One has a lot of choices to consider when looking for web hosting. There are certainly benefits to most of the different options out there. However, there are more than a few reasons why many people find that Windows based virtual private servers are the best match for their needs. Of them, perhaps one of the most significant simply comes down to familiarity. When one sits down with a Windows based server, it usually does not take very long to understand it. The general interface of a Windows system is quite similar to Microsoft's desktop offerings. The general nature of the point and click interface, the location of many programs, and even the general method used to find and manipulate files is shared between server and desktop offerings.
However, there is one significant difference in how Windows operates on the server compared to the methods used on the desktop. The primary distinction of a Windows VPS comes from how it runs on physical hardware. A desktop will have a single Windows installation running on a single piece of hardware. A Windows VPS, however, makes use of an advanced hypervisor based virtualization system. This allows a powerful computer to run multiple instances of a Windows operating system at the same time. Because the server itself is so powerful, it can run quite a few different instances of Windows at the same time without any penalty in performance.
Probably the biggest benefit for most people will come down to how similar it is to a desktop based Windows system. It's very easy to connect to a Windows VPS using a remote connection. If one is using Windows at home, it's a trivial matter to connect it to the Windows based server. One will only need to go to the start menu on their home computer, click on accessories, and then choose "Remote Desktop Connection". Once this program has been selected, it is only a matter of entering in the server's network address. When the connection is established, people can manipulate the Windows server in almost exactly the same way they would their own desktop. Programs can be run, the file system can be searched, and all the services can be started or closed with just a few clicks of a mouse.
A Windows VPS will typically perform extremely well. This is, in large part, due to the advanced nature of the virtualization it uses. The servers make use of something known as Hyper-V in order to provide performance above and beyond what most people expect from virtualization. The technology provides two major features. The system first separates the overall server into a set of partitions. Each of these partitions can be thought of as a small computer which lives within the larger computing environment. The system is then able to run all instances of the server in a manner which keeps them safely isolated from each other. However, while the systems are distinct, they are still able to share some basic resources. The Hyper-V technology means that one gains the security benefits of running in a sandboxed environment, but without sacrificing any speed or power.