Should You Consider A Managed VPS For Your Hosting Solution?
Virtual Private Servers (VPSs) are a great way to gain flexibility and performance for your hosting needs. The flexibility is afforded by the ability to not only totally manage the software configuration on the server but also to adjust the resources assigned to it as needed. However, a question often grappled with is how to decide whether you prefer unmanaged or managed VPS.
Managed or DIY?
A standard VPS is what is normally referred to as an unmanaged service, meaning that your hosting company provides the server, while you are expected to do all the managing of it yourself. This includes configuring the server, installing software, setting up user accounts and monitoring the server to ensure it is running as expected. For a beginner, all this can seem pretty daunting and certainly off-putting, especially when moving on from a shared hosting environment.
Shared hosting is generally referred to as a managed environment, where your website is on a server that is managed by your hosting provider’s systems administrators. This means that for the most part all you need to worry about is uploading your website’s files and running the site itself. When moving on from shared hosting it can be somewhat alarming to consider leaving such a simple environment behind and considering all the things you will need to manage for yourself.
Managed Hosting: A perfect balance of flexibility and control
Fortunately, this is where managed hosting comes in. With managed hosting, you have a team of system administrators on hand to help you run your server. At VPS.net we offer multiple levels of support from basic monitoring support to fully managed support.
With our monitoring package, our systems administrators can configure monitoring for your server to alert them when services or the server have gone offline and can take steps to resolve these problems. With managed hosting, however, the team can help you get the server set up to your specifications, and even help you migrate your site from your old provider if they and your new VPS are both using the cPanel control panel. They can also help you configure security services to help keep your VPS secure. Help doesn’t just come during the setup either. Our team can assist you at any time with a variety of areas, including maintaining commonly used hosting software.
Free your schedule and your mind
With 24-hour support available all year round, you could liken managed support to having your very own team of systems administrators on standby, waiting to help you run your server. VPS.NET takes the stress of running a server off of your hands so that you can concentrate on your website. As this is an optional service that you can take it out when you feel you need it and if later on, you feel confident to run your server yourself you can do so. You can also add this to an existing server, so should you feel out of your depth later on, or just don’t have the time to manage the server yourself, you can get the aid of our team to keep things running for you.
So, should you consider managed support for your VPS?
If you are completely new to hosting, then managed hosting could be a great help in getting things up and running. Similarly, if you lack confidence in your abilities when progressing from other hosting solutions, managed support can be a great safety net for when you need some extra help. If you are busy and unable to keep an eye on your server, the support team’s monitoring could prove to be of invaluable assistance.