WDTalk

Xen™ – is a virtual machine environment that supports execution of multiple guest operating systems with outstanding levels of performance and resource isolation. Xen is Open Source software, released under the terms of the GNU General Public License.

Servers with – quad core processors and GB’s of RAM are ideally suited to employ virtualization to present the illusion of many smaller virtual machines, each running a separate operating system.

Virtual machines – on one dedicated server are isolated from one another, allowing concurrent execution of multiple operating systems – without allowing the execution of one to adversely affect the performance of another partition.

XEN Hypervisor – is a layer of software running directly on the server’s hardware, replacing the operating system, which allows that server’s hardware to run multiple guest operating systems concurrently. It becomes the interface for all hardware requests such as CPU, I/O, and disk for the guest operating systems.

Server virtualization benefits

• dynamic fault tolerance against software failures (through rapid bootstrapping or rebooting)
• hardware fault tolerance (through migration of a virtual machine to different hardware)
• the ability to securely separate virtual operating systems
• the ability to support legacy software as well as new OS instances on the same computer

Hostirian is named Best VPS Host by Best Free Web Space because of the quality of service and the best virtual private server (VPS) technology they use. In this Hostirian review we will take a look at some of the best web hosting services they have to offer as well as a little about the Hostirian company, in an effort to help webmasters figure out if this is the best web hosting service for his/her needs. Hostirian was started in 2001 and is part of the River City Internet Group. Hostirian manages over 5,000 servers in a 30,000 square foot datacenter, making it possible for them to offer top of the line VPS hosting options. In addition to top of the line technology, Hostirian focuses on providing the very best web hosting customer support.

At Hostirian,  customers will have the option to contact customer service through their toll free 800 number, integrated ticket system, and live chat options for both pre and post sales service. These are just a couple of the elements that Best Free Web Space feels makes Hostirian one of the best web hosting services around. In addition, Hostirian offers several web hosting options to meet the needs of the most customers. Choose from shared web hosting, cloud hosting, a virtual private server, dedicated server and more. Having so many options makes it possible for many different websites to perform very well on the Hostirian web hosting service.

VPS hosting plans start as low as $4.95 per month and include 256 MB dedicated memory, 10 GB disk space, 100 GB monthly bandwidth and a 2.4 GHz Xeon processor. In addition to the Hostirian VPS Starter Package they have four other VPS plans to choose from, each offering additional dedicated memory, disk space, monthly bandwidth, and Xeon processors. For a webmaster that has an established website that is having performance issues, because of the available resources on a shared web hosting plan, moving to a VPS plan could be the perfect answer. A virtual private server uses a partition to provide each VPS account with dedicated allotments of resources as well as the ability to choose the operating system, reboot the server, or take advantage of other administrative rights that one would usually only have with a dedicated server.

The fact that Hostirian has more than 10 years of experience in the web hosting industry is a good indication that they provide a reliable web hosting service that is stable and secure. Hostirian reviews from actual customers tell about the reliable uptime and exceptional customer service they have enjoyed with Hostirian.  Whether you are new to the web hosting business and just need a basic shared web hosting plan or if you have been around for a while and are looking for a more specialized service like a managed server, disaster recovery, cloud hosting and more; Hostirian offers affordable, professional services to meet all your web hosting needs. Signing up with Hostirian is easy and secure. Visit the Hostirian website to learn more about the best VPS hosting options. Watch for Hostirian promos like the current 20% off new VPS hosting plans, when you “like” Hostirian on Facebook.

For any other questions about the Hostirian service, contact them by phone, email or live chat. The Hostirian support is available all the time and they take pride in providing every customer with the tools and service needed to build and maintain a successful website. Take a few minutes to read the hosting articles and  the frequently asked questions to learn more about the Hostirian web hosting service.

Burst versus swap discussions are normally – comparisons of OpenVZ versus Xen memory management. There are advantages and disadvantages to each, with burst associated with VZ and swap to Xen. Assuming everything else is equal, which would you consider is the better option – 1024MB guaranteed (SLM) or 768MB guaranteed (burstable to 2048MB)?

I just read of an experiment – pairing the two technologies under load conditions. The test involved an OpenVZ container (512MB dedicated RAM with 512MB burst) versus a XEN based VPS (768MB with swap). A basic Debian 5 64 bit OS was installed on each with LAMP, email and Jabber/XMPP. The total OpenVZ memory usage equaled 445MB versus XEN’s 296MB.

So what can we take away from this test? If you’re running Java or other applications that tend to allocate large amounts of virtual memory, OpenVZ containers (without burst) will have less guaranteed memory available. Enter burst .. OpenVZ needs an appropriate amount of burst (usually 1.5 to 2 times the guaranteed).

Beyond guaranteed to burst and swap – access latency on RAM (burst) is measured in nanoseconds whereas swap (HDD) is measured in milliseconds (much much slower). Swap is slow, so you want ample guaranteed (SLM) to handle your applications. Plus, your system cannot execute stuff out of swap. It has to be in active RAM to execute. With both burst and swap, you want just enough allocation to handle inactive data, keeping as much active data in guaranteed RAM as possible.

Overselling can be – an issue with OpenVZ, e.g., killing your application if it bursts beyond the guaranteed resource allocation, instead of simply slowing down as with a true dedicated server. The kernel of Virtuozzo cannot be modified as it’s based on an OS template. By contrast (using default settings), Xen doesn’t allow overselling, so a physical server with 16GB of RAM would be limited to 64 x 256MB virtual machines. Plus, XEN allows you to fully modify the kernel, so advanced users can compile and load their own modules, resulting in properly virtualized memory, IO and scheduler – that’s stable and predictable.

A Virtual Private Server (VPS) – is the next logical step up from a shared platform. Its scalability in resources versus cost makes it a viable alternative to dedicated server hosting.

While Virtual Private Servers – offer the same complement of operating systems and software components expected from a dedicated server, they vary from shared in that each virtual private server is isolated from one another, allowing concurrent execution of multiple operating systems – without allowing the execution of one partition to adversely affect the performance of another partition. Instead of allowing the kernel or operating system of a VPS to interface directly with hardware components, virtualization software intercepts requests, queues them, and manages their interpretation.

A Virtual Private Server platform – is ideally suited for:

Low End

256MB Dedicated Memory
10GB Disk Space
100GB Monthly Transfer
1 X 2.40GHz Xeon Processor

• Stand Alone Services
  • Private Proxies
  • Small Email Server
  • VPN Endpoint
  • DNS Server
• Static Websites

Low to Mid Range

512MB Dedicated Memory
10GB Disk Space
100GB Monthly Transfer
1 X 2.40GHz Xeon Processor

• Small to Moderately Dynamic Sites
• Repositories
• FTP Servers
• Databases

Mid Range

1024MB Dedicated Memory
40GB Disk Space
500GB Monthly Transfer
2 X 2.40GHz Xeon Processors

• Dynamic Websites
• Entry Level Web Servers
• Busy Email Servers
• Remote Linux Desktops

Mid Range to High End

2048MB Dedicated Memory
80GB Disk Space
1000GB Monthly Transfer
3 X 2.40GHz Xeon Processors

• Large Dynamic Websites
• Hosting Multiple Sites
• Hosting Forums
• Hosting Complex Applications

High End (rivals most low end dedicated server packages)

3072MB Dedicated Memory
160GB Disk Space
2000GB Monthly Transfer
4 X 2.40GHz Xeon Processors

• Hosting Tons of Client Sites
• Hosting Large Forums
• Hosting eCommerce Sites
• Windows Terminal Services
• File Servers
• SharePoint and Extensive Database Applications

Virtual private servers (VPS) – have historically offered some middle ground between shared web hosting services and dedicated hosting services, both in control and cost, but recently the gap in cost between virtual and dedicated servers has diminished … making upgrades from shared to dedicated web hosting very attractive.

A virtual private server separates you from – other customers on a physical web server, running on a copy of its own operating system, but it shares CPU and RAM resources of the physical web server with other VPSs running on that server.

A dedicated server, on the other hand, is – a physical web server leased and controlled by the end client, without sharing physical CPU and RAM resources with other sites. Its very much like owning your own server, without the huge capital asset investment.

Most hosts offer a mix of unmanaged versus managed services for dedicated servers. Unmanaged plans typically offer the basics – the hardware, operating system, control panel and Internet connection.

In a VPS, a single physical server is partitioned – so that it appears as multiple servers. The physical server boots normally, then runs a program to boot each VPS within a virtualization environment.

There are two kinds of virtualizations – software and hardware based. Software based environments share the same kernel and require the main node’s resources. In a web hosting environment, quota incrementing and decrementing in real time is possible without restarting the node. In a hardware based virtualization, real hardware resources are partitioned, eliminating burst or real time quota modification. This lends to a (potentially) more secure environment.

With a dedicated server, you have – more flexibility and control. Dedicated servers have historically been the server of choice for complex business or high end eCommerce sites, but have recently become very popular substitutes for VPS servers and less complex solutions.

Dedicated servers housed in data centers offer – redundant power sources, HVAC sytems, state of the art security and advanced performance services.

The bottom line: Moving websites from a shared environment to either a VPS or dedicated server is a significant event. Its a major upgrade in the IT infrastructure supporting your business. Whereas the move from shared to dedicated was historically cost-prohibitive, and VPS offered some middle ground, technology has rapidly evolved to narrow that gap.

Upgrading should be based on more than cost

Upgrading your IT technology, in this case to VPS or dedicated is now a business decision based on more than cost. It’s based on resources you control that will map your business success for years or decades.

With the price gap narrowing, dedicated services are rapidly becoming the plan of choice for business savvy entreprenuers.

It seems this question keeps popping up on forums across the Internet. Maybe this helps …

A virtual private server (VPS) – separates you from other customers on a physical web server, running on a copy of its own operating system, but it shares CPU and RAM resources of the physical web server with other VPSs running on that server.

A dedicated server – on the other hand, is a physical web server leased and controlled by the end client, without sharing physical CPU and RAM resources with other sites. Its very much like owning your own server, without the huge capital asset investment.

Most hosts offer – a mix of unmanaged versus managed services for dedicated servers. Unmanaged plans typically offer the basics – the hardware, operating system, control panel and Internet connection.

In a VPS - a single physical server is partitioned so that it appears as multiple servers. The physical server boots normally, then runs a program to boot each VPS within a virtualization environment.

With a dedicated server - you have more flexibility and control. Dedicated servers have historically been the server of choice for complex business or high end eCommerce sites, but have recently become very popular substitutes for VPS servers and less complex solutions.