A virtual private server (VPS) is an emulated server within a single or multiple physical machines. Computers that host a VPS are generally powerful. They’re capable of splitting their resources to accommodate all the needs of the clients of the VPSs that they operate.
Typically, VPSs are primarily used in hosting services. It’s one of the most popular ways hosting is performed or provided to clients. The two other ways are shared hosting and dedicated hosting.
Shared hosting allows clients to share a machine’s resources under the same operating system (OS). Dedicated hosting, however, only allows one client per machine. On the other hand, VPS will enable clients to share a single machine, but each client has a dedicated operating system running virtually.
Meanwhile, you might want to configure a virtual private server for many reasons. It might be that you want to learn more about it. Or you might be experimenting with hosting multiple websites or services in a single machine but want them to run on different operating systems. Alternatively, you might want to start a hosting company and focus on it as your primary business.
Regardless of the reason, you might want to know these tips and tricks for configuring your first virtual private server.
Know Your Machine
Everything starts with the host machine. Remember that VPSs can be resource extensive. Just running two or three can bog down a middle-end personal computer. A typical hosting machine can allow a few to run simultaneously. Hence, it would be wise to ensure your machine is capable before proceeding.
If you don’t want to risk it, you can consider getting a fully managed VPS. It’s a service wherein your hosting or server provider will give you all the support you need when configuring and maintaining your VPS. This way, your provider will take over half the responsibility for running your server.
Make Room For Upgrades
If the machine isn’t yours and you’re just renting a VPS host, always make room for potential upgrades. After all, even if you have a VPS service and it’ll have massive resources for you, it may run out eventually when your application, service, or website grows.
Thankfully, most VPS hosts are scalable. These hosts or providers always have upgrade plans that you can choose from. These upgrade plans will come in handy when you need more storage space, bandwidth, or memory.
Know Your Purpose
Another thing you need to know is the purpose of your VPS project. Are you going to host a single website? Are you going to start a Software as a Service (SaaS)? Remember that depending on the purpose of your VPS, you may need to acquire more storage, random access memory, bandwidth, and computing power. For example, a single website with a visit rate of 100 people per day will require fewer resources than a SaaS with 100 active users daily.
Determine The Ideal Operating System
The operating system you’ll use for your VPS will dictate many things. For example, if you use ASP.NET for your VPS or mobile-ready website that will run on it, it’ll be much better if you use Windows. On the other hand, if you have multiple scripts and apps that you want to run on your web server and you’re using Apache and PHP, you may want to consider running your VPS on Linux.
Know Everything That Happens With Your VPS
Remember that you’ll constantly be hard-pressed to check your VPS, especially if you’re running multiple sites or serving many clients. As the number of your clients or users grows, the demand for more resources also grows. And if you ignore the rising demand, your VPS might suddenly crash or become unavailable to many of the people you’re serving.
Therefore, always be prepared to adjust the resources you’ve dedicated to your VPS if such a need arises. Also, remember that you’ll have complete control of your VPS as you’ll have root access. It’s not just tweaking control panels or custom applications to manage your VPS. You’ll have access to the VPS as if you have a computer.
Identify All The New Security Vulnerabilities And Threats
Thankfully, a VPS is more secure than other hosting services like shared hosting. Your files and data will be shielded away from other hosting clients of the provider. This means that you’re the only one with exclusive access to everything in your VPS. However, you should know that a VPS isn’t completely immune to security threats and vulnerabilities.
Even if you’re running the latest operating systems and virtual machine tools, there’ll always be a security vulnerability that many malicious individuals can exploit to ruin your service. Also, never hesitate to add new layers of security to make sure no one or nothing can give you trouble.
Learn About The Optimization Tricks That Pros Do
There are multiple ways that you can optimize your VPS. And these optimization techniques vary on what you’re doing and the purpose of your setup. Meanwhile, if you’re just renting out a VPS, you may want to ensure you’re paying for the resources that you’re using.
For example, if you have a small website with a handful of users or visitors, you can lower the bandwidth and storage you’re paying for your hosting provider. Other optimization tricks involve properly configuring your stack settings, constantly updating all the applications installed in your VPS, and ensuring all your files are backed up.
In addition, you can get multiple VPS to share the load or brunt of your primary server. Another optimization trick is to take advantage of content delivery networks (CDNs), which are relatively cheaper than getting another hosting or VPS service, to host some of the intensively accessed files on your server or website.
Conclusion
Those are the seven tips and tricks you need to know when starting your very first virtual private server. They’re simple to do but can consume much of your time. If you’re having difficulties, never hesitate to get a team to help you maintain your VPS.
