Cpu Usage... Is It The Same As Cpu Cycles- And Any Good Webhost Monitoring Sites
Oct 29, 2009
I'm trying to write an article about webhosting. I've completed most of the article but there are some points I still can't figure out.
a) I'm actually confused about this: is limiting of cpu usage the same as limiting cpu cycles or even cpu throttling? I see these terms mentioned everywhere but they're all quite confusing.
b) And also, where can I find good sites for tracking webhost uptime and with some comprehensive data? I've only found this comprehensive site so far but have failed to find any others: [url]
When I was trying to figure out who to register with I looked at the following things. I believe all of these are very important to making your website as successful as possible. Support and uptime are the most important to me without these your site will be down alot and take longer to bring back when a problem occurs. The amount of space and plan though is really on a case to case basis.
* Price * Performance * Reliability * Customer Support * Control Panel * User Feedback * Website Design
I'm currently looking for a good, realiable and fairly priced webhost to use for hosting files for downloads. Wont be hosting an actual website on the account - just files.
I have a small VPS that is running only openVPN. (No http/pop/ftp/imap/smtp...) Only one port is open for the openVPN software.
I've also disabled (not running) any other networking software, so there is no apache or anything "normal" like that.
It's a plain-jane CentOS 5.3 install, used only for openVPN.
The problem is that I have no idea how much bandwidth is being used.
Since the openVPN does not track bandwidth usage, I am now looking for some other way to do it...
I am thinking that perhaps munin or cacti or something like that would be a solution?
Basically, the only statistic I need to actually monitor is bandwidth, as I don't care about disk space, load, memory, or anything else..
(The server is using VirtualVM, but since that software is insecure... the VPS control panel is not currently online, so all the normal "tools" that the VPS came with are not working.)
What kind of addon or software wopuld let me see number of bd connections, cpu usage by process and user and other statistic to manage accurately my reseller account?
My question is, what is a good free server monitoring tool that is external. By that I mean software I install on my computer and I can view from my server from my pc. I hope that makes sense it does to me.
I'm no SQL expert so I'm not exactly sure what to look for in-depth here. However, I noticed that MySQL would periodically raise to 98% cpu usage in top. So, I checked it out and turns out every time you load the front page of a site I host it takes about 30 seconds to load and its during that time that MySQL is freaking out.
I know the user relies heavily on MySQL, however I want to try to narrow down the problem as much as possible for them. Any recommendations on what else to look for?
I will start by stressing that I have only been with them for 2 months. I will be back throughout my time with them to drop more information.
I started with Tiny-Sites when they were first beginning business and got a pretty good hosting deal. 250 mb of storage and 5 gb (4.88 actual) bandwith and a domain for what amounted to $12 and some odd change after discount. They answered several questions up-front, in addition to agreeing to instal an SSL for me, as well as switching me from the free domain to one I had already purchased, setting the free domain as a redirect.
The DirectAdmin control panel is simple, but powerful. Using the installatron I was able to easily install Wordpress. It did take me a while to discover the magic of what an FTP normally does, otherwise I might never have gotten ComicPress properly installed.
I have had one instance of downtime in the two months. I placed a support ticket and was answered within 27 minutes. I'm not sure where they are located, but around my area (Nebraska), it was 8 o'clock in the evening and definitely after hours. The problem was related to another user uploading a BOT. They maintain a backup and had us back online within an hour.
When they upgraded to better plans with unlimited databases and email accounts, I requested information or billing to upgrade to those from a 5 limit plan and was upgraded at no fee, which I certainly appreciated.
I know it is still early and I am not making much use of resources yet, but I am extremely pleased thus far and would recommend them to others.
I am very interest about RackSpace Cloud site technology
http://www.mosso.com/cloud.jsp
Does any one over here using RackSpace Cloud Site
I have couple of sites hosted on a one virtual dedicated server, I get total about 100K+ hits per month. About 70GB bandwidth usage per month. Is cloud site technology is a good choice for me?
If you have current experience with hosting Gallery2 photo sites, please give us your opinion on hosts.
Gallery2 is PHP and MySQL based.
I am looking at a few customers (schools, sports groups) who would eventually have 2 to 5 GB of photos, but fairly light hits (Students, Parents, Friends). This would not be a NFL site! But responsiveness is relatively important.
Medium-cost (Say up to $15/M) shared hosting probably? Looking at maybe Hostgator, HostMonster, A1WebHosting. Your experiences/suggestions would be greatly appreciated!
My current site on (!PowWeb) is passable, but I want these sites ElseWhere...
Looking to quickly practice with and master my HTML/CSS skills after reading Build Your Own Web Site The Right Way Using HTML & CSS. At the end of the book he mentions site hosting, which I know Google does for free through "Sites".
That said, Sites looks to be designed for the non-web designer, for the average Joe looking to get his own website. So I'm wondering if people who have used it know if it supports an external CSS or if I can upload various image files. I figure that it is probably best that I don't use shortcuts in the initial learning phase.
I don't have a particular site idea in mind, just looking to play around with things and try them out.
I'd like to start an ongoing thread here listing the 'Good Hosters with Good TELEPHONE tech support'. In other words, out of the 1,000s of host companies, this may cut it down to less than a dozen.
( And for all you Hosters out there who really want your company to grow, and want to know how, - it's easy: just read here.)
Good telephone support is the #1 ultimate requirement, because:
-It's a lot faster and easier for both the user and the host company, because you can state and answer all questions and clarifications on the spot, you don't need to continually pass new emails with new questions and clarifications, back and forth for days on end, until the issue is solved. It saves tech time and user's time. And saves a lot of nerves.
- It's the best way to sort the good guys from the bad. A bad company isn't going to bother to answer the phone, - or will make you wait way too long, - because they are likely getting endless complaints. The good guys are always ready to answer the phones, with a friendly voice, - because they really WANT to please the customer.
- If a company can't be bothered to pick up the phone, we can't be bothered to even consider them. They're a joke, and so won't be listed here on this thread. (So, before adding or listing any Hosters here, please verfify that they do have Good, quick, friendly, telephone support,; ideally 24/7, but 9am to 10pm might be acceptable, if it was supplemented by some emergency contact. AND:
- Hoster ALSO needs good EMAIL support (and preferably, Chat online, extended hour availability). (I spend a lot of time overseas). It sems all emails should get a non-automated response within about an hour, - and then support should jump on fixing any problem.
I only need support a few times a year. To answer some questions, or fix a problem, or do an install. That's lesss than 1 hour total, so any company paying maybe $18/hour tech support should be able to handle this. It IS reasonable to charge a custm for extended calls, beyond say, 90minutes a year, IF you don't count the 80%? Of times an issue is the Hoster;s fault of stmg gone wrong, and don't count the 'hold' times.
ALSO IMPORTANT: - Uptime - site Speeds - Monthly plans, no contract (Only a dishonest host will try to force you into a contract, where they can then ignore you.) - Reasonable price. (? Maybe $12 to $18/month for a basic business site. We don't need massive bandwitdths, - we all know that's an overselling scam, and can't ever be delivered.) - a good upgrade plan of bigger options. Maybe even VPS. - Dedicated IP, and availbility of SSL -PHP 5, mysql, phpMyAdmin, etc - cPanel ( Some Hosts are using problematic panels, like Hsphere, which are slow to load, slow in operation, require many more clicks, have too many options, spread apart on many separate pages. Time is money, and this really slows down the ability of a small business to manage his own site in effective time. For example, one WHT user wrote somewhere: "I don't feel that HSphere's interface is nice at all, although I have worked with cPanel and DA all my life... I just found it to include un-necessary features or split features up in to different hard to find pages, such as backups - mysql backups you had to find on a completely different page than file backups, and then there were options to have it in the home directory or server-end backup, in which then you had to wait a good 10 minutes before it was ready. cPanel, just hit backup and hit download and instantly it does everything you need...".
I have used several hosters. Currently on Aplus.net and Godad, which have phone support, and mediocre service.
My LIST So Far: - Liquidweb: a very impressive company with good, 24 hour support. But to get dedicated IP, you need to go with their $25/month plan. Yikes! - NewIdeaHosting.com. A very small company. My call was returned, and the owner chatted with me for an hour on the phone! Plans have small bandwidth, but promises No overselling, and personalized attention. Extra $5 for dedi IP. He specializes in Small business sites, and small eCommerce sites. He has only 250 accounts, on 3 servers. He rents servers from the Equinox data center of Chicago. Seems exceptionaly honest. - MegaHosters. Excellent phone support and WHT reviews. But company was taken over by another company, and so may well go downhill in future. Another problem: uses Hsphere. - Steadfast. Has a good rep on WHT, and seems impressive. Tech answered the phone immediately, but they say they prefer emails. Sales phone has limited hours. Good price on $20 SSL. But, uses Hshhere. - JodoHost 24 hour phone. But, uses Hsphere. An Indian company with office in Florida, and good rep. I like the idea of outsourcing phone support, if it makes it more available and affordable. But, the accent on the phone was very hard for me to understand, so maybe this might not work..... - Hostgator. Yes, it's a big overseller, but seems to get good reviews/results anyway, and good phone support. - ? ThePrimeHost ?? Mostly good WHT reviews; some dissenters. Site says 24hour phone, but when I called on several nights, no one ever answered... - Can anyone add to this list? Please list only hosts that meet the above minimum requirements of phone support, etc. Especially useful is hosters you've tried. TO AVOID: - Avoid Arvixe. I had a horrid experience with them, here: [WHT forum]:/showthread.php?p=5097822#post5097822 - Avoid WebHostingBuzz. This company never returned my phone msessage inquiries.
I'd like to ask for some help in choosing a webhost. I want to host a website that will be a sales database. It will use a MySQL database and PHP. I will not need large amounts of disc space (I can't estimate exactly but probably less than 10GB) and relatively low amounts of bandwidth. What's important is a high uptime and security and quality bandwidth. I am very sceptical with all the webhosts offering unlimited services since I know they are overselling. Do you know of any quality webhosts suitable with the above characteristics?
I am in charge of making a website for a charter school. Where I stand right now is I am going to use Joomla, and I assume Fantastico. Now where I am still stuck is with a webhost. Every time I locate one that sounds good (editor's picks, and such), I read the feedback comments and find tons of complaints. Can someone recommend one please. Under $10; user friendly; accepts Paypal would be very helpful. I went to get Bluehost, as an example, from some reviews I read, and then I read the feedback section. I don't think I understand the terms enough to make a choice on my own,
I friend of mine wanted to know if it's possible to use a webhost (for example hostmonster.com and bluehost.com.) as a backup storage. Is it possible to transfer the files to the webhost with ftp at "Admin Backup/Transfer" with admin level?
Many of us create websites hoping that they get a lot of hits.
How can you ensure that if your web site gets a lot of hits, that it doesn't get knocked over, that it can scale and take many hits? I am not talking about a DoS attack. I am talking about a website that gets very popular and gets a lot of hits.
I wanted to do a little poll to see what WHT users like better. Would you prefer MobileME or a WebHost? Could you also if you have the time provide a reasoning.
I am a free web hosting service on one of my VPS' and I owuld like to transfer it to another one. How can I do it without creating issues as I would like to move all the accounts with it at the same time.
Current VPS and webhost nameservers
ns1.domain1.com ns2.domain2.com
New VPS nameservers
ns1.domain2.com ns2.domain2.com
Now how can I move all the accounts but dont change the nameservers? I mean is it possible to have two different domain name servers pointing to each other?
Not sure if it makes sense but hopefully some expert guy will get to the bottom of it
I have an application written in ASP.NET 2.0 with MySQL as back-end that I would like to host. I am looking for a host who support ASP.NET with MySQL. Can anyone help me find a good host?
I'm getting ready to upgrade my site to Joomla and am learning all these things about security issues. For example, the register globals on my webserver is turned on and I can't turn it off unless I go to a dedicated server and pay 3X per month of what I'm paying now. And there's other things too about this particular webhost.
Just wondering if anyone can give any input from experience on who is a good webhost for a Joomla site with regards to security, etc.
Does anyone know of a good web host that allows adult content? No porn or anything hardcore, basically it's just half-nude/topless/erotic posing pictures.
I will definitely need a web host that allows a lot of bandwidth, I'm actually doing this for someone who just got in the cover of Penthouse. So.. I'm sure there will be a lot of traffic.
3. Ideally allows for storage of files that are not related to the website.
4. Ideally allows for anonymous FTP access.
Only 1 and 2 are critical. The site will have many MP3s, Videos, PDF and text documents available for streaming or downloading. All the material will either be my own or the copywrited material of my organization. I have their express written permission to host and distribute these media files under a creative commons license. It will be 5GB or less of files, and they will be downloaded rarely and not very many people simultaneously downloading at once.
Most webhosts I have looked at (Monsterhost, 1and1, Bluehost, mmhosting.com, etc) All offer unlimited/tons of space and have some provision in their terms of service agreement like this: "Webhost company does not allow file sharing / unlimited media sharing." or "HostMonster.Com offers its Services to host web sites, not to store data. Using an account as an online storage space for archiving electronic files is prohibited and will result in termination of hosting services without prior notice."
So where can I find a host that allows file hosting, video hosting, etc? I don't need a lot of bandwidth/storage space, but I do want to host my media.
I'm just wanting some feedback in response to what I feel is gross neglegence of a Webhost I used. I have a website thru this company, WebsitePros. They seemed great for someone like myself, a retail business owner/operator w/ no eployees. I pay 1 company to host, market, and provide software for me to build & manage my site & store. My site had an ecommerce store which was mistakenly deleted by someone at their company. They lost all my pics, product descriptions, customer info, etc, from 2 years of business. They have no backups at all for the store (i had to login to my account to manage store using thier software-- no ability to backup the info on my computer). I was told by their supervisor that traditional webhosts like WebsitePros don't backup store files, just the site itself, and that they would only be willing to help rebuild but offer no monetary compensation (oh yeah, and 3months at 1/2 price...sweet). This isn't a case of failure to pay a bill or anything along those lines---they admit total liability. My questions are:
1) Is it not the webhost's responsibility to backup these "store" files?
2) Do I seem unreasonable in asking for damages since they lost all this info, including 100's of customer profiles & outstanding orders?
I'm base in Singapore. Most of my customers from US and UK.
I need a reliable trustworthy webhost that can make my site payment methods by Enets which i dont really understand their policy and paypal (which i know that almost all virtual webhost do support) .
I had been doing a nice host hunting and here are too many webhost offers that are "too good to be true".
