I understand the basic premise of web servers, but have never quite wrapped my head around what the hell a virtual host is or means, please ELI5!
In: 2
so have you ever heard of a virtual machine?
where you emulate a desktop machine, using software on a desktop machine? maybe you want to try a video game hat might be a virus. if the virtual machine gets the virus, you delete the virtual machine, and learn your lesson safely.
its kind of like that, if you look up IAAS (Infrastructure as a service) it will go into more detail.
but basically you have a server pretending to be a server that is just a copy embedded in itself.
your next question, im guessing is “why”
good question!
if a server is pretend or virtualized then it will take damage during attacks without harming the actual hardware(the actual real physical host). so you have a web site hosted on a virtual host, then your website gets hacked, the host doesnt get hacked we will call them “Host-R-Us”. Hosts-r-us is fine, and they can continue to provide services to other clients who maybe made more effort to secure their apps or services.
also, it separates your website from the other clients for several reasons.
1. cost – if your web site gets 100 visits a day, and only need a 1 core processor, and 4 GB of ram, then you dont pay for Hosts-r-us’ entire 16 core/ 64G server. you only pay for what you use. and other people pay for what they use.
2. security – heaven forbid someone that uses Hosts-r-Us is a malicious actor. they might try and steal data from other folks on the service. but if the only environment they can see is a small virtual infrastructure, then they cant even access your data, and your clients are safe from that threat. then, o-lordy, the proud boys were using the same service,(not the gay proud boys, the terrorist proud boys) and all of their data is being subpoenaed for the Jan 6 trials. your data was entirely separate. so you dont have to give up your data, or go to court and waste time and money getting caught in the crossfire. neither does hosts-r-us, they just export the entire virtual environment into a nice clean package, upload it to a storage blob, then send the link to the lawyers in question. no muss, no fuss, no liability…
3. IT is fun!
Latest Answers