February 7th, 2010
Server ID: CL-363 (Main BLD Server)
After a little analysis, we’ve discovered that a memery upgrade is in order. That is to say that we’d like to upgrade system RAM from 4 GB to 8 GB. This should significantly impact service quality.
However, we’ve also discovered that our current motherboard:
ECS G31T-M
does not support anything over 4 GM of RAM. For this reason, we’ve also ordered a new motherboard – along with an additional 4 GB of RAM. The orders should arrive either Thursday or Friday of this week.
Downtime required to install the parts should not last more than an hour.
February 6th, 2010
Server ID: CL-363 (Main BLD Server)
Affected Services: VPS-ID: 160 (BLD Shared Server), VPS-ID: 150 (Customer VPS)
Kernel Version was updated and various changes were applied to the server as a whole. The server itself was rebooted several times during the process. The httpd service (apache) was stopped during this time.
Current Kernel version is the latest openvz compatible Kernel:
2.6.18-164.10.1.el5.028stab067.4
Maintenance caused a total downtime of 30 – 45 minutes, occuring at about 21:30 (Server Time).
January 24th, 2010
.htaccess files (or “distributed configuration files”) provide a way to make configuration changes on a per-directory basis. The .htaccess file is placed in a particular directory, and the directives (defined within the .htacess file) apply to that directory, and all sub-directories therein.
This could get confusing so bare with me. Sometimes, a client may want a specific setting on the server. This is to ensure that their scripts are working correctly, or they need to do some testing. More often then not, there are reasons as to why these settings are disabled. Instead of making server-wide changes and activating the setting, we would tell the client to place the necessary directives in their .htaccess file. Basically it’s a file that takes the directives placed inside of it, and acts as if they were placed inside of the main server config, however only for that directory. So, by placing directives in the .htaccess file, the user enables it just for him, and the server functions as normal.
A few Commands
DirectoryIndex filename.html – This changes the directory index to filename.html. What does that mean? Well whenever you navigate to a website, the first page you see is the “DirectoryIndex”. By the server default, this is usually index.html, index.htm, index.php etc… So if index.html does not exist, then index.htm would be taken, and if index.htm does not exist, then index.php would be taken, and so on. However, if both index.php and index.html exist, then index.html would be taken, because it comes first. Get it? Good. But what happens when a client named Billy wants to have Billy.HTML as his homepage? It obviously won’t be listed as the default DirectoryIndex. So, instead we tell him to whip out the .htaccess file and type the following:
DirectoryIndex Billy.html
PHP Flags – Although php is used for dynamic web pages, certain commercial scripts require a few settings in order to function properly. PHP settings are set in the php.ini file. This is where one would limit what he/she can, or can’t, do with php. Sometimes, some settings may pose a security threat. When a user requires a php setting to be turned on, we usually advise him to do so via the .htacess file. The syntax is as follows:
php_flag php_command value
Naturally, the “php_command” and “value” would be changed; however, the php_flag would always remain the same. An example would be:
php_flag register_globals on
There are dozens of commands that could be placed in the .htaccess file, however what I just showed you are the two most common ones. PHP variables and the DirectoryIndex are really all that we would be supporting. Everything else (such as mod_rewrite rules) are primalrily the client’s concern.
January 24th, 2010
VPS ID: 160 (BLD Shared Server)
The webs server (apache) was rebuilt at 11:22 PM (server time). Slow connection rates and a crawling httpd service were endured until 11:39 PM (server time).
Total httpd (apache) turmoil: 17 minutes
Command-line easyapache (included as a script with cPanel) was used to rebuild apache, via the following command:
/scripts/easyapache
January 17th, 2010
VPS ID: 160 (BLD Shared Server)
Over a span of 24 hours, we have been experiencing an ongoing battle against packet loss:
Ping statistics for 204.124.183.212:
Packets: Sent = 25, Received = 9, Lost = 16 (64% loss),
Approximate round trip times in milli-seconds:
Minimum = 55ms, Maximum = 56ms, Average = 55ms
Ping statistics for 204.124.183.212:
Packets: Sent = 18, Received = 6, Lost = 12 (66% loss),
Approximate round trip times in milli-seconds:
Minimum = 55ms, Maximum = 59ms, Average = 56ms
Here’s the test from another location:
Ping statistics for 204.124.183.212:
Packets: Sent = 10, Received = 3, Lost = 7 (70% loss),
Approximate round trip times in milli-seconds:
Minimum = 265ms, Maximum = 266ms, Average = 265ms
The packet loss issue is the root cause of the very sluggish performance we’ve recently been experiencing. Recent tests show the following:
Ping statistics for 204.124.183.212:
Packets: Sent = 170, Received = 170, Lost = 0 (0% loss),
Approximate round trip times in milli-seconds:
Minimum = 55ms, Maximum = 65ms, Average = 55ms
Rectifying the problem caused 1 hour, 7 minutes, 17 seconds of downtime, beginning at exactly 14:40:20 (Server Time).
January 17th, 2010
VPS ID: 160 (BLD Shared Server)
BIND failed, and remained down, for as long as 45 minutes yesterday at around 1:00 PM (server time). cPanel install was rebuilt and updated during this time. The following commands were used:
/scripts/upcp –force
January 12th, 2010
VPS ID: 160 (BLD Shared Server)
Both apache and named were restarted, via the following commands:
service httpd restart
service named restart
November 7th, 2009
VPS ID: 160 (BLD Shared Server)
cPanel Update at 3:10 PM (local time). No Downtime is expected.
July 6th, 2009
I guess there’s a first for everything. I promised myself I would never re-write an article already published – however this one is too good to be true! It really hits the bulls eye, and thought I would share this with our readers. Take a break from my constant babbling, and take a look at this wonderful article I managed to dig up!
Dedicated web hosting services offer users incomparable levels of reliability and large resource assignments so that they are able to let their website expand with ease on a dedicated web hosting package without the need to upgrade to a higher end form of web hosting for a long time to come.
Although all web hosting packages come with assignments of disk space and bandwidth, dedicated web hosting services will come with guaranteed amounts of RAM and, depending on the type of hosting you choose to go with, you may also be provided with a share of the processor on your server; both of these extra resources will allow you to achieve a lot more with your web hosting service than is possible with a shared or reseller web hosting package.
Dedicated web hosting services are often favoured by those who are running mission critical websites such as online shops which may be providing you with a source of income; the main reason for this is the level of reliability that a majority of dedicated web hosting services have to offer, but along with the dedicated environment offered in most cases is a higher level of security which you can use to your advantage.
What are the advantages of using dedicated web hosting?
You are only going to benefit from dedicated web hosting services if you are running a large website which has outgrown a standard shared web hosting package in what it requires; the main reason for this is that most dedicated web hosting services are expensive, and it’s not worth paying a lot for a web hosting package which you don’t need. The main advantage to using either VPS server hosting or dedicated server hosting is the level of reliability that you will achieve in having a more dedicated form of web hosting; most businesses and individuals who are upgrading from shared web hosting services are often doing so because of a lack of reliability on their existing web hosting package. As you are provided with your own dedicated environment regardless of the form of dedicated web hosting you choose to go down, you are able to secure your server to a level which suits your requirements; with lower forms of web hosting including shared web hosting and reseller web hosting you have no control over the security measures which your web hosting providers puts into place, thus meaning that the server could be more insecure than you think it is. You will also receive larger assignments of disk space and bandwidth with a dedicated web hosting service which may not necessarily be possible with a shared web hosting package; this will allow you to grow your website on your dedicated web hosting package without the need to upgrade for a long time. In summary, the main advantages of dedicated web hosting include:
Reliability – if you choose to go down the route of VPS hosting when it comes to dedicated web hosting services you will find that many providers are now making use of so called ‘cloud computing’ services meaning that a VPS server is hosted across a cluster of servers instead of a single node, thus increasing the reliability of the VPS server hosting service which you are paying for – if you choose to purchase a Windows or Linux dedicated server then you will also receive a similar level of reliability as you will be the sole user of the server meaning that you won’t have to worry about the performance of other VPS servers or websites, although it is important for you to maintain your server to ensure that it remains reliable
Security – security is another issue which is at the forefront of most peoples’ minds when it comes to considering web hosting providers as hackers are becoming more professional when it comes to gaining access to servers meaning that even a server which could be classed as highly secured could be hacked by a malicious attacker is they tried hard enough – if you choose a dedicated web hosting package then you will be able to make sure that your server hosting service is as secure as possible so that if a hacker does try to gain access to your server, the likelihood will be that they will fail
Resource assignments – the introduction of guaranteed amounts of RAM and in some cases CPU share with dedicated web hosting services is something which can confuse many people, but the main thing to remember is that the higher your share of the server’s CPU and the larger the amount of RAM that your server has, the more reliable it is going to be – VPS servers and dedicated servers also come with guaranteed amounts of disk space and bandwidth like all web hosting packages, but they’re just larger with dedicated web hosting services – in order to receive the highest resource assignments it is recommended that you choose a dedicated server as you can customize the hardware specifications of your server to meet your requirements.
The advantages of dedicated web hosting services mean that both businesses and individuals stand to benefit a lot from dedicated web hosting services. However, you should only consider dedicated web hosting services if your website provides you with a source of income and is classed as ‘mission critical’; dedicated web hosting services are also ideal for websites which will be processing personal data because of the level of security that is available.
Disadvantages of Dedicated Web Hosting
As with all forms of web hosting, dedicated web hosting services do come with their disadvantages in terms of how much you will be paying as well as the level of support which you can expect from your web hosting provider. Due to the fact that you are effectively purchasing your own server with dedicated web hosting services, you need to be prepared for the high costs which are involved; the cheapest form of dedicated web hosting available will be Linux VPS hosting, although for the best level of performance you should consider Linux or Windows dedicated server hosting. Support can also be an issue with dedicated web hosting services sometime; although there are managed dedicated web hosting services available, some people choose to use unmanaged dedicated web hosting services which ultimately means that they are fully responsible for the management of their server, and if something goes wrong it is up to them to sort it out. The management of a VPS server or dedicated server can also be a problem with some people due to the level of skill that is required; however, you should take into consideration that come web hosting providers require that you have some sort of server management knowledge before purchasing a dedicated web hosting service. You will find that the main disadvantages of dedicated web hosting packages include:
Cost – whether you choose to go with a VPS server or dedicated server you will find that the amount that you are paying is higher than what you may have been paying previously for a shared or reseller web hosting package – however, if you are considering dedicated web hosting services then the likelihood is that you are only doing so because your website is no longer suitable to be hosted in a shared web hosting environment meaning that your only other choice is to pay extra and upgrade to dedicated web hosting services
Support - some web hosting providers will only offer self-managed/unmanaged dedicated web hosting services and will expect customers to have some level of knowledge of how to manage VPS servers or dedicated servers as otherwise they will find that they won’t be able to make the most of the dedicated web hosting service which they are paying for – if you feel that this may affect you then you should ensure that you choose a web hosting provider that will be able to offer you fully managed dedicated web hosting services
Management – managing a VPS server or dedicated server requires a certain level of skill, regardless of whether or not you choose to have Linux or Windows installed on your dedicated web hosting service – regardless of whether you choose to go for a managed dedicated web hosting service or an unmanaged dedicated web hosting service, you will find that your web hosting provider will have expectations of you in the form of a certain amount of server side management skill, and if you don’t have any clue on how to managed a VPS server or dedicated server then you should consider other forms of web hosting which are available.
The disadvantages which you can face with dedicated web hosting services are only likely to affect you if you don’t choose your web hosting provider correctly and end up with a dedicated web hosting package which doesn’t suit your needs properly. In the event that you aren’t able to manage a VPS server or dedicated server properly, you should consider contracting a third party that will be able to do it on your behalf.
In conclusion, dedicated web hosting services offer users a reliable web hosting platform to upgrade to from either shared web hosting or Linux web hosting, regardless of whether they choose a VPS server or a dedicated server. Regardless of the disadvantages of dedicated web hosting services, a server which is managed well can be strongly secured which will prevent it from being hacked by malicious attackers who may be trying to gain access. Dedicated web hosting services also come with higher resource assignments that help to make them good value for money in the long run as it means you won’t have to upgrade your web hosting service for a long time to come.
Works Cited
EUKHOST. “Dedicated Web Hosting.” UK Web Hosting | Linux Windows Server Tutorials | PHP MySQL Service. EUKHOST, 11 June 2009. Web. 06 July 2009. <http://blog.eukhost.com/webhosting/dedicated-web-hosting-2/#more-4980>.
July 6th, 2009
Server ID: CL-363 (Main BLD Server)
Server Reboot at 7:15 PM (local time). Downtime lasted for under 30 seconds!
