Archive for dedicated server
Tips for Improving Performance of Your Windows Server 2008 Dedicated Machine
Posted by: | CommentsIt’s common in the web hosting world to compare the relative benefits of operating systems. This masks an important fact, though: in all cases, they are what you make of them. While there are naturally limits to this (no one is running Commodore 64 web hosting), the little improvements you can make to a machine can add up quickly.
This means that whatever drawbacks there are to hosting a dedicated Windows machine (and some say there aren’t as many these days), they can easily be negated with the right adjustments. Here are some of the most common suggestions for improving performance of Windows Server 2008 on your dedicated server:
Put the pagefile on a separate drive
The “pagefile” is a memory file that Windows treats as virtual memory (does that make it virtual virtual? Oh, never mind). This file is accessed frequently, and so you’re going to want to make sure that it is able to respond quickly. The best way to do this is to have it setup on its own separate hard drive. This will keep it freed up in case your machine gets bogged down by some memory hog script or complicated request.
One thing that makes this easy is that you probably won’t need a large drive for this at all. Web hosts usually have a cache of old hard drives that no one wants because their small size makes them effectively deprecated. They might sell you these for cheap or even just give them to you for free.
Disable unused services
We already suggested this as a way to increase security on your machine. It’s also a good way to increase efficiency. Each one of these services uses up system resources.
Which ones you’ll want to disable will depend on exactly what you’re trying to do, but there are a lot that are likely candidates for downgrading to “Manual” or outright deletion. One example is “Block Level Backup Engine Service”, which backups data on the block level for restoration. A good web host should have backup procedures already in place, if your web host doesn’t provide it automatically.
As you go through these, take care not to disable anything that you are going to actually need. There’s lots of information online for each of them to help you double-check.
Perform the obvious
If your machine even has a sound card, disable it, if not remove it outright. Turn off the screen saver if you can, or set it to “blank” if you can’t. Turn off machine hibernation (not like it’ll probably ever get that far, but constantly checking for it is one more thing your machine doesn’t need to busy itself with).
Also if you can either spare the downtime or can arrange your data in such a way that you can keep your site up while doing so, see if you can defrag your disk now and then. Your web host might be able to suggest a clean way to do that. If it’s not possible, then at least defrag it once before going live. The less spread out your data is, the faster your machine will be able to access it.
None of these things by themselves may sound like much. No one of them is. Taken together, they can make a world of difference in how well your Windows 2008 Server machine runs.
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How to Install ModSecurity in CentOS
Posted by: | CommentsIf you’re the proud owner of a dedicated server running CentOS (Seems like most people are favoring the Linux distro these days!) then you owe it to yourself to install a simple utility called ModSecurity. The service is an application firewall that prevents your server from weakness open to exploit in various web applications. It’s not a fool-proof method of tightening your server, but it’s certainly better than nothing—in our eyes, a lot better than nothing.
Thankfully, it’s not hard to install, either. You will need to have a basic understanding of the terminal, as well as how to add repositories to YUM, though. If you’re fuzzy about either of these aspects, we strongly suggest you perform a quick Google search to educate yourself. They’re basic functions that you’ll need to learn eventually, and knowing how to do each well will benefit you greatly during this tutorial.
If you have both fronts covered, then you’re officially ready to march on, Soldier!
1. Add the Repo: You’ll first need to add the actual ModSecurity repository, as it’s not a stock part of YUM. To do so, type the following into terminal:
cd /etc/yum.repos.d
You’ll then need to create a file called utterramblings.repo
touch utterramblings.repo
Edit the file with “vi” or “nano,” then insert the following bits into the text:
[utterramblings]
name=Jason’s Utter Ramblings Repo
baseurl=http://www.jasonlitka.com/media/EL$releasever/$basearch/
enabled=1
gpgcheck=1
gpgkey=http://www.jasonlitka.com/media/RPM-GPG-KEY-jlitka
2. Install: To finish the process off, just type the following and hope for the best!
yum install mod_security
That’s all there is to it! Now your server is slightly safer, and none the worse for the wear! This should be a painless procedure, but if anything should go wrong, you can always check the ModSecurity website for further information or the occasionally helpful bit of tech support.
Likewise, if you’d rather not have that extra YUM repository sitting about, you’re free to delete it once installed. However, doing so prevents you from easily obtaining any new updates without first adding the resource back. If that doesn’t sound like a problem, then power on, Pilgrim. Otherwise, we’d suggest you leave the file where it is and let it soak. If you’re fuzzy about how to add and edit repositories to CentOS, you can always look at this guide to get a quick reference point.
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Solid State Drive (SSD): A Solid Solution To Your Speed Problems
Posted by: | CommentsIf you’re concerned about your dedicated server’s speed performance, and have exhausted all other avenues of improvement, then maybe it’s about time you pursued a Solid State Drive (or SSD) for your server. It’s an expensive method, but it will get the job done, to be sure. In case you need a bit more convincing—We sure would!—we’ve compiled this handy guide to the costs and benefits of an SSD below.
What Is A Solid State Drive?
Solid State Drives are massively different than your typical hard disk drive (or HDD). The complexities of either’s construction could take years and a Master’s degree to explain, but to put it simply, an SSD has no moving parts, while an HDD involves a rotating magnetic disc. HDDs have been used in modern electronics far longer than SSDs, simply because SSDs only took over the scene a scant few years ago. All of your older hard drives were likely HDDs, which is why an ancient computer makes such a cantankerous whirring sound when coaxed into running.
Why Do I Want An SSD
There are several benefits to removing the spinners in your hard drive. Most noticeably, an SSD performs calculations far faster than a traditional hard drive. Where an HDD must spin at anywhere from 5,400 RPM all the way up to 15,000 to be productive, an SSD simply goes. Because the moving parts have been removed, electrons can be shuffled much more efficiently, removing the need for unstable rotating discs. On that note, an SSD is less prone to skipping during its encryption, as there’s nothing to be jostled or knocked out of place. In essence, an SSD provides improved stability, as well as drastically increased speed.
Sounds Great! Why Wouldn’t I Want It?
To put it simply, an SSD is pretty damn expensive. How much so? Well, let’s just say if you have to ask, you probably don’t have a big enough budget. An SSD also can’t write data nearly as fast as an HDD, though its downloading speeds are several times greater. In essence, if down-pipe speed is essential for your business, an SSD is a must-have. In all other cases, think about it for a while, and weigh the costs and benefits.
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Dedicated Server Hosting: How to Tell if Your Getting What You Paid For
Posted by: | CommentsYou’ve shelled out the expenses for a reliable dedicated server for your business. It’s all said and done, and the funds are out of your account. Not only that, but now you’ve got access to the hardware, and have starting uploading your site files. However, how do you really know for sure if you got what you paid for? I mean, you can’t see the hardware yourself, so how do you know your web hosting provider isn’t giving you the finger by cutting corners in the dark?
Thanks to the beauty of Linux, and it’s various diagnostic tools, you can figure out pretty quick, actually. Use this guide and the commands held within to run a quick system analysis, a simple way to check if you’re actually sporting the hardware you aught to be.
Start With the Proc, Doc:
Seriously, the /proc file of your Linux directory is dedicated to nothing but logs, hardware information, and systems analyses. With that in mind, this is your first and best stop to figure out exactly what kind of equipment you’ve been saddled with. To check, simply access the directory with:
cat /proc/cpuinfo
Your printout should be something like this:
processor : 3
vendor_id : GenuineIntel
cpu family : 6
model : 15
model name : Intel(R) Xeon(R) CPU 5150 @ 2.66GHz
stepping : 6
cpu MHz : 2660.033
cache size : 4096 KB
Obviously this is what’s important. Be sure to check that everything looks kosher, especially the model name of your CPU. If you paid for a Celeron, and have a Xeon, we’d suggest you give someone a call.
The Big One
There are a couple of other directories we could have you check, but if you really need to know more about your web server, there’s only one command left to run: the lshw command. This one tells you more than you ever wanted to know about your hardware, and with that in mind, you’ll want to save its massive output to a text file for easy perusal. To do so, simply run:
lshw > hardware-info
This will dump the command’s entire output to a simple text file named “hardware-info.” From there, you can open the file however you like, and scan its (truly extensive) hardware report. It will be rather complex, so be sure to pay extra attention. That being said, no matter what you’re looking for, it’s in there somewhere.
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From Dedicated Servers To Managed Hosting – Life In The Fast Lane
Posted by: | CommentsThe world of web hosting has seen many drastic changes in the past few years, and the speed at which changes are being roped in to make the whole concept more efficient and useful is always increasing.
Managed Web Hosting is a term that would certainly interest many webmasters who seek hosting plans to develop and sustain their online businesses. This service works in close conjugation with the concept of dedicated servers. Though dedicated servers are great resources to have in your arsenal of web hosting plans, there are some technicalities associated with the same that dampen the buzz to a great extent. Managed web hosting jumps to the rescue and does exactly what it claims – it simply manages the web hosting.
The Need Of Managed Hosting
When the traffic on your site becomes almost too much to handle and strains the servers, you should consider a dedicated server, and this is where you might also examine managed hosting providers. Maintaining a dedicated server would mean that you have a lot more to chew than what you initially agreed to, and this is where managed hosting makes life easier by providing all the services such as monitoring, reporting, load balancing, database handling and security concerns.
Finding The Right Managed Host
Remember, many people have made the move you are about to make, i.e. shifting to a managed hosting plan. Therefore, their reviews become the best resource of guidance for you. Invest some time in scanning through the reviews of the managed hosting providers and try to locate those that would suit your needs. Also, you would do well to research as to which dedicated hosting providers offer you managed hosting services as well.
Pick A Reliable Hosting Provider
You need to be assured that there would be help available when needed. In order to test a prospective managed web hosting provider out, send in a query and ask a few tricky questions. A prompt and thorough reply is ample reason for you to further consider the services of a managed hosting provider confidently. However, there is food for second thoughts if the reply is delayed and not satisfactory.
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How Strong Should your Dedicated Server Be?
Posted by: | CommentsYou’re pretty sure that you need a dedicated server. You’ve decided that you need its power or accessibility; or perhaps you’ve had this decision made for you by a provider that can’t host your site on a shared server anymore.
This article is going to assume that you’ve already done the double-checking necessary to make sure that you can’t get by with another lesser solution. You know you need to go all the way. But how far is that? And dedicated server hosting that offers this usually offers it at multiple levels. How much do you need, and how can you tell?
If you can, take it in steps
If you can deal with making your server a bit of a guinea pig, most hosts will let you start with a lower package and work your way up. It may mean that you undershoot and your site goes down a few times, but it’s at least a sure way to make sure that you don’t pay for anything more than you need to. It might make your host a bit cranky at having to constantly adjust your hardware, but trust me, you’re sending them $100-$300 a month. They’ll do it and they’ll like it.
Memory more important than CPU
Processor cores long ago became unfathomably powerful. Your machine can handle lots of work. What it might not be able to handle is a lot of number-crunching work. If your site is complicated, with lots of streaming and complicated database calls, then more than a fast machine you’re going to want a meaty machine. If your site is heavy enough to actually require your own server, then you’re likely going to want to go with at least 4GB of RAM. Hosts can go higher than that, but you’re probably best settling on that for starters: lower amounts are usually available, but typically not for that much less cost.
CPU still worth a few extra bucks, though
By most reports, quad-core (at least) is the way to go these days. That’s often offered as either a mid or high-level offering. Don’t break the bank going for it, but if you can get a good quad core for maybe $100 more than a dual or single core you’re likely to find it worth it.
With all of these things, don’t be afraid to have nice, long conversations with your web host. This is one area in which you are sure to get good support: the only people that they would even allow to handle your services are the people who know this kind of stuff inside and out. They’ll often enjoy how much good, detailed information they can give you (that whole geeky ego boost thing). This goes even more if you were previously on a shared server, as they can tell you exactly why you were moved, and what kind of service will satisfy your site’s requirements.
Again, don’t be afraid to experiment. This is your machine, and no one at any host who wants to keep your business is going to begrudge you doing what you need to get it exactly right.