Some restrictions of OpenVZ is that it only supports specific pre-configured Linux templates – and has no Windows OS support. Additionally, the kernel modules available are those loaded by the host – and if you’re missing something (or if you would like to run a custom kernel) – there’ll be no choice to try this as you’re sharing the kernel with the host node. Additionally, OpenVZ does allow the host to over-commit resources, this overselling of hardware can cause degraded performance to your VM if the resources on the host-level are being utilized by their neighboring virtual machines occupying the identical host node as yours.

The upsides to OpenVZ are: overall quicker to start/stop/reboot, quick (nearly instant) OS reinstalls, and overall a nimble experience assuming the host node that the VM lives on is up to shape and not overloaded. additionally, your VM will use slightly less memory because it doesn’t must run its own independent kernel, and instead shares it with the host node thanks to the character of containerization.

As you’ll see, OpenVZ VPS’s are an excellent choice if you’re seeking affordability and don’t require consistent or guaranteed performance. Your hosting needs would even have to be basic, as you may not be ready to run a modified kernel. For the explanations explained above, it’s easy to determine why the market has shifted to prefer KVM virtualization over the years – not only is it now a virtualization platform that hosting providers prefer from an administrative standpoint, but also consumers. Consumers trying to find a reliable VPS with predictable performance should hunt down a KVM VPS, thanks to its wider OS variety, dedicated resources, ability to run any kernel. This also translates to support for Docker, ownCloud, and other applications that wouldn’t run efficiently on an OpenVZ machine.