VPS glossary – definitions and explanations

While researching Virtual Private Server options, you might come across a few terms repeatedly. Let’s look at the vocabulary you’ll want to be familiar with when deciding on a VPS!

SSD

The abbreviation SSD stands for “Solid State Drive”, and it’s a drive used for electronic storage. In the past, it was also common to use HDDs, or “Hard Disk Drives”, but most modern systems nowadays use SSDs for a variety of reasons, including speed and ease of access to the data. SSD hard drives are also very quiet as they have no moving components and therefore don’t have parts that produce noise.

Basically, the key advantages of SSD storage include:

• Rapid performance and reduced latency.
• Silent operation.
• High transfer speeds.

At one.com, we only work with SSD hard drives.

RAM

The abbreviation RAM stands for “Random Access Memory” and is known as working memory. RAM is built into every computer or server.

RAM is basically a large clipboard for the computer. It’s where the system stores temporary data that is created and used by the user. At this point they can also be changed, moved or edited again.

RAM is very fast compared to a hard drive, which is also a reason why some data is stored in RAM memory. However, the data on the RAM is erased as soon as the system loses power. Thus, when you turn off the computer, the RAM is cleared.

A large RAM memory has the advantage that a lot of data can be read out quickly. If a lot of programs are opened with a small amount of RAM, the system will quickly become overloaded and not as fast.

CPU and vCore

CPU stands for “Central Processing Unit”, and it’s the main processor of a computer. A CPU is responsible for calculating and carrying out the binary arithmetic operations with 0 and 1 that control the machine.

Imagine you have a page that needs to be printed. The command to ‘print’ is entered into the operating system. This task is then forwarded to the processor, which carries out the calculation with binary numbers. A corresponding command is then sent to the printer so that the page is printed.

Essentially, the more cores a processor has, the more tasks it can handle simultaneously. More cores make a device more powerful.

A ‘vCore,’ short for virtual core, is a simulated CPU core within a virtualized environment. By emulating the behaviour of a physical CPU core, a vCore allows multiple virtual machines or processes to run concurrently on the same physical hardware.

Backup

A backup is a secured copy of your data. Having a data backup is good insurance in case of system failures, theft, hacking, or other similar incidents. Consistently backing up your data is the basis for successful data recovery.

Data backup forms

There are three different commonly used methods for backing up your data. Which of the variants you choose depends, among other things, on the amount and size of your data and the type of backup.

1. Full backup

With a full backup, all the data to be backed up is saved. This requires a lot of storage space on your chosen storage medium, whether it’s an SSD, hard drive, cloud storage, or any other storage solution.

2. Differential backup

With a differential backup, a full backup is carried out first. Subsequent backups only save any data that has been changed or added since the last full backup.

This requires less storage space than a full backup, but more than with an incremental backup.

3. Incremental backup

This approach takes up the least amount of storage space. With an incremental backup, the data saved and newly added since the last backup is also stored. This method relies on a full backup only for the initial save, unlike differential backups.

Best practices for backups

There are various options for storing a backup. For example, you can back up your data on an external hard drive, which you remove and store safely after backing up your computer. This type of backup is also known as local backup.

You should make it a habit to regularly back up your data to ensure that you have the latest copies of your important files. Regular backups protect against data loss due to system failures, malware, or accidental deletions, giving you peace of mind and a reliable way to restore your information when needed.

Additionally, you shouldn’t keep your devices and your backups in the same place. For example, if you have backed up your data to a hard drive, it shouldn’t be in the same room as your computer. Imagine there’s a fire or a break-in – even the most meticulous backups won’t bring your data back if both your device and its backup are gone.

Snapshot

For Linux-based cloud servers, a so-called snapshot can be created to back up the data. A snapshot is a momentary image of the server. When making changes to the server, a snapshot should be created beforehand for data protection.

We also automatically create daily backups of the data. This means that one.com users can access the last 10 days.

Plesk

Plesk is a graphical web server management interface for managing web hosting. The interface is very comprehensive and user-friendly. Users can, for example, create domains, email accounts, databases and much more. Plesk acts as an intermediary between the system and the user, simplifying system administration.

Advantages of Plesk

• Simplifies administrative processes.
• Reduces maintenance costs as all services can be controlled via the web interface.
• High flexibility and control over processes.  

This is just a selection of some of the terms that can be associated with virtual servers. We hope it helps you feel more comfortable as you read about and select your own VPS!