VPS vs Physical Server: What is Better
Infrastructure
27.11.2021
9 min read
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Simply put, a server is a remote computer that is used by developers and webmasters as a software platform to store their apps and sites on.
When you want to deploy any online product to the World Wide Web you have to host it on a server that works 24/7 and make it available to any person from any part of the globe.
There are two types of servers. Physical ones that are actual computers with real hardware in them like one that you use but much more powerful. And virtual ones that are based on similar hardware of one vigorous PC running permanently but are in fact copies of real operating systems used as a substitute for physical servers with the same capabilities.
Now let’s get deeper into how different types of servers work. How are they structured in terms of technologies, which ones are most effective and which you should you choose for your project.
What are physical servers?
Sometimes it is called a "dedicated server". As we mentioned above, a physical server is a real computer with tangible hardware parts. It has a processor, a certain amount of RAM, a disk to store data on (SSD or HDD), a lot of connectivity ports, and stuff like that.
It works like any PC, so it is possible to launch applications on it. And you can do so remotely. Some providers have plans with dedicated servers for rent. In summary, the process of working with this type of server is as follows:
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You pay in advance to access the server.
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Hosting gives you a pre-made machine with a certain amount of memory and other hardware components.
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You connect your device with a rented remote PC via a technology called SSH (or it's alternative) and control it as if it were your real computer.
Pros and cons of physical servers
The main advantage of using a dedicated server lies in the ability of the renter to control every aspect of the "machine". You have full access to anything software-wise, so you can use tools that are not available on IaaS-platforms or on virtual servers. DS comes with no restrictions at all. Also, such an approach gives you more security because nobody except you can access data inside a rented computer. Even a provider who can destroy your machine physically cannot override your privileges to control it and erase or alter data stored on the server.
There are also disadvantages in opting for such a solution. First off, it is expensive. Dedicated servers are costly to maintain so providers will charge you more, and you can’t do anything about this. Secondly, it is hard to scale a physical server when the audience for your application or the size of the database exceeds the already ambitious expectations you had when you rented it. It would be hard to move data from the old machine to the new one or to upgrade the current PC without shutting it down for maintenance.
Data backup on physical servers
One of the problems inherent in hosting products on a physical machine is the lack of basic tools to protect the data and duplicate it somewhere else in case of any malfunction.
To resolve this you might want to use software called Veeam. To back up a physical server developers have to add computers to a specific location named "Protection Group". This is possible via Veeam Backup and Replication tool. You have to add all the machines whose data you are going to add to the backup.
Then in the same application, you’ll be able to create a "Backup Job". It is a process that automatically gathers all the information from PCs included in the Protection Group.
What are virtual servers?
Virtual servers are simulacrums of physical ones. Sets of hardware and software technologies emulating real computers with the same capabilities you’d normally expect from them.
They are also used to host websites and applications but in addition to traditional applications cloud technologies and different ways of virtualization introduced products that help to create fully functional digital workspaces, massive data storages, etc.
There are three main types of virtualizations:
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OS-Level Virtualization — when the server containerizes certain applications or specific areas of OS, multiplies it, and makes it available for renters to install some software to work with.
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Full Virtualization — it is a more complex virtual that is usually launched on bare metal (real computers hardware) using RAM, processor, and disk that exist and are not emulated.
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Para-virtualization — once the hardware is used to install it many virtual OSes are controlled via special utilities called hypervisors.
Benefits of server virtualization
Different types of virtualization come with different advantages.
The most obvious one is saving. All three help providers to spend less money on actual hardware. They can create as many virtual servers on one computer with one set of RAM, ROM, etc. Artificial platforms like this are cheaper as a product for developers and webmasters. But at the same time, emulated servers have the same capabilities as real computers.
Moreover, para-virtualized solutions have enough security to work with sensitive data. And OS-level containers make it simple to scale the system as a whole.
Different ways of virtualization yielded different products based on it that are now used by hosting providers.
Virtual Private Servers
VPS is a product of para-virtualization. It is a server that "tries hard" to become a full-fledged computer and makes it possible to use any operating system and any tools that you wish to access on your remote server.
VPS is actively used by developers and webmasters around the world to:
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create from low- to middle-level informational sites, online stores, commercial websites.
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develop and test applications together with the team.
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to host personal gaming servers.
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to store databases.
It is quite multi-purposeful and most of the time the VPS’s capabilities would strongly depend on the plan that you chose renting the server (and your aims of course).
How does VPS work
Virtual Private Servers differ from each other by the technology that is used to create and control virtual machines. Usually, VPS is divided into two camps: based on OpenVZ tech and KVM tech. We’ve already discussed containerization, so OpenVZ is similar in terms of implementation. It makes it possible for a provider to host many virtual machines on one PC making each of them dependable on the same CPU, the same RAM, and the same disk. KVM is different because it helps to create many isolated artificial servers on one physical one. It is a much more secure and reliable technology.
Advantages and disadvantages of VPS
Pros of VPS are:
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Relatively low price. It is not as cheap as basic virtual hosting but it costs less than a physical machine. Considering the fact that it behaves more like a real computer it seems to be a good bargain.
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Less responsibility. You don’t really have to worry about the technical aspects. Just launch a server with a desired OS and applications and you are ready to go.
Cons of VPS are:
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Dependency on shared hardware. Some types of VPS give you only a fraction of the hardware installed on a physical machine. In this case you’ll share it with other developers and webmasters. It sometimes means your application or website might performan poorly because of other tenants using the same server. Even if you choose proper virtualization technology, hypervisors will limit potential capabilities.
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Also, you have no impact on hardware itself. You’re isolated inside the workplace guaranteed to you by a hypervisor.
Virtual Dedicated Servers
If you see the abbreviation VDS don’t bother looking for an explanation. It is basically the same technology represented by VPS. The only distinction you might stumble upon is a type of virtualization used for both. Webmasters sometimes like to emphasize it. Just as VDS only means KVM-like servers and VPS OpenVZ-like. More on this in our previous article.
Shared hostings
The most basic type of virtual servers. The idea of it is similar to containerization but on a more subtle level. Basically, when you rent shared hosting you get a space on the hard drive of a PC controlled by administrators of the host you pay.
It is not as bad as it might seem at first. Yes, your server in this case is just a folder. But nobody restricts you from putting files in it. It is therefore a mediocre but practical solution for simple websites (there are many devs out there who build on top of shared hostings rather massive WordPress-based projects).
If you need something more complex that requires installing different packages or using specific structures you should rent VPS and go a step further.
Cloud-based solutions
The highest degree of virtual servers. Clouds are ephemeral and outstandingly flexible. Virtually you can convert them into anything. Database, application server, digital office, private file storage, a stack of private clouds together forming hosts to deploy different tools on, etc.
On top of clouds, different companies build fully-fledged services that are almost ready to use before you click "buy". And they are separated into three groups:
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IAAS — Infrastructure as a Service. A type of cloud where everything hardware-wise is on hosting and anything software-wise is on the tenant. A solid solution for a strong team of developers wishing to focus on development but not on server management.
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PAAS — Platform as a Service. A more abstract form of service that cuts out part of the software management and puts developers eye to eye with the OS-level fragments of the infrastructure.
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SAAS — Software as a Service. A modern solution for teams that have no need for OS-level control but rather certain software solutions. For example, Hostman offers pre-made virtual cloud clusters with analytic tools, gaming servers, databases, and other stuff that developers and entrepreneurs need for their work but have no competence to implement manually (or just don’t want to).
Data backup
Using modern virtual servers you don’t really have to worry about data safety. The host will take care of it (normally once you’ve pay for it). And it works not only for modern solutions like cloud-based ones but for classical VPS servers too.
To create backups you will need to access a control panel (a special tool provided by the host that lets interact with your server). In 99% of cases this will be a button or a tab saying "Create a backup" or something like this. Activating it will quickly and effortlessly create a copy of every bit of information on your server that you need. Moreover, you will probably to able to plan this procedure so it happens automatically every few days.
Conclusion
Here it is. It is of course up to you to choose what kind of server to use as a host but think twice before making a decision. Virtual platforms are highly anticipated because they are really easy to operate and powerful. Want to try one before paying for anything? Get to Hostman Marketplace and choose a virtual platform with a preinstalled software of your choice or deploy your own via GitHub. Everything is free for 7 days and after that prices start at just $5.5 per month.
Infrastructure
27.11.2021
9 min read
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Infrastructure
VMware Cloud Director: What It Is and How to Use It
VMware Cloud Director (formerly vCloud Director, or “vCD”) is a modern solution for cloud providers, mainly designed for building virtual data centers on top of physical infrastructure. The platform allows combining all of a data center’s physical resources into virtual pools, which are then offered to end users on a rental basis.
It integrates tightly with VMware’s own technologies: vCenter and vSphere. vCenter is a set of tools for managing virtual infrastructure, and vSphere is the virtualization platform for cloud computing.
Key Capabilities of VMware Cloud Director
Creation of virtual data centers (vDCs) with full isolation of virtual services and resources.
Migration of virtual machines (VMs) between clouds, and self-deployment of OVF templates.
Snapshots and rollback of VM changes.
Creation of isolated and routable networks with external access.
Integrated, tiered storage with load balancing between virtual machines.
Network security: perimeter protection and firewalling.
Encryption of access to cloud resources to secure the virtual infrastructure.
Unified authentication across all VMware services (single sign-on) so users don’t need to re-authenticate.
Deployment of multi‑tier applications as ready-made virtual appliances, with VMs and OS images.
Allocation of isolated resources for different departments within a single virtual structure.
How VMware Cloud Director Works
VMware Cloud Director uses a multi-tenant model. Rather than building a dedicated environment for every customer, it creates a shared virtual environment. This reduces infrastructure maintenance costs massively: for large cloud providers, savings can reach hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars per year, which in turn lowers the rental cost for end users.
Resource consumption model:
Using vCenter and vSphere, the provider aggregates physical resources into a shared pool called a “virtual data center” (vDC).
From that pool, resources are allocated into Org vDCs (Organizational Virtual Data Centers), which are the fundamental compute units consumed by customers.
VMware Cloud Director syncs with the vSphere database to request and allocate the required amount of resources.
Org vDCs are containers of VMs and can be configured independently. Customers can order different numbers of Org vDCs for different purposes, e.g., one Org vDC for marketing, another for finance, a third for HR. At the same time, interconnectivity can be established between these Org vDCs, forming a large, virtual private data center.
It’s also possible to combine Org vDCs into multiple networks. Additionally, within those networks, one can create vApps (virtual applications) made up of VMs, each with their own gateways to connect to Org vDCs. This setup allows building virtual networks of any architecture, isolated or routable, to match various business needs.
When such a network is created, the provider assigns a user from the customer organization to the role of network administrator. A unique URL is also assigned to each organization. The administrator is responsible for adding or removing users, assigning roles and resources, creating network services, and more. They also manage connections to services provided by the cloud provider. For instance, VM templates or OVF/OVA modules, which simplify backup and VM migration.
Resource Allocation Models in VMware Cloud Director
VMware Cloud Director supports several models for allocating resources, depending on how you want to manage usage:
Allocation Pool: You set resource limits and also define a guaranteed percentage of the shared pool for a user. This model is good when you want predictable costs but don’t need full reservation.
Pay-As-You-Go: No guaranteed resources, only consumption-based; ideal if usage is variable. The model is flexible and fits users who want to grow gradually.
Reservation Pool: You reserve all available resources; user requests are limited only by what the provider’s data center can supply. Reservation Pool is suited for organizations that need fixed performance and large infrastructure.
Useful Features of VMware Cloud Director
Here are several powerful features that optimize resource usage, routing, and tenant isolation:
Delegation of Privileges
You can assign network administrators from the users of each organization. These admins get broad rights: they can create and manage VMs, deploy OVF/OVA templates, manage VM migration, set up isolated/routable networks, balance VM workloads, and more.
Monitoring and Analytics
Cloud Director includes a unified system for monitoring and analyzing VM infrastructure: VMs, storage, networks, memory. All data is logged and visualized in a dedicated dashboard, making it easier to detect and resolve problems proactively.
Networking Features
Networking in vCloud Director supports dynamic routing, distributed firewalls, hybrid cloud integration, and flexible traffic distribution. Many of these features are now standard in the newer versions of Cloud Director. If you don’t already have some of them, you may need to upgrade your NSX Edge and convert it to an Advanced Gateway in the UI.
Dynamic routing improves reliability by eliminating manual route configuration. You can also define custom routing rules based on IP/MAC addresses or groups of servers. With NSX Edge load balancing, incoming traffic can be distributed evenly across pools of VMs selected by IP, improving scalability and performance.
Access Control and More
You can create custom user roles in the Cloud Director UI to control access tailored to organizational needs.
VMs can be pinned to specific ESXi host groups (affinity rules), which helps with licensing or performance. If Distributed Resource Scheduler (DRS) is supported, Cloud Director can automatically balance VMs across hosts based on load.
Additional useful features include automatic VM discovery and import, batch updating of server cluster cells, and network migration tools.
25 November 2025 · 5 min to read
Infrastructure
Why Developers Use the Cloud: Capabilities and Advantages
Today, up to 100% of startups begin operating based on providers offering services ranging from simple virtual hosting to dedicated servers. In this article, we will examine the advantages of cloud computing that have led to its dominance over the “classic” approach of having a dedicated server in a separate room.
Cloud Use Cases
Typical scenarios for using cloud technologies include:
Full migration of a business application to a remote server. For example, enterprise resource planning or accounting software. These applications support operation via remote desktop interfaces, thin clients, or web browsers.
Migration of specific business functions. Increasingly, archival copies are stored in the cloud while software continues running locally. Alternatively, a backup SQL server node can be hosted remotely and connected in case the local server fails.
Implementation of new services. Businesses are increasingly adopting automated systems for data collection and analytics. For example, Business Intelligence (BI) technologies have become popular, helping generate current and comparative reports.
Interaction between local and cloud environments. Hybrid services are well established in large networks. For example, a retail store may operate a local network with an on-site server, receive orders from an online store, and send requests back to transport companies, and so on.This setup allows offline operation even if the internet is fully disconnected: processing sales, receiving shipments, conducting inventories, with automatic synchronization once connectivity is restored.
These examples represent foundational scenarios, giving developers plenty of room to innovate. This is one reason more and more coders are attracted to the cloud.
Advantages
Now let’s examine the advantages and disadvantages of cloud computing. Yes, the technology has some drawbacks, including dependency on internet bandwidth and somewhat higher requirements for IT specialists. Experienced professionals may need retraining, whereas younger personnel who learn cloud technologies from the start do not face such challenges.
Speed
Software development often requires significant time and effort for application testing. Applications must be verified across multiple platforms, resolutions, and device types. Maintaining local machines dedicated to testing is inefficient.
Cloud computing solves this by enabling rapid deployment of virtually any environment, isolated from other projects, ensuring it does not interfere with team development. High deployment speed and access to cloud services also encourage IT startups to launch almost “from scratch,” with minimal resource investment.
The advantages of cloud services are especially critical when development volumes periodically expand. Purchasing hardware consumes a developer’s most valuable resource: time. In the cloud, selecting a plan takes just a few minutes, and the setup of a remote host for specific tasks can begin immediately. Hardware resources on the remote server, such as CPU cores, memory, and storage, can also be easily adjusted.
Security
Building a private server is expensive. Besides the powerful machines, you will need backup power and internet lines, a separate room with air conditioning and fire protection, and security personnel to prevent unauthorized access. Cloud providers automatically provide all these features at any service level.
Other security advantages include:
Easier identity and access management (IAM).
Higher reliability for continuous business operations.
Protection against theft or seizure of storage devices containing sensitive data.
On a cloud server, users cannot simply plug in a USB drive to download files. Data does not reside on local machines, and access is controlled according to company policy. Users only see what their role allows. This approach reduces the risk of viruses and accidental or intentional file deletion. Antivirus software runs on cloud platforms, and backups are automatically maintained.
Cost Efficiency
Purchasing server hardware is a major budget burden, even for large corporations. Before the cloud boom, this limited IT development. Modern developers often need test environments with unique infrastructure, which may only be required temporarily. Buying hardware for a one-time test is inefficient.
Short-term rental of cloud infrastructure allows developers to complete tasks without worrying about hardware maintenance. Equipment costs directly impact project pricing and developer competitiveness, so cloud adoption is advantageous. Today, most software is developed for cloud infrastructure, at least with support for it.
Maintenance, storage, and disposal costs for IT equipment also add up. Hardware becomes obsolete even if unused. This makes maintaining developer workstations for “simple” desktop software costly. Offloading this to a cloud provider allows developers to always work with the latest infrastructure.
Convenience
Another cloud advantage is ease of use. Cloud platforms simplify team collaboration and enable remote work. The platform is accessible from any device: desktop, laptop, tablet, or smartphone, allowing work from home, the office, or even a beach in Bali. Clouds have become a foundation for remote work, including project management.
Other conveniences include:
Easy client demonstrations: Developers can grant access and remotely show functionality, or run it on the client’s office computer without installing additional components.
Quick deployment of standard solutions: Setting up an additional workstation takes only a few minutes, from registering a new user to their trial login. New developers can quickly join ongoing tasks.
Easy role changes: In dynamic teams, personnel often switch between projects. Access to project folders can be revoked with a few clicks once a task is completed.
This also applies to routine work: adding new employees, blocking access for former staff, or reassigning personnel. A single administrative console provides an overview of activity and simplifies version tracking, archiving, and rapid deployment during failures.
Stability
Another factor affecting developer success is the speed of task completion. Beyond rapid deployment, system stability is critical. On local machines, specialists depend on hardware reliability. A failure could delay project timelines due to hardware replacement and configuration.
Moving software testing to the cloud enhances the stability of local IT resources, particularly in hybrid systems. Cloud data centers provide Tier 3 minimum reliability (99.982% uptime) without additional client investment. Resources are pre-provisioned and ready for use according to the chosen plan. Development, testing, and operation are typically conducted within a single provider’s platform, in an environment isolated from client services.
Conclusion
Cloud technologies offer numerous advantages with relatively few drawbacks. Businesses and individual users value these benefits, and developers are encouraged to follow trends and create new, in-demand products. Virtually all commerce has migrated to the cloud, and industrial sectors, especially those with extensive branch networks and remote facilities, are also adopting cloud solutions.
25 November 2025 · 6 min to read
Infrastructure
PostgreSQL vs MySQL: Which Database Is Right for Your Business?
PostgreSQL and MySQL are among the most popular relational databases. In this article, we will examine the functional differences between them and compare their performance so that you can choose the database that is suitable for your business.
PostgreSQL vs MySQL
Despite the increasing similarity in features between PostgreSQL and MySQL, important differences remain. For example, PostgreSQL is better suited for managing large and complex databases, while MySQL is optimal for website and online-application databases because it is oriented toward speed. This follows from the internal structure of these relational database systems, which we will examine.
Data Storage in PostgreSQL and MySQL
Like any other relational databases, these systems store data in tables. However, MySQL uses several storage engines for this, while PostgreSQL uses only a single storage engine. On one hand, this makes PostgreSQL more convenient, because MySQL’s engines read and write data to disk differently. On the other hand, MySQL offers greater flexibility in choosing a data engine.
However, PostgreSQL has an advantage: its storage engine implements table inheritance, where tables are represented as objects. As a result, operations are performed using object-oriented functions.
Support
The SQL standard is over 35 years old, and only the developers of PostgreSQL aim to bring their product into full compliance with the standard. The developers of MySQL use a different approach: if a certain feature simplifies working with the system, it will be implemented even if it does not fully conform to the standard. This makes MySQL more user-friendly compared to PostgreSQL.
In terms of community support, the number of MySQL developers still exceeds those working with PostgreSQL, but you can receive qualified help in both communities. In addition, many free guides and even books have been written about PostgreSQL, containing answers to most questions. It is also worth noting that both platforms are free, but MySQL has several commercial editions, which can sometimes lead to additional expenses.
Programming Languages
Both systems support a wide range of programming languages. Among the popular ones are C++, Java, Python, lua, and PHP. Therefore, a company’s development team will not face difficulties implementing features in either system.
Operating Systems
MySQL is a more universal system that runs on Windows, Linux, macOS, and several other operating systems. PostgreSQL was originally designed for Linux, but with the REST API interface, it becomes an equally universal solution that operates on any OS.
Data Processing
PostgreSQL provides more capabilities for data processing. For example, a cursor is used for moving through table data, and responses are written to the memory of the database server rather than the client, as in MySQL. PostgreSQL also allows building indexes simultaneously for several columns. It supports different index types, allowing work with multiple data types. This database also supports regular expressions in queries. However, new fields in PostgreSQL can only be added at the end of a table.
Parallel data processing is better organized in PostgreSQL because the platform has a built-in implementation of MVCC (multiversion concurrency control). MVCC can also be supported in MySQL, but only if InnoDB is used. Concerning replication, PostgreSQL supports logical, streaming, and bidirectional replication, while MySQL supports circular replication as well as master-master and master-standby. Replication refers to copying data between databases located on different servers.
PostgreSQL and MySQL: Performance Comparison
Testing is fair only when comparing two clean, “out-of-the-box” systems. Indexed testing provides the following results:
Insertion: PostgreSQL is more than 2.7× faster, processing a 400,000-record database in 5.5 seconds versus 15 seconds for MySQL.
Inner join: PostgreSQL processes 400,000 records in 1.1 seconds, MySQL in 2.8 seconds: a gain of more than 2.5×.
Indexed sorting: PostgreSQL processes the same number of records in 0.9 seconds, MySQL in 1.5 seconds.
Grouping: For the same 400,000-record database, PostgreSQL achieves 0.35 seconds, MySQL 0.52 seconds.
Indexed selection: PostgreSQL is 2× faster: 0.6 seconds vs. 1.2 seconds.
When it comes to updating data, PostgreSQL’s update time increases gradually as the number of records grows, while MySQL processes them in roughly the same time, starting from 100,000 records. This is due to different data-storage implementations. Nevertheless, PostgreSQL holds a significant advantage over MySQL even with large data volumes: 3.5 seconds versus 9.5 seconds for 400,000 records—more than 2.7× faster.
Without indexes, PostgreSQL also shows surprisingly high performance, processing a 400,000-record database in 1.3, 0.7, and 2.2 seconds for inner join, selection, and update operations, respectively.
Thus, PostgreSQL delivers an average performance advantage of about 2× (2.06). Although MySQL was originally positioned as a high-performance platform, constant optimization by the PostgreSQL development team has resulted in greater efficiency.
Advantages for Developers
Here we consider only the unique features characteristic of each platform. Therefore, we will not discuss support for MVCC or ACID, as these features are present in both systems.
From a developer’s perspective, MySQL is advantageous because it:
Provides increased flexibility and is easily scalable, with more than ten storage engines based on different data-storage algorithms.
Handles small read-oriented databases more efficiently (i.e., without frequent writes).
Is easier to manage and maintain, because it requires less configuration and fewer preparatory steps before starting work.
From a developer’s perspective, PostgreSQL is advantageous because it:
Offers an object-oriented approach to data, enabling inheritance and allowing the creation of more complex table structures that do not fit the traditional relational model.
Handles write-oriented databases better, including validation of written data.
Supports object-oriented programming features, enabling work with NoSQL-style data, including XML and JSON formats.
Can support databases without limitations on data volume. Some companies use PostgreSQL to run databases as large as several petabytes.
PostgreSQL and MySQL Comparison
For clarity, the main features of both systems can be presented in a table:
PostgreSQL
MySQL
Supported OS
Solaris, Windows, Linux, OS X, Unix, HP-UX
Solaris, Windows, Linux, OS X, FreeBSD
Use cases
Large databases with complex queries (e.g., Big Data)
Lighter databases (e.g., websites and applications)
Data types
Supports advanced data types, including arrays and hstore
Supports standard SQL data types
Table inheritance
Yes
No
Triggers
Supports triggers for a wide range of commands
Limited trigger support
Storage engines
Single (Storage Engine)
Multiple
As we can see, several features are implemented only in PostgreSQL. Both systems support ODBC, JDBC, CTE (common table expressions), declarative partitioning, GIS, SRS, window functions, and many other features.
Conclusion
Each system has its strengths. MySQL handles horizontal scaling well and is easier to configure and manage. However, if you expect database expansion or plan to work with different data types, it is better to consider implementing PostgreSQL in advance. Moreover, PostgreSQL is a fully free solution, so companies with limited budgets can use it without fear of unnecessary costs.
24 November 2025 · 6 min to read
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