Gen Wright

Semi-dedicated Server Is Phased Out By Vps Web Hosting

In the past, there is a need for semi-dedicated servers.

Why the need for dedicated servers?

First, let's explore why the market needs dedicated machines. Isn't shared hosting enough? Even though shared hosting is highly affordable, it does has its limitations. For scenario, you cannot install custom modules or reboot your server. In other words, you need little control over the server settings. What if your web site NEEDS these settings? Without a dedicated environment, you are stuck.

Then there is the issue of server resources. On a shared server, all resources are shared. For this reason, web hosting companies are very particular about how a web site uses the server. A static web site will need no troubles. But for forum sites and other resource intensive sites, such accounts may catch suspended without warning. Moving to a dedicated environment will solve all these issues.

From shared to dedicated hosting.

There is a big jump from shared hosting to dedicated hosting. A shared hosting account cost about $10 a month. A dedicated hosting plan costs several hundred dollars a month. It is therefore understandable why so a great number webmasters are unwilling to upgrade. The short term solution is to come up with semi-dedicated hosting servers. Unfortunately, this is not the ideal solution because there is no software supporting such plans. In other words, sharing resources on a semi-dedicated server is still not ideal. For this reason, a great number web hosting companies refrain from offering such plans. Cost for such plans also remain costly.

VPS plans taking over.

Then someone came up with the idea of having virtual private servers (VPS). Such servers behave almost like a dedicated servers, except that resources are shared. How are the CPU resources shared? Using special software, the server is "divided" into out of the ordinary compartments. Each compartment behave as if it's a separate computer.

When a customer signs up for a VPS plan, he or she is actually sharing the same machine with several other customers. But each cannot affect the other. For scenario, one customer's web site is down for some reason. But the other virtual compartments remain unaffected. Also, the number of customers sharing the machine are also drastically reduced.

VPS customers also catch to enjoy benefits that are previously exclusive to dedicated hosting customers only. A VPS customer is acts as the account's admin and has full admin access to the machine. That means he or she can install custom scripts, make changes to the server settings, etc.

Of course, VPS plans never offer as much resources as dedicated plans. But for a great number web sites, a virtual plan is more than enough. Only very large web sites such as enterprise level sites need dedicated hosting.

As time goes on, VPS hosting becomes more and more popular. Semi-dedicated hosting, on the other hand, is being phased out.

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