What is the difference between a VPS and a VDS?
A VPS (Virtual Private Server) offers the same kernel and operating system to all virtual machines on a server. As a result, clients do not have the freedom to change their operating system, but only to run applications on it.
The advantage of VPS is that certain parts of the ensemble can be reused and performance is higher on the physical server. This means that a physical server can hold more VPSs than VDSs (which entail greater resource consumption).
The disadvantage of VPS is that one can't intervene at operating system level, in order to adjust resource allocation according to preferences. The isolation of virtual machines is not complete, therefore processing resources are distributed by the prioritizing application of the general operating system. As such, a guaranteed minimum processing frequency cannot be guaranteed for a VPS.
Unlike a VPS, VDS technology allows direct interaction with the hardware. This is why the system is much more versatile. A
dedicated virtual server is, in general, faster, more flexible, and has greater storage capacity than a VPS. On a VDS it is possible to:
- Install any desired operating system
- Configure, restart or shut down the server, directly from the online interface
- Connect extra resources inside the operating system: DVD, USB port
Due to the VMware vSphere ESX4 platform, the virtual machines are efficiently isolated and dedicated access to the requested processing speed can be guaranteed.
In short: Virtualization (VDS) is client-friendly - Paravirtualization is hoster-friendly
What is the difference between a virtual server and a dedicated server?
A dedicated server is the ideal solution if you most often need to run memory-intensive applications which require high processing power as well as extended storage. With a dedicated server you can manage your own CPU, HDD and RAM resources, completely safe from the risk of interacting with other virtual machines. A dedicated server means having resources dedicated entirely to your applications, but at the same time, a great financial investment.
A VDS offers most of these benefits, at a smaller scale. It was conceived to guarantee access to dedicated resources at a fraction of the cost of a real dedicated server. A number of VDSs are formed on the same physical server - which means that the processing resources of the physical server are split. The great advantage is that your own virtual machine will be completely isolated from all others and will be served by dedicated resources, to which no other application will have access. In other words, even though you'll be "living" on the same physical server with other virtual machines, you have the certainty of sole access to the resources you opted for.
