Optimum Speed and Stability for Websites: PerfGrid Makes It Happen

How it started: network and security issues

When Lucas founded PerfGrid, he was looking for a colocation provider for his own equipment.
Unfortunately, the chosen party had network issues and serious security concerns: ‘Every few days there were DDoS attacks, causing the entire network to go down.
Also, my server was in a shared rack that I could access without anyone from the data centre being present.
I could easily have plugged in a USB stick or disconnect another client's power supply. You can imagine that didn't feel very secure.’ In addition, the colocation racks there had only
one feed because there was no capacity for redundancy. As a result, servers were not assured of a second feed in case of power failure.

Choosing Worldstream: no downtime and a relaxed mentality

Lucas therefore considered Worldstream as hosting provider: 'I had a virtual machine through a Worldstream customer and have not had any downtime in a year.
A huge plus. It was also nice to know that I could really ask anything. For example, I asked if I could buy the PDUs instead of using them.
This was not standard practice, but Worldstream made it possible. I really liked that laid-back mentality.’

Migration and onboarding: smooth and free of charge

The migration process can be complex, explains Lucas: 'For example, some companies ask you to pay for cross connects between racks. Worldstream doesn't.
I was given the time I needed to complete the migration without paying for both racks. This exceeded my expectations.
Onboarding also went smoothly, due to direct contact we had with an account manager.’

All production infrastructure at Worldstream

Most of their infrastructure now runs at Worldstream. ‘If you buy a hosting package from us, it will be hosted through the servers at Worldstream.
Only the name servers for DNS are distributed over four networks. Purely because I have witnessed occasions where an entire network went down.
I have backup systems abroad with a colleague, and I keep the website, support and billing separate so that I can still communicate with customers if everything were to go down.'

‘If I have any questions, I can always reach out to Worldstream. The support team is always there to assist me. At no extra cost,’ Lucas continued.
'Even in the evening hours, you get a response within five minutes and issues are resolved swiftly.'
That's because Worldstream's support engineers are onsite 24/7/365.

'Worldstream's security is also up to scratch,' continues Lucas, 'they offer multiple feeds and standard DDoS protection.
Electric fences and turnstiles equipped with biometric scanners provide an extra layer of physical security.'

Besides hardware, server configuration also essential

Having the hardware in order is essential for performance-based hosting. But that's not all. For optimum stability and speed, you need more.
Lucas explains: ‘You can have the latest generation of hardware, but if your configuration or your IT stack isn't efficient, it won't deliver. Network quality also matters.
So it was important for us to have a European host. European locations are often well connected to each other, and to the rest of the world.’
This is mainly due to the presence of internet hubs such as  AMS-IX, DE-CIX and LINX.

Server configuration: from the end goal to the details

To properly configure your servers, Lucas says that it is essential to first map out the end goal. What can you do to speed up the loading time of your website?
Next, it is time to dive into the details. What can you improve? 'Ultimately, it's about the whole cycle, from the hardware and network to the software configuration and even the code of the website itself,' says Lucas. The solution often lies in a small detail that can only be found by understanding the bigger picture.

An in-house hosting panel ensures speed, redundancy and sustainability

PerfGrid stands out by providing customers with much needed features through their custom built hosting panel, with features that cPanel does not offer.
This allows them to offer full redundancy and even geo-redundancy, in addition to a strong focus on speed, sustainability and green energy.
‘On top of that, our Danish customers prefer to work with their own panels, and Worldstream's access to European networks makes this is perfectly possible,’ says Lucas.

PerfGrid's future: more growth!

When it comes to the future of PerfGrid, Lucas is already thinking about what's next.
'We started with half a rack at Worldstream and moved to a full rack six months later.
We want to expand by adding another rack. Hopefully, the opening of Worldstream's third data centre will make this possible!'

About PerfGrid

PerfGrid is a company with extensive experience in hosting solutions that require high performance or high traffic. Since 2011, they have been providing hosting solutions for websites large and small. PerfGrid values quality, stability and a good customer experience.