Self-managed VPS glossary of key terms

This glossary defines the key terms for your self-managed VPS so you can understand what you control and how the parts of your server work. With a self-managed VPS, you get root access—the highest level of administrative access—giving you full control over your server's operating system, software, and settings. Root access lets you install applications, modify configurations, and perform advanced system administration tasks, and it is essential because you are responsible for managing, securing, and maintaining your server.

Reminder: Your VPS is self-managed only. You have unrestricted root access and are responsible for server configuration, maintenance, updates, security, and backups. Fully-managed hosting is not offered in Network Solutions.

Glossary

Core VPS concepts

Term	Definition
VPS (Virtual Private Server)	A virtualized server that acts like a dedicated server within a larger physical server.
Root access	The highest level of administrative access on a VPS, giving you full control over the operating system, software, and settings.

Info: You can find your initial root login information in your hosting control panel or your VPS provisioning email. If you need to change your credentials, you can usually reset the root password through your hosting control panel's VPS management section.

Hosting management models

Term	Definition
Self-managed hosting	A model where you are responsible for setup, maintenance, and troubleshooting and have full control over your server settings. This is the model available on Network Solutions.
Fully-managed hosting	A model where the provider handles most technical tasks for you. Not available on Network Solutions.

Hardware and performance terms

Term	Definition
Bandwidth	The amount of data transferred to and from your server. Each plan includes unmetered bandwidth.
Non-Volatile Memory Express (NVMe)	A storage technology and protocol for modern SSDs that transfers data much faster than traditional SATA drives. All plans use NVMe SSD storage; higher tiers include more.
Random Access Memory (RAM)	Your server's short-term memory for active data and applications. Adjustable in the Hardware Configure step and scalable in your account manager after purchase.
Virtual Central Processing Unit (vCPU)	A virtual processing core that provides computing power to run your applications. Adjustable in the Hardware Configure step and scalable in your account manager after purchase.
Snapshot or backup	A saved state of your server that lets you recover from mistakes or data loss. On a self-managed VPS, backups are your responsibility.

Software and control panels

Term	Definition
Operating System (OS)	The software that runs on your VPS and manages its resources. On a Plain OS VPS you can choose AlmaLinux, Ubuntu, CentOS, or Debian.
Control panel	A graphical interface for managing your server, websites, email, databases, and settings without command-line commands. Examples include cPanel and Plesk.
cPanel	An industry-standard control panel for managing websites, email, databases, and server configurations from one dashboard. Available in four license tiers (5 to 100 accounts) for an additional charge. cPanel VPS servers default to Linux Alma 9.

Networking terms

Term	Definition
Dedicated IP address	A unique internet address assigned exclusively to your VPS, supporting websites, SSL certificates, email, DNS, and remote connections. Every VPS includes one; up to seven additional IPv4 addresses are available for $5/month each.
Internet Protocol Version 4 (IPv4)	The most common IP address format, using four numbers separated by periods (for example, 192.168.1.1). VPS dedicated IPs use IPv4 formatting.
Internet Protocol Version 6 (IPv6)	A newer IP address format using longer alphanumeric addresses (for example, 2001:db8::1) to provide many more unique addresses.

Server management terms

Term	Definition
Soft reboot	A graceful restart of the operating system that lets running processes shut down properly. Use it for routine maintenance or updates.
Hard reboot	An immediate, forced restart that does not let processes shut down gracefully, increasing the risk of data loss. Use it only when your VPS is unresponsive or frozen.
Service restart	A restart of a specific service rather than the entire server, used to apply configuration changes or resolve service-specific issues.
Kernel	The core component of the operating system. If it becomes corrupted, unresponsive, or fails to load, technical diagnosis is needed to restore your server.
FTP	A method used to transfer your website files to and from your server, such as during a site migration. Migrating files is your responsibility.

Review

This glossary defines the core terms for your self-managed VPS—including VPS, root access, hosting management models, hardware and performance concepts (bandwidth, NVMe, RAM, vCPU, snapshots and backups), software and control panels (operating systems, control panels, and cPanel), networking terms (dedicated IP addresses, IPv4, and IPv6), and server management concepts (soft reboot, hard reboot, service restart, kernel, and FTP)—so you can better understand what you control and how the different components of your server work.

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