Wednesday 28 April 2010

Windows Azure vs VPS vs Shared Hosting

I currently need a cloud service provider to host my website and applications, my search took me in 3 main directions
·         Microsoft windows Azure ,
·         Shared hosting service providers and
·         VPS (virtual private servers).

Cloud Computing?
Cloud computing can be loosely defined as a technology in services are provided over the internet/network to clients/users, in other words, it’s a method of computing in which the hardware producing the service is remotely located and the service is given on demand, all that’s needed from the client is a browser, internet/network connectivity and maybe a credit card to make the payments for the service rendered, just joking about the credit card bit, some cloud services are free of charge e.g. facebook, yahoomail, gmail etc yep the free internet services and websites that you know and love are actually implementations of cloud computing

Types of cloud computing
  • Software as a service (SAAS), software offered as a service over the wire e.g. yahoomail.com and salesforce.com
  • Infrastructure as a service (IAAS), hardware offered on demand over the internet e.g. computing power and virtual servers
  • Platform as a service (PAAS): Application development environments offered on demand over the wire e.g. Microsoft azure services
  • Storage as a Service, storage offered on demand over the internet
Microsoft Azure services
Microsoft Azure Services implements Platform as a server and according to Wikipedia provides an API built on REST, HTTP and XML that allows a developer to interact with the services provided by Windows Azure. A client-side managed class library is also provided that encapsulates the functions of interacting with the services. It also integrates with Microsoft Visual Studio so that it can be used as the IDE to develop and publish Azure-hosted applications
It provides a cloud operating system called Windows Azure that serves as a runtime for the applications and provides a set of services that allows development, management and hosting of applications off-premises.
Now ordinarily the thought of having the power of a thousand CPUs and infinite storage at your disposal should be dizzying to any developer but there are some important constraints to consider
 Azure is primarily created to provide a powerful application development environment, this is great, however the downside is that you don’t have loads of flexibility, you don’t get have a machine at your disposal which you can remote into and install apps on i.e. Webserver(s), SQL Server 2008 etc
There is news that Microsoft might implement IAAS, meaning developers would be able to have bare machines to work with, install software on and tweak to their hearts desire.


Pros
Great environment for running and testing your .net applications
Cloud operating system and db integrates directly with the visual studio 2010 IDE

Cons
Not suitable as a host for simple website
Can’t install any other software, plugins etc on the platform
Does not offer root access to bare machines


Shared hosting
Is a fairly common technology and can simply be described as webserver space for rent. A webserver is the combination of software and hardware that serves web pages and related services in response request made by internet users via browsers and software. It’s simple enough, for a monthly payment they (the hosting companies) host your website and other services which you provide to your website visitors, its important to note that the servers are not dedicated and a single server will host multiple customers..
The servers usually have windows server or a linux flavour (Fedora, Ubuntu) as operating system and come with many useful web development tools and DBs installed e.g. ASP.NET, IIS, SQL Server, MYSQL, Apache, Ruby on rails, Pearl etc.
It also means what affect your server cohabitants affects you, if a website on your shared server is being dos attacked, its likely going to slow the entire server down including your running apps or website. Also you still don’t get finely grained control in that you don’t have root access to the server, you can’t install software, you have to use what the service provider offers.

Pros
The websevers tend to have website and app dev tools preinstalled.
Monthly payments tend to be very low

Cons
Any attacks on a website that is sharing a server can slow down the entire server thereby slowing all other websites hosted on the server.
The is no access to the root of the server and software can’t be installed on the server by the user

Virtual private Servers (VPS)
If shared hosting is like sharing a flat with noisy neighbours, then VPS is like living in a nice house with the ability to change furniture and fittings and even add extra rooms, and it’s all yours, no sharing.
Because VPS is an implementation of IAAS you get full virtual Servers with your choice of operating system i.e windows server or linux flavours. The servers usually come loaded with web app dev tools, databases and in some cases email servers as well. In most cases you get assigned an i.p address but you can optionally request for more, additionally because you are getting a full virual server with root access, you can remote in and install whatsoever you wish and host as many websites as you want.

Pros
Root Access and ability to install anything you wish
The great flexibility and power at your finger tips

Cons
May be tough to configure and run
Quite expensive

Conclusion
After considering all the technologies above, I decided try Azure out, and if I find it useful I will consider subscribing. Microsoft is currently doing an introductory offer here that offers the following services free of charge

Windows Azure
  •  25 hours of a small compute instance
  •  500 MB of storage
  • 10,000 storage transactions
 SQL Azure
  • 1 Web Edition database (available for first 3 months only)
AppFabric
  • 100,000 Access Control transactions
  • 2 Service Bus connections
Data Transfers (per region)
  • 500 MB in
  • 500 MB out
I’ll also build a web server at home, I’ll do the following
  • Download and install Microsoft server 2008 trial on my old hp laptop which I don’t use anymore (the screen is bad)
  • Get a domain name(s)
  • Get a personal IP from my ISP, which I can map to my websites.
  • Possibly get a dynamic IP setup which allows me to host my website wherever I can find an internet connection
  • Install useful web app tools and DB e.g. IIS 7, Apache, SQL Server 2008, email server (open source version) etc
  • Deploy my websites/apps to my Server
  • When my trial expires I will probably install a linux flavor on the server.
Should be a blast

63 comments:

  1. Hi I know this is way past your post date and found it strange that no one ever answered to your thread. However I found there more and more of Developer services and even for free to start off with, I tested 3 now and personally like kodingen a lot, but I'm not a geek so I can only suggest taking a look at these 3 services:

    http://cloud9ide.com/
    http://kodingen.com/
    https://www.box.net/
    ...

    I tried cloud9 and kodingen, I must say kodingen is fastest service at the moment, possibilities are very broad and it's about to be released as version 1 only so I guess there is a lot more to come! Of course there are many more out there and like I said I ain't pro.

    Well and cloud9ide looks first of all awesome which I guess is responsible for the minor lag the application seems to have on me and I'm running a fast computer with a good internet connection so I think the effect is quite reasonable to mention.

    I hope you read something even though that would also make me wonder a little bit.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The post is really informative and I had tested VPS hosting which is the best hosting service.
      VPS hosting

      Delete
  2. Sorry, I think I confused box.net with something else, I'm afraid I can't find the link right now my history is swarming with hosting or other stuff will take me some time and if I find others that are relevant I will add them as well!

    Cheers!

    ReplyDelete
  3. seems like I totally blew it, lmao, you are looking for something completely different right? If not please let me know or please delete my posts again.

    Thanks in advance and sorry for triple posting!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Hi Kadaito, the links you provided are all great services, I particularly like what http://cloud9ide.com/ is trying to do with the cloud IDE.

    also http://www.box.net/solutions, looks like it will be useful for remote content storage and ftping.

    Thanks for the post.

    Cheers

    ReplyDelete
  5. Hosting is an important thing for a website and there are so many types hosting services.Here great points you have shared about hosting.Register a Domain

    ReplyDelete
  6. If you only host for small website, I believe you can just use shared hosting. You dont need to sign up with Azure. You will be shocked at the end of the month because of the bill. Or if you really have high budget you can consider dedicated server. You said above that if use shared hosting, other site will impact to your site, yes I completely agree with that. If your site is really important, you can purchase dedicated server. there are plenty/thousand web host providers that provide dedicated, VPS, and shared hosting.

    For your information, I use asphostportal.com, I use their shared hosting. I have checked on their site, they also provide cloud server start from only $50.00/month.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Thanks for your insight! I have tried the Dedicated Server in Australia and having a Dedicated Hosting really is beneficial. Palcom Online provides best dedicated server solutions in India. It works 24x7 live chat, phone & email support.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Thanks for sharing such an informative post. I think VPS hosting India is better than others. Many organizations providing proficient hosting to clients with good customer support.

    ReplyDelete
  9. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Thanks for the wonderful information regarding comparison between Windows Azure, VPS and
    Shared Hosting

    ReplyDelete
  11. Good analysis. After reading the article, I too decided to choose VPS hosting for my website. I got best deals on VPS hosting from TuckTail.com at low cost with 24/7 customer support.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Do you want windows server 2012 with 1GB ram VPS for 5$
    please visit
    http://bestis4you.blogspot.com/2014/10/high-speed-virtual-private-server-vps.html
    or
    https://www.fiverr.com/stephen_1992/provide-windows-server-2012-vps-for-month?funnel=201410271732097514789040

    ReplyDelete
  13. Do you want real traffic for your web site or blog
    please contact Yoshankwc@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  14. This is what I was looking for from last week. Great work done. :) vps hosting

    ReplyDelete
  15. Man's greatest achievement? Perhaps not, but can you afford not to read on when I am about to tell you about Cloud Virtual Servers Australia? Many an afternoon has been enjoyed by a family, bonding over the discussion of Cloud Virtual Servers Australia. Until recently considered taboo amongst polite society, Cloud Virtual Servers Australia is featuring more and more in the ideals of the young and upwardly mobile.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Hosting is the best way to expand your business online. The information you shared is appreciable, please keep posting.
    business web hosting

    ReplyDelete
  17. Windows azure, VPS and shared hosting comparison between them is amazing thanks for the info.

    ReplyDelete
  18. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  19. Great post. Thanks for sharing, my friend decided to use VPS hosting for his website. And it’s from mywindowshosting.com, only for its best service.

    ReplyDelete
  20. Excellent blog! Thanks for sharing it with us VPS hosting

    ReplyDelete
  21. Thanks for this informative post. Since web hosting is in great demand to host website easily. I prefer to use VPS Web hosting over shared, because of its huge bandwidth and space, which enable you to do what you like and configure anything you wish on the server.

    ReplyDelete
  22. Hello bro well written about dedicated server, Dedicated hosting is best for business website. Here i recommended Bluehost dedicated server hosting. You can read the review that i have written. Bluehost dedicated server

    ReplyDelete
  23. Very informative article and you have written it very nicely, Got the complete information, Thanks a lot for sharing this information with us. Arvixe hosting reviews

    ReplyDelete
  24. Great post,
    For a limited time, get up to 56% off on Domain and hosting plans:
    Best web hosting companies review

    ReplyDelete
  25. Great! Thanks for your documents, its been very helpful. Thanks again for sharing your information. word press website is freely website use for create the website and mostly used in PHP and also use for post the Blog.

    ReplyDelete
  26. Useful information !! Thanks for update the information about Linux VPS Web Hosting

    ReplyDelete
  27. Awesome blog post nice quality .Best vpn A good VPN provider will offer servers in a large range of different countries.VPN Keys offers Paid And 100% free VPN services, so that you can have privacy and security on the web like Free vpn access, Free vpn service,Free vpn download,Free vpn server, Paid VPN, Cheap VPN

    ReplyDelete
  28. Very informative comparison about these hosting types and I got few new points about these hosting types from this article. Thanks Looking forward to here some more informative from you. cheapest vps in india

    ReplyDelete
  29. Thank you so much for taking the time for you personally to share such a nice info. I truly favor to reading your post.

    _______________________
    Web Development Services in Toronto

    ReplyDelete
  30. Webhoster.pk is providing suitable Web Hosting in Pakistan and fulfill your needs according to your requirements , We are Best comapny of Web Hosting Pakistan and offering so many plans like Budget Web Hosting - Business Web Hosting - Reseller Web Hosting - Vps Hosting - Dedicated Server Hosting choose the plan according to your requirement and get benefit from us.

    ReplyDelete
  31. Get Blazing Fast Asia Optimized VPS (Virtual Private Server) For Affordable Price Here - THESTACK.NET

    ReplyDelete
  32. It's by and large so sweet besides stacked with a lot of good times for me before long and my office partners to look your online diary in any event thrice in a week to see the new course you have.Lol Rank Boost

    ReplyDelete
  33. Much obliged to you a great deal for giving people an extremely astounding plausibility to peruse basic surveys from this site.
    Web development company singapore

    ReplyDelete
  34. My fairly long web turn upward has by the day's end been remunerated with charming understanding to discuss with my family and companions.
    Healers

    ReplyDelete
  35. Very informative comparison about these hosting types great information you shared with public thanku...
    http://www.vpshosting.com.pk/

    ReplyDelete
  36. Thanks for sharing about the web hosting, keep updating.
    Click here to know more.
    Dedicated Servers in India | Cheap Dedicated Hosting India | Dedicated Hosting companies India

    ReplyDelete
  37. Much obliged to you a great deal for giving people an extremely astounding plausibility to peruse basic surveys from this site.

    VPS Hosting in Pakistan

    ReplyDelete
  38. Virtual private server hosting, now with SSDs for enhanced speed. Compare DreamHost VPS server hosting services, and choose your virtual server today. VPS Hosting Pakistan

    ReplyDelete
  39. ~~Windows VPS service
    ~~Dedicated Forex VPS
    ~~Fast VPS Hosting
    ~~Cheap VPS Server

    We are Best VPS Provider

    ReplyDelete
  40. Hi Dear,

    i Like Your Blog Very Much..I see Daily Your Blog ,is A Very Useful For me.

    VPS serveri

    Domen za 350 RSD, Hosting za 1250 RSD!VPS serveri za samo 60 sekundi.Najnize cene domena i hostinga.Proverite zasto smo najbolji.Primamo i Bitcoin

    Visit Now - https://www.hostingnetwork.rs/

    ReplyDelete
  41. Hi fellas,
    Thank you so much for this wonderful article really!
    If someone want to read more about that VPS and KVM Servers I think this is the right place for you!

    ReplyDelete
  42. Hi fellas,
    Thank you so much for this wonderful article really!
    If someone want to read more about that managed web hosting I think this is the right place for you!

    ReplyDelete
  43. Thanks for sharing great information with us. Host IT Smart Cheap VPS Hosting India

    ReplyDelete
  44. Software developers in Ukraine have a strong skill set, they are tech savvy, up to date with recent innovations and have an independent thinking. Moreover, Ukraine offers intermediate prices of $25-$49/hour for its software developers in comparison to the engineers from other eastern European countries. Learn more about Ukrainian programmers.

    ReplyDelete
  45. This is the most supportive blog which I have ever observed. I might want to state, this post will help me a ton to support my positioning on the SERP. Much appreciated for sharing.
    https://myseokhazana.com


    ReplyDelete
  46. this post are enlightening in Classified Submission Site List India . An obligation of thankfulness is all together for sharing this outline, Actually I found on various domains and after that continued with this site so I discovered this is hugely improved and related.
    https://myseokhazana.com/

    ReplyDelete
  47. We are providing Web Hosting in Lahore in cheapest price, you can also get cheap RDP windows from us.

    ReplyDelete
  48. Best Forex vps by http://www.cheap-forexvps.com/

    ReplyDelete
  49. If you trading Forex Using EA then you must need solid trading VPS for fast and speedy trade execution. FxSVPS giving you fast and rock solid ultra low latencyForex VPS

    ReplyDelete
  50. Best knowledge and tips of Forex using EA charts and also for Forex VPS free for traders need low latency and ultra fast VPS.

    ReplyDelete
  51. Nice article. but i am searching for Forex VPS free for short term

    ReplyDelete
  52. I'm impressed This post gives me some new thoughts .
    Web Hosting in India

    ReplyDelete
  53. Cheap Hosting in India
    Hostingspell is one of the Best Cheap web hosting in india. We provides the better web hosting at affordable prices.If you are looking for affordable hosting you ...

    ReplyDelete
  54. Hostitbro is one of the Best Cheap web hosting in india. We provides the better web hosting at affordable prices.If you are looking for affordable hosting you ...
    cheap linux hosting

    ReplyDelete
  55. Your website is really cool and this is a great inspiring article. onohosting

    ReplyDelete
  56. You have a real ability for writing unique content. I like how you think and the way you represent your views in this article. I agree with your way of thinking. Thank you for sharing. https://onohosting.com/

    ReplyDelete
  57. Dedicated hosting consists of single server with no one else hosting on that computer. This allows for the greatest of configuration options. Anyone who has a busy website will find dedicated hosting is the necessary choice. cheap web hosting in bangladesh



    ReplyDelete
  58. Get your free trial RDP windows at no cost, from our site (free trial RDP server) you can get Free RDP


    Use 100% working genuine free Vbucks Generator
    for Fortnite. No more download. Access directly from your PC or Mobile browser.

    ReplyDelete