ServerCommand.org - Group: The Hosting Side Of Things

Lane on Colocation OR Dedicated Server?

Thu, 23 Jul 2009 01:55:07 +0000

There comes a time in every hostler's life when they need to decide which route they will pursue. Deciding to do Colocation or a Dedicated server is a decision that needs to make wisely, as it can greatly determine your success in the hosting industry.

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Lets go into detail of what each is: Colocation:

Colocation is where you purchase a server (Dell, HP, IBM, SuperMicro, Home Build, etc.) and ship it to a data center of your choice. The data center in turn places your server in a rack and attaches it to their network. Once the datacenter has your server all setup, you will then be able to remotely access your server. This option you will also need to own your own operating system license and be very familiar with computer hardware.

Dedicated Server:

A dedicated server is very similar to colocation, however instead of having to purchase a server and ship it to a data center, you merely rent the server from the data center. This option you will not need to have your own OS license or intimate knowledge of server hardware. You will have the same remote access to the server box as with your colocated server.

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Now that we have the basic idea of what the two are, we can begin to dive into the positives and negatives of each. Colocation, The Good & Bad:

Positive Notes:

Cheaper monthly cost, as you only need to rent space, power and bandwidth.

You own your server hardware, you don't have to rent it.

You can have any server brand and hardware specification you desire.

When done hosting, you can have the server shipped back to be resold.

Negative Notes:

If your server has hardware issues, you will need to pay someone to troubleshoot (remote hands fees).

You will need to ship replacement hardware to the DC or buy it from the DC.

You are responsible for your server, the DC is only responsible for the network, power and space.

Large upfront cost, as you have to buy the server box.

You will have to own your OS license.

Dedicated Servers, Positives & Negatives

Positive Notes:

You do not have any large upfront fee to buy a server, you only have to rent it.

If the server has any hardware issues, it is up to the data center to fix it.

You wont have to pay for replacement hardware, ship anything, etc. as it is up to the DC to repair any hardware issues.

Widely available and hundreds of providers to choose from.

You don't have to own OS licenses.

Negative Notes:

You are limited on the server hardware you can use (Each provider only offers so many options).

Your monthly price will be higher, as you are renting the server, power, space and bandwidth.

Upgrades can be more expensive than the going rate of hardware.

May get locked into a lease period.

The above gives us a good idea on the good and bad of each, now onto the hard question, "Which one is right for me?" Everyone's answer is going to be different as it will greatly depend on your finances, hardware knowledge, and how much control you want to have over your server. Many people choose to go with a dedicated server everyday as you can easily purchase and it is on the provider to do all the hard work, however this is not the best option for everyone. With dedicated servers, the "bigger" the server you buy, the more expensive your monthly payment will become. In many cases, it can be cheaper to purchase the server and colocate, however it will all depend how long you plan on keeping the server machine. That brings on a all new question:

What is the life expectancy of a server? - Check our other blog posts for a in depth look!

That pretty much wraps up this look into the differences of Colocation and Dedicated servers, however I am sure many questions are still lingering. So post them up in the forums and we will get you answers!

Lane on Anti-Virus For Your Server - Free!

Tue, 21 Jul 2009 00:59:37 +0000

Hi Guys, Today we are going to take a peak at what kinda of Anti-Virus scanners we should be running on a dedicated server. It will all depend on what you are using your dedicated server for, but in almost any case it would be foolish to not run a Anti-Virus software on it. As there are tons of Anti-Virus software options on the market it can be very hard to choose the version right for your needs. It is suggested you stay away from the all in one security suites like you may be running on your home PC as they are very infectious and will most likely cause allot of issues in the long run, including locking you out of your server when you install it . You will want to stick to a straight Anti-Virus, such as Norton Corporate or ClamAV. Norton Corporate is a great solution if you are able to spend some money on it, it can be quite expensive if you have more than one server, however you will be receiveing a paid software which comes with support that you may need if you every run into issues. Norton also releases many updates to it AV software which will greatly help in keeping your server safe. The downside, Norton is pretty much only good for Windows, if you are running a Linux server you will want look to ClamAV. ClamAV (http://www.clamav.net) is a free Anti-Virus system that is specifically aimed to be used in a server environment and is perfect for your Linux based server. There is a Windows version of ClamAV, however they are no longer developing it, however you are still able to receive virus definition updates for it. ClamAV is the perfect solution for any server host as it is very "light" and non-intrusive on the dedicated server. There are tons of AV softwares on the market and using Google you will be able to easily locate one that is perfect for your needs. For this article we are giving Norton and ClamAV our choice award as they have long been the industry standard for anti-virus security. Moving a little more forward as far as Anti-Spyware and additonal software you would find in a security suite. In most cases you should have no need for them as you should not be opening emails and surfing the web on your dedicated server. Keep it smart and use your dedicated server for what it is designed for, hosting. Cheers!

Lane on How Many Game Servers Can My Dedicated Server Hold?

Mon, 20 Jul 2009 21:01:07 +0000

This is one of the day old questions that every first time dedicated server renter asks. Unfortunately, it is a question that has no real answer, as every game server uses a different amount of resources and demands different resources from the server box. The best rule of thumb when buying your first server, it to purchase one that is well rounded, making sure it offers a nice CPU, RAM and HDD's. Now with that, your next question would be, "What is a well rounded server?" In most cases there are three basic well rounded server specs: 1.

Single Dual-Core CPU 2GB RAM 250GB HDD

Single Quad-Core CPU 4GB RAM 250GB HDD

Dual Quad-Core CPU's 8GB RAM 250GB HDD

Each of the rough specifications above offer a "rounded" solution, making it so that when you max out the CPU resources, you will most likely be out of RAM. Therefore, allowing you to use the maxium of both before running out of one or the early. However, it still comes down to the resource usage of the games you plan on running. As an example, if you run all Call Of Duty game titles, then you will be able to stay with a low-end CPU and double the RAM. As COD game titles tend to use allot more RAM than CPU. On the other hand, if you plan to host Counter-Strike: Source game servers, you may end up needing more CPU than RAM, as that game tends to use more CPU at peak than RAM. So the final word is, stick to a well rounded server unless you know that you plan on only hosting X game title and when it comes to that. I would suggest popping a thread in our forums and we can assist you in getting the best server for you.

Lane on Shared, VPS, Dedicated Server - Which Do I Need?

Mon, 20 Jul 2009 20:59:16 +0000

With the design of our great web site comes allot of questions about what you need in order to host it and not have any issues. With today's market there are multiple solutions to choose from

Lane on What is a VPS/VDS?

Mon, 20 Jul 2009 20:58:00 +0000

As many users have experienced, after a while your growing web site will outgrow the standard shared web hosting environment provided by many of the web hosts in today's industry. This leaves many people wondering what their next step is, a dedicated server? A dedicated is a excellent next step, but does come at a much higher cost than your standard shared web hosting package and in many cases is not a feasible upgrade due to just the cost of the server itself. With that comes Virtual Dedicated Servers (VDS) or Virtual Private Servers (VPS) which are usually much more affordable for many users, starting at around $20/Month. So now you have found your upgrade path, but what is a VPS/VDS? Virtual Private Server (VPS) and Virtual Dedicated Server (VDS) are much the same thing, just a different name for the same end result. They are a virtual server that is housed on a larger dedicated server box. You will have your own operating system and runs much like a normal dedicated server, however with just less power. You do not share your operating system with anyone else, but you do share the dedicated server box on which your VPS/VDS is housed with other clients who are also renting their own VPS/DVS servers. A VPS/VDS will normally give you more resources than a standard web hosting package and should meet your needs for you growing web site, atleast till you can afford your own dedicated server, but there is a downside! The downside to having your own VPS/VDS is that you will now need to learn how to setup and manage your own web server, which for most people is a challenge to say the least. There is allot to understand and learn when trying to figure out how to setup your VPS/VDS to host your web site. You may need to install MYSQL, Apache, Python or one of many different pieces of software that are required to host your web site. Do not worry! There are many VPS/VDS hosts that offer a fully "managed" virtual server, where they will worry about maintaning your virtual server for you and all you will need to worry about is keeping your web site running the way you want it! There are many VPS/VDS hosts around the world and in many cases the shared web hosting you are already with offer VPS/VDS servers and can easily migrate you to one without too much work or hiccups on your web site. If you are happy with your current web host, than it is probably a good idea to stick with them for your VPS/VDS. If they do not offer them, you may want to look at the below hosts:

FDCServers - www.FDCServers.net
Surf Speedy - www.SurfSpeedy.com

There is allot more questions you will most likely have, so shoot a post up in our forums and we will get you all setup!

Lane on Can I Host Game Servers & Web Hosting On The Same Machine?

Mon, 20 Jul 2009 20:57:42 +0000

Being part of the game hosting industry I am asked this question on a daily basis as it is one of the age old questions. In short, Yes! You can host them both on the same server box, but No it is not advised. It is completely possible to mix and match web hosting and game servers on the same physical machine, but it is not something I would advise doing. Game servers are something that can easily "freak" out when you begin to mix and match them with other things, even with other game servers. The rule of thumb is always to run the least amount of items on the server box you are running your game servers on, as you never know what may or may not cause issues with your game servers. As shared web hosting account is only a few dollars a month with many web hosts, it is well worth it as to not mix web hosting and your game servers. Now if you can't truely afford to get an extra web hosting account, than it would be better to host it on your dedicated server than not have one at all - Web hosting in general takes quite allot of work to setup and can be very confusing, especially if it is your first time. When you are forced to mix web hosting and game servers, always install the least amount of services in order to get your web site online. I would not suggest going all out installing all components and software that you might use down the road, add it as you NEED it.

Lane on (.htaccess) Change Your Domain, Save Incoming Links!

Mon, 20 Jul 2009 20:57:24 +0000

As everyone has most likely experienced at some point, changing domains and saving your incoming links is always looked to as a nightmare and major loss of traffic with dead links, but with .htaccess it is a easy as 1 - 2 - 3. You will need to edit/add a htaccess file to your root of your web hosting account (Usually your "public_html" folder) and add the following lines:

Options +FollowSymLinks RewriteEngine on RewriteCond %{HTTP_HOST} ^(.*)OLDDOMAIN.COM [NC] RewriteRule ^(.*)$ http://NEWDOMAIN.COM/$1 [R=301,L]

There is a couple key points in the above:

You will need to have "Mod_Rewrite" on your web server and activated in Apache
You will need to fill in YOUR domain information, replacing old and new domains (In Bold)
[R=301,L] - This is one of the most important parts, it tells any incoming search engines that the page has permanantly moved and it needs to update its links.

Using the above will allow you to change over to a new domain for your web site without losing any traffic and having issues with deadlinks. You will need to keep your old domain attached to the same web hosting account for a little while, to give everyone a chance to change to your new domain. This will not work if you just up and move to a new domain, you will need to keep the old for atleast a month or so while all search engines and incoming link sites get updated.

Lane on Managed OR Unmanaged - Whats The Difference?

Mon, 20 Jul 2009 20:25:44 +0000

Two keywords you will see when it comes to renting a VPS/VDS or a dedicated servers are "Managed and "Unmanaged". Looking at these terms it is pretty easily to draw a conclusion as to what they are, but for those who would like a little more information on what each is, please see below: Managed:

A managed solution in short is a service in which the host takes care of and maintains the server for you, therefore allowing professionals to take care of the dirty work and keep your time free to keep working on your web site. A managed server is usually the best place to start for anyone new to a server side of things, however there are some downsides:

Managed servers are usually much more expensive than a normal server (You are paying for the techs time).

You may not have access to the root of the server and therefore you will have to rely solely on the host for everything beyond the basics of managing your web site.

You have to rely on your host for just about everything, beyond the basics.

You may be limited to what all you can do with your server, you may nto have full control.

With the above brief of downsides you can see if any of them worry you, but don't get discouraged, there are upsides!

You don't have to worry about knowing how to manage everything on the server, thats what you pay your host for.

If you run into issues, you can just lodge a complaint with your host and it is up to them to devise a solution.

You don't have to get your hands dirty and waste time doing updates, installing additional software modules etc.

You can sleep at night! - This may sound weird, but when you run into your first major issue, it all makes sense.

The host takes care of the security of the server.

Many hosts include back up solutions are part of their managed services.

The above are just the basic outlines of a managed service, you will ALWAYS need to check with the host you plan to use to see what all they are responsible for managing, some do allot more than others!

Now onto the Unmanaged! Unmanaged:

In short, unmanaged sounds very much like it is, the exact opposite of managed. With an unmanaged servers you are on your own, sent a drift in the wild ocean with only a small life rope to tie you back to shore. You will be responsible for everything from the Operating System up. In the case of a unmanaged solution the host is only responsible for the server hardware and network, so they are there to fix the hardware if it breaks, do Operating System reloads, keep the network up and running, and some basic troubleshooting. As long as you have access to the machine, it is all in your hands. This is the way most people tend to go with as it gives you the most versitility and allows you to learn and test allot on the server machine that you otherwise would most likely not be able to do on a managed server. The ups and downs: Ups:

The server is all yours, you install and control everything on it.

Extremely versitile, you can install what you want and when you want, no need to wait on anyone.

Cheaper! You don't have to pay extra for the company to manage the server.

Downs:

If you get stuck or break some software on the server, it will be up to fix it.

You are responsible for everything from the Operating System up.

You have to run the updates, keep the server secure.

You will need to learn how to operate and control the server.

Don't let the downsides scare you, a unmanaged server is a awesome place to begin as you will be able to work and learn without having to worry about limitations. If you are worried about the uptime of your web site over you learning, it is best to stay with a managed solution where uptime is the goal and learning takes the back seat.

The discriptions above are showing the extremes of each end of the environments, it will depend on each host as far as what all they will or won't manage. Many hosts often go far beyond what the norm, but you will need to speak with each one to find what all they are responsible for and how far out of their way they will go to keep you running strong. The biggest thing thing to understand from these descritptions is:

Every host is different! No two host will offer the same thing in their managed and unmanaged packages. You NEED to check with the host you are considering using to see what all they are responsible for. The above are just the basic outline of each and by no means what every host offers!

Lane on Changing Exim IP - Avoid Blacklist Issues

Mon, 20 Jul 2009 20:24:06 +0000

Changing the IP of Exim is not something everyone will want to do, but if you ever had your IP(s) blacklisted you will soon find out changing Exim to use an IP other than you primary is just a fact of life. In many cases changing to another IP on your dedicated server will get you by while you work to get the blacklist cleared on your IP. It is very easy to do, you need only to SSH into your server and locate the following file: exim.conf You should be able to locate the Exim configuration file within your "etc" folder: /etc/exim.conf Once you have found the exim.conf you will need to open it with a text editor nano or pico will work fine.

pico /etc/exim.conf

Once you have it open you will want to locate the following: (If you are using nano, "ctrl + w" will allow you to search for it)

remote_smtp: driver = smtp

You will need to add another line just below the "driver = smtp", adding: interface = xxx.xxx.xxx : xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx Once added, you should have this:

remote_smtp: driver = smtp interface = xxx.xxx.xxx

Make sure you replace the XXX with an IP on your server you would like to use. If you wish to use more than one IP you can separate them with a colon ":" like so:

remote_smtp: driver = smtp interface = xxx.xxx.xxx : xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx

Once you have edited the lines to match the above, you will need to save (ctrl + x) and then restart Exim.

service exim restart

Once Exim restarts you should now be sending emails out on the new IP address instead of the primary one on your server. IMPORTANT NOTE: If you are a CPanel user, you will need to need to make a slightly different edit than the above. In your conf file you will have lines like this:

remote_smtp: driver = smtp interface = ${if exists {/etc/mailips}{${lookup{$sender_address_domain}lsearch*{/etc/mailips}{$value}{}}}{}}

You will need only to remove the "interface = ${if exists {/etc/mailips}{${lookup{$sender_address_domain}lsearch*{/etc/mailips}{$value}{}}}{}}" and replace it to make it match:

remote_smtp: driver = smtp interface = xxx.xxx.xxx

The other thing you will need to be careful of, if CPanel makes an update to Exim it will change your settings. So you will need to re-edit the conf files every now and then to keep it running on the IP of your choice. At this time I am not aware of anyway around this, though there is allot of talk on the CPanel Forums.