Migrating Virtual Private Servers

Nov 7th, 2011 Nova Johanson

A virtual private server is an artificially created digital approximation of a piece of hardware. It is software that functions like a piece of hardware, duplicating processes and behaviors despite not being a physical entity. It may sound strange at first but virtual machines are a commonplace construct. Due to the advances in processing power and software, in addition to the massive leaps forward in broadband telecommunications speeds, virtual machines exist all over the planet for a range of customers with various needs. One of the more common uses of a virtual machine is in the creation of a virtual private server.

This virtual private server is created by leasing space from a physical server. These hunks of hardware are a bit costly. Often their power requirements, maintenance needs and individual cost puts them beyond the range of most people. Nevertheless, creation of a virtual machine can do away with having to buy a physical server. Setting up a virtual private server is an excellent way of keeping costs down if you are a web designer or developer on a tight budget.

However, there often arises time when a migration of your virtual private server will happen. This is relatable to content management. Often content on a web server needs to be moved from one server to other due to several reasons. Sometimes the physical server your content or virtual machine is one may need to be taken down for repairs or is due to be retired. Other times a migration occurs so as to condense space and ensure a more efficient use of resources on a server. Either way, a migration is something to be concerned about because the process can be disruptive.

The usual migration involves a lengthy amount of downtime. This stems from the content of one server being moved from one place to another. During the transfer you will be unable to access your virtual private server. It will also be off limits to outsiders. This can be an issue for certain users, such as those running an online news or business site, as during the migration new readers or customers might be turned away. Nevertheless, sometimes a migration can be less disruptive.

Live migrations sometimes occur but require more resources. Depending on whom you have leased space from this option may not be offered due to the hosts allocation of servers and physical resources. Still, the process of undergoing a migration with your virtual private server is typically an easy occurrence to get over. Once the migration is complete a new IP address is sent to you which allows you to interface with your relocated virtual private server.

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