Question about Windows LEBs

kkasberg

I have been confused when seeing requests / offers for LEBs with for Windows. A LEB with linux can support many sites with a decent amount of volume. What are these boxes usually used for, and Is it possible to get that type of performance from windows?

Running Windows XP for example with 512 MB of ram is painfully slow, and that is without having to handle load from hundreds of clients.

Also how can a Windows VPS be viable for ~$7-10 a month? Doesn't licensing alone make it cost prohibitive?

zhuanyi

@kkasberg said: Running Windows XP for example with 512 MB of ram is painfully slow, and that is without having to handle load from hundreds of clients.

If you have hundreds of clients, you should probably get something bigger.

Nekki

I use mine as a seedbox with a basic remote desktop, so that friends and colleagues not capable of dealing with a CLI can make use of it.

kkasberg

@Nekki said: I use mine as a seedbox with a basic remote desktop, so that friends and colleagues not capable of dealing with a CLI can make use of it.

Are they primarily being used as seedboxes then?

jar

I'm sure there are a lot of legitimate uses for a Windows VPS over a Linux VPS, but I'd bet money that one of the most common is lack of linux knowledge and a desire to use a familiar environment.

Maounique

@kkasberg said: Running Windows XP for example with 512 MB of ram is painfully slow, and that is without having to handle load from hundreds of clients.

Check this thread: http://www.webhostingtalk.com/showthread.php?t=1183326
I am not the only one which run VMs in LEB windows machines (at limit, albeit), in fact copied Erawan.

You are missing a few points:
1. This is server grade hardware, SAS2 Raid superoptimized by specialists. Fast disk works miracles in case of windows, no to mention fast swap;
2. This is server OS, while XP is desktop OS. It caches aggressively, linux style;
3. Not all providers cram 200 pieces on a node to make the most from the license;
4. Since we are talking about the license, SPLA licensing is done on CPU socket. If you manage to make good storage and build a lot of VPSes on it, licensing cost is decreasing, even tho, for a LEB, is still very-very important.
M

Nekki

@kkasberg said: Are they primarily being used as seedboxes then?

Largely, you can just about get away with running a LogMeIn client, FileZilla and uTorrent on a 256mb Win 2003. I did mess around with setting a 128mb one up as a web server with ASP.NET, but quite frankly it ran like shit - that could just be my lack of experience with Windows as a web server though.