them money but also allows them to offer you much more reliable VPS server hosting services as the application being used is a core part of the operating system. Although a Windows VPS server may cost more than your existing Windows shared hosting package, you will find that a Windows VPS server will be able to offer you a lot more and can represent good value for money in most cases; a VPS server will be able to offer you greater levels of uptime than you will be able to achieve with your Windows shared hosting package, and on top of that you will also have a much more secure web hosting environment to make use of.

A Windows VPS server will also allow you to have much more choice over the applications that you have available to use, mainly because a Windows VPS server will provide you with your own dedicated server hosting environment; your web hosting provider should then be able to provide you with Remote Desktop access to your Windows VPS server so that you can manage it properly, and from here you will be able to install any applications you require or make changes as you see fit.

What are the advantages of using a Windows VPS server?

A Windows VPS server will be able to offer you a much more enjoyable web hosting experience than your Windows shared hosting package will ever be able to offer you, and this alone helps to make Windows VPS server hosting good value for money as it means that you won’t have to worry about the things that matter such as security and reliability. The main advantage of using Windows VPS server hosting is that you will be able to choose between Windows Server 2003 and Windows Server 2008, and depending on your web hosting provider this may not always be possible in a shared hosting environment; when choosing between the two it is really a choice between saving money and new features, but in any situation there will be a Windows VPS server that is suitable for your requirements. A Windows VPS server will be able to offer you your own dedicated Windows web hosting environment which you can use to your advantage since it means that you can install any applications that you require on your Windows VPS server; as well as allowing you to configure your hosting environment and VPS server to function the way you want it to, this will also allow you to remove any applications or services which serve no purpose to you. A Windows VPS server can also offer you higher levels of uptime than a Windows shared hosting package can, but reaching 100% uptime with any Windows server can be hard because of how the operating system functions; each time you install an application you are normally asked to restart the server that you are managing, and each time you do that the server will go down for a few minutes at a time – if you carry out your server management tasks during off-peak hours then you should be able to reduce any interruption which may ensue. In summary, the main advantages of using Windows VPS server hosting include:

  • Windows Server 2003 and Window server 2008 – most web hosting providers will now give you the choice between Virtuozzo based Windows Server 2003 VPS server hosting and Hyper-V based Windows Server 2008 VPS server hosting when ordering VPS server hosting – this choice means that you are able to choose a Windows VPS server that suits your requirements perfectly as not everyone needs a Windows VPS server that will be able to offer them new features, and it is important to remember that a Windows Server 2003 VPS server is going to be cheaper than a Windows Server 2008 VPS server – such choice isn’t available with shared web hosting as most web hosting providers tend to stick to the cheapest web hosting solution available so that they are able to maximise any profit that is available to them
  • Dedicated hosting environment – any VPS server is able to offer you a dedicated hosting environment that you can do what you want with, and a Windows VPS server will offer you a dedicated hosting environment that you will be able to manage yourself by accessing the Windows GUI via Remote Desktop – having full administrator access to your Windows VPS server will allow you to install any applications on your Windows VPS server that you may require if you are to be able to make full use of your Windows VPS server, but you can also remove any applications that you see as unnecessary to help improve the performance of your Windows VPS server – it is important for you to keep your Windows VPS server secure meaning that you should take advantage of your full administrator access to install any security applications that you require and to configure the Windows Firewall
  • Uptime – a Windows VPS server will always be able to outperform a website which is hosted on a Window shared web hosting when it comes to uptime, purely because you will have full management of your VPS server which will allow you to schedule downtime so that it only happens at off-peak hours – Windows as an operating system isn’t known for offering high levels of uptime because a server normally needs to be restarted each time you install a new application, but if you keep your application installs to a minimum and schedule Microsoft Update to be run on your Windows VPS server at off-peak hours then you will be able to minimize any interuption that downtime could cause.

The advantages of Windows VPS server hosting make it an ideal web hosting solution for someone who is looking to upgrade from their existing Windows shared hosting package. Windows VPS servers have many uses and since you have full access to your Windows VPS server you will be able to use it for anything, meaning that if you have complex requirements then you may wish to use more than one VPS server.

Disadvantages of Windows VPS Server Hosting

There can also be disadvantages to using Windows VPS server hosting, but if you have used web hosting services before then you will be fully aware of the fact that no website hosting package is 100% perfect at meeting your requirements. The main disadvantage of Windows VPS server hosting is the cost of your Windows VPS server, but you do need to put the cost into perspective and consider what you are getting for your money when compared to other Windows web hosting services that are available; Windows VPS servers are typically more expensive than Linux VPS servers because web hosting providers need to factor the cost of the operating system into the price of their Windows VPS servers. Managing a Windows VPS server is something that not everyone will take likely to as server management is something that can only really be done properly with experience rather than learning it all straight up; although you will have Remote Desktop access to your Windows VPS server to aid you in the management of your server, it is important for you to be sure of what you are doing so that you don’t make any changes which could damage your Windows VPS server. Windows VPS servers don’t always offer good value for money, regardless of what you are paying for your Windows VPS server or the web hosting provider that you have chosen to use for your web hosting services; it is always a good idea to compare the many Windows VPS server hosting packages that are available as this will allow you to narrow down the VPS servers that are within your budget, and from there you can choose the highest specification Windows VPS server which falls within your budget. In summary, the main disadvantages of Windows VPS server hosting include:

  • Pricing – VPS server hosting in general isn’t cheap because you are paying for virtual resources on a physical server but in the form of your own dedicated hosting environment, but a Windows VPS server is always going to cost more than a Linux VPS server – because Windows is a commercial operating system your web hosting provider will have to pay to use it, and this means that they have to factor the cost of the Windows license of your VPS server into the amount that you are paying for your Windows VPS server which results in you having to pay quite a bit for Windows VPS server hosting – it is important to note that Windows Server 2003 VPS servers are going to be cheaper than Windows Server 2008 VPS servers, and this may help you when it comes to choosing a Windows VPS server for your requirements
  • Management – server management can be hard for even the most experienced of individuals, and you should only consider an unmanaged Windows VPS server if you are sure that you will be able to maintain it properly on your own – although a Windows VPS server may be easier to manage than a Linux VPS server because of the fact that you will have GUI access to your Windows VPS server, it is still important for you to be sure of what you are doing so that you don’t do anything which could ultimately damage your Windows VPS server
  • Value for money - Windows VPS server hosting doesn’t always represent good value for money when you consider the resources that you can purchase for the price, but if you do your research then you should be able to find a Windows VPS server that will suit your requirements – there are many web hosting providers around who offer Windows VPS server hosting services meaning that it is more or less a case of finding the reputable web hosting providers and seeing what they have to offer, as once you have done this you can then move on to comparing web hosting providers and Windows VPS servers to see which web hosting package will be the best deal for you.

The disadvantages of using a Windows VPS server show that you should only consider Windows VPS server hosting if you are sure that your Windows shared hosting package is no longer sufficient for your requirements.

In conclusion, a Windows VPS server is the next natural upgrade for someone who is using Windows shared hosting services, and this is reflected in the fact that Windows VPS servers are generally the next cheapest form of Windows web hosting offered by most web hosting providers. A Windows VPS server can make a more affordable alternative to a Windows dedicated server, although if you have high expectations from your server hosting service then you may find it more beneficial to consider a Windows dedicated server for your requirements.