What is the difference between private clouds and VPS? It is often the case that these two forms of hosting are thought of as one and the same thing, but the truth is that there are subtle differences between the two. Sure, they’re not a million miles apart, but upon further inspection there are a few key factors that separate them both.
These factors could mean a lot to a business over time so it is well worth exploring them in more depth, which is what we aim to do in this article. Let’s jump straight in and look at the four main differences between the private clouds and virtual private servers.
Location
The first big difference between private clouds and VPS is where the hardware is held. In the vast majority of cases, virtual private servers are hosted off-site and run by a third-party host provider such as Host1Plus VPS hosting.
Private clouds, on the other hand, are generally situated on premise – either in your own office or in a data centre owned and maintained by your company. However, it is worth bearing in mind that there are now hosting providers offering private clouds to end-users. Naturally, these private clouds are solely for the use of the organisation in question and they are not shared in any way.
Setup
Despite its name, a VPS is actually a single server that is split between a certain amount of different users, similar to a shared server setup. However, virtual private servers have a far fewer users per physical server, and each user has a lot more control over their particular part of that server. This is made possible by virtualisation software which separates one user from the next. That said, you are never 100% isolated from the possibility of being affected by other users on that same server.
Private clouds work differently. They use multiple servers and distribute their resources across these boxes. This allows for seamless movement to other physical servers in the network should a malfunction or failure occur. Although you are aware of only one server operating, there are actually many different systems making the whole thing work.
Growth
In order to scale your network with a VPS you would need to do so manually. This is generally achieved by raising a support ticket with your chosen hosting provider.
Private clouds are much easier to scale. The control panels available on private clouds allow a user to add a resource, server, database or whatever in quick time, usually via the admin panel. A couple of clicks and you’re done.
Cost
As with so many other things in life, cost is the kicker. While private clouds may well seem like the only way to go, they are expensive. You will have to fork out for all of the hardware, pay someone to install it and run the setup, and then, on top of all of that, you are responsible for the maintenance too. Hosted private clouds can help to lower this cost significantly, but you will be handing over much of the control that you would enjoy if you held your own.
Virtual private servers are less expensive – a lot less expensive. If you are operating on a budget, VPS is the only way to go.
