I currently use Rackspace for cloud hosting. Have had absolutely no issues. The services is easy use and rock solid, easy to use, with many advanced features. But then again it is a premium service.
As such I am also looking at cheaper alternatives.
My main criteria are,
- 1024GB of memory
- Ability to quickly Backup and Restore the complete system
- Ubuntu OS
- Decent bandwidth 2GB or higher / month
- Preferably hypervisor based
Virtualization Technologies
In general, there are two main types,
Hypervisor, which is hardware-based virtualization - Xen, VMWare and KVM
Container (software) based virtualization where the host kernel is shared - OpenVZ, Virtuozzo (based on OpenVZ), Solaris Zones.
The following chart outlines the top level pros and cons,
| Technology | Pros | Cons | Impelmentations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hypervisor |
|
| Xen, KVM and VMWare |
| Container |
|
| OpenVZ, Virtuozzo (based on OpenVZ), Solaris Zones |
Java with Container Based Virtualization
At least with Virpus who uses OpenVZ they say Java does not work well.
Here is a good article that explains the challenges and offers a possible solution..
This looks like it has working solutions http://forum.openvz.org/index.php?t=msg&goto=7057.
Considering
RAM HOST
http://www.ramhost.us/?page=vps/kvm-los-angeles-west
$15.99/month for container OpenVZ with Mem = 1024, BW = 1000GB, Space = 25GB
BuyVM
$12.95/month for container OpenVZ with Mem = 1024/2048, BW = 3000GB, Space = 60GB
$20.00/month for Hypervisor KVM with 1024MB, 3000GB and 60GB, 2 Core
Only issue seems to be stock.
Positive reviews - http://www.webhostingtalk.com/showthread.php?t=1107446
Comparison reviews - http://www.lowendtalk.com/discussion/1238/picking-a-vps...-hostigation-vs.-secure-dragon-vs.-buyvm
JaguarPC
JaguarPC is recommend by one of the review sites hostcult.
$29 for VPS hosting with,
- 50 GB Disk Space
- 3,000 GB Bandwidth
- 1024 MB RAM
- 2048 MBBurst RAM
- Equal CPU (1 core min.)
Rejected
Virpus Networks - Rejected
Xen VPS Hosting - XVM1024 Priced at $24.00 US with a 20% discount for the life of the subscription which gives,
- 1024GB memory
- 1000GB bandwidth
- 40GB disk
There is a much cheaper shared resource hosting option called OpenVZ at $10.00 per month but it won't do Java. Read the comparison chart for more details.
Web chatted with a customer support rep who was quite knowledgeable. Here are the highlights of the conversation,
You can add more bandwidth at $7/mo per 1TB.
$.10 per GB if you went over your max.
cPanel is the more popular option and is feature rich, but uses more memory than DirectAdmin. DirectAdmin uses less memory, however is slightly harder to navigate through. They generally have the same features however.
Can I use directadmin to do a full image backup? Kenneth O [agent] Yes, I believe this is possible - probably on a per account basis It will not do a full VPS image backup But you can use the Quick Backup function which will do this.
Very negative review - http://www.the-best-web-hosting-service.com/virpus-review.php - Virpus wiped their system no backups, downtime.
Another negative review - http://www.hostcult.com/2010/03/review-virpus-hosting.html - Downtime
Consolidated Reviews of Hosting Sites
http://www.lowendbox.com/blog/best-low-end-providers-in-2011-q2-its-ram-host-quickweb-and-buyvm-again/ - best low end providers
http://www.similarsitesearch.com/alternative/vpsland.com - lists hosting companies like vpsland.com
http://www.webhostingstuff.com/category/Server-Hosting.html - reviews