Virtual private server

Virtual private servers or Virtual dedicated servers are a form of virtualization that split a single physical server into multiple virtual servers. The practice of partitioning a single server so that it appears as multiple servers has long been common practice in mainframe computers, but has seen a resurgence lately with the development of software and technologies such as VMware, Xen, FreeBSD Jail, User-mode Linux, Linux-VServer, FreeVPS, OpenVZ, and Virtuozzo.

Internet hosting

In the Internet hosting service industry, virtual private servers fill a void between shared web hosting service and dedicated hosting service, and form the main-stay of some service providers products', such as Memset Ltd's Miniserver.

They allow root-level access to individual clients without requiring physically dedicated servers. They are most widely used by businesses and individuals that need a customized solution that cannot be filled in a shared hosting environment.

Clustered hosting

A variant of virtual hosting is Concentric's proprietary clustered hosting technology. It uses a cluster of physical machines each running virtual hosts.

Computer security

Virtual private servers have also become popular for their ability to establish sandboxes. For example, a single physical server might have two virtual private servers running: one hosting the production-level (live) website, and a second which houses a copy of it. When updates to crucial parts of software need to be made, they can be tested in the second VPS, allowing for detailed testing to be conducted without requiring several physical servers.

Virtual private servers are also sometimes employed to provide honeypots, allowing a machine to deliberately run software with known security flaws. Because it is possible to quickly deploy multiple virtual private servers on a single computer, honeypots are much easier to deploy, allowing better insight into the world of computer security.

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Internet hosting

Clustered hosting

Computer security

See also