A virtual or a dedicated server is a standalone machine, which has its own Operating System and maintaining the latter up-to-date is an essential, though underrated task. Not simply can an update boost the general performance of your internet sites, but it could also save you a lot of troubles down the road. An update could be released for a lot of reasons, the most prevalent being to fix recently identified security holes, which may allow third-party individuals to access and change the content that you have on the hosting server. You may also see an improved functionality of your web applications since updates may also be released for better compatibility between the Operating System and the configuration it works on as a way to get the most out of the hardware. In addition, if you keep your apps up-to-date, they could also need a later OS version which will have the necessary software dependencies and will allow them to operate effectively.