Frequently Asked Questions

Virtual Private Servers (also called "Virtual Dedicated Servers") are servers which do not interface directly with the hardware which they are running on and cannot interface directly with each other. The server is as virtual as it is independent of actual hardware and private in the sense that other VPS servers on the node cannot interact with its file system or processes.

Instead of allowing the kernel or operating system to interface directly with hardware components, virtualization software intercepts requests, queues them, and manages their interpretation.

We recommend that you compare VPS hosting platforms to find out whether OpenVZ virtualization or Xen paravirtualization will be the best choice for your VPS.

New VPS accounts are activated within 5 business days of execution of a Service Level Agreement.  Typically, if an order is received during our normal business, an account can be setup within 3-5 business days.  New accounts are brought on-line in the order they are received.

When Intelliwire calculates the amount of RAM required for a host server, many factors are considered. We set aside a certain amount of RAM sufficient to run the host server’s own systems. We then ensure that each VPS has sufficient physical RAM to meet the guarantees of each package being placed on the server. We make sure that whatever amount of RAM we guarantee is always available in any foreseeable circumstance. Finally, we provide an ample amount of burst RAM, available for use as needed.

One useful way to describe burst resource management is by using an example of living in an apartment building. If the VPS is like an apartment building with, for this example, 10 units (the apartment building is the server and the apartment units are the VPS accounts). All of the "units" are identical in size but they share some resources (electricity in this case). In this example, each apartment is guaranteed the ability to have 10 appliances worth of electricity at all times but has 150 outlets in the apartment. If one of the other apartments is not using all of their appliances, you have the ability to plug in a few extra appliances.

However, if everyone else has more than 10 appliances plugged in and running, you may only have enough power for your 10 appliances. During certain times of the day, obviously not everyone will be using all of their resources, giving you the ability to use more. This is, in essence, the same way the VPS solution works. You don’t want to rely upon your ‘burst’ resources as if they are guaranteed, but they are generally there if you need them, like overdraft protection on your checking account.

Yes, you can. cPanel in particular has made things much easier in this regard in recent releases. Individual work will be required on your part to make sure that the site architectures you implement meet PCI Compliance standards. Though we can tell you that many customers have successfully achieved PCI compliance on our VPSs, testing is ultimately your responsibility - as is maintaining the integrity of your site architectures after compliance standards have been met.

Upgrading requires no effort on your part. We can retain your IP addresses and the only cost will be the price difference of the new package. We typically transfer an upgrading account from one host server to another to ensure the most suitable host server and the maximum benefit. The migration results in only a very brief downtime thanks to a well planned back-end. We feel that a brief period of downtime is a small price to pay for the assurance that you are receiving all of the guaranteed and burst-able resources to which you’re entitled when you upgrade.

Yes.  When operating in a shared hosted environment, even with all the appropriate security measures, breaches in security can occur.  The level of security increases significantly when you upgrade to VPS's. Each VPS is isolated via virtualization software which keeps all data, applications and processes safe and secure in its own virtual environment.

Virtual Private Servers are private, isolated environments. You can rest assured that your server and your data will not be affected by other users' code. This benefit is especially important when mission critical web applications are being deployed.

You can easily back up both your data and your applications. You can essentially save the 'state' of your VPS and, in turn, guarantee reliable services to your clients.