| Virtual private servers have been used for quite | | | | Virtual private servers are used in a variety of |
| some time, but lately they have gained popularity and | | | | situations. Many times they are used for duplicate or |
| more and more people have a need for something | | | | copy websites. This allows changes to be made to |
| other than shared and dedicated web-hosting | | | | the copy site before making the changes to the main |
| services. A virtual private server is a single physical | | | | site, to ensure that the website will be as accurate |
| server that is split into multiple virtual servers. What | | | | and as unflawed as possible. Testing the copy site |
| this means is that the single physical server is | | | | allows the individuals running the website to ensure |
| portioned in such a way that the one server appears | | | | that it is as professional and up-to-date as possible at |
| to be multiple servers. While this portioning of a single | | | | all times. Virtual private servers are also used quite |
| server has been effective for quite some time, | | | | often to create honeypots, which refers to the |
| newer software such as Xen, FreeVPS, and others | | | | ability to allow a specific machine to run software |
| have revived the popularity. | | | | that knowingly has security or other flaws. |
| Virtual private servers are practical for those that | | | | Honeypots are considered to be easier to deploy in a |
| need something a bit different than either shared or | | | | timely fashion, which allows one to gain more insight |
| dedicated hosting. The attractiveness of Virtual | | | | into the world of computer safety without |
| private servers or VPS is that they allow root level | | | | compromising the safety of ones main server. |
| access to each of the clients, yet they do not | | | | There is a well-known variant of virtual hosting that is |
| require physically dedicated servers. Businesses and | | | | called clustered hosting; this is a technology that |
| individuals that really need a customized server and | | | | involves a cluster of physical machines that are each |
| web hosting plan often go for the virtual private | | | | running virtual hosts. Whether you choose clustering |
| server because it gives them more privacy and | | | | or virtual private servers, this can be the solution to |
| customization than a shared server, but usually is not | | | | your web hosting needs. If you have the need to |
| as expensive as a dedicated server is. Many find that | | | | gain more control and customization than you can get |
| a virtual private server is just able to fulfill their needs | | | | with shared hosting, one should definitely look into |
| more accurately and efficiently than any other type | | | | VPS hosting options. VPS is great for many, including |
| of hosting service. | | | | those that want more control as well as resellers. |