How to Optimize VPS Deployments on Dedicated Servers and Cloud
Worldstream does not provide virtual private servers itself, but we do provide the dedicated server, cloud and accompanying IaaS resources to develop and deliver VPS environments to end customers. Managed service providers (MSPs) frequently use our infrastructure services to offer robust VPSs to their customers. In this article, our engineers give some guidance on how to further increase the performance and efficiency of VPSs
This article is intended to give both MSPs and end customers insights into opportunities to optimize the performance and efficiency of VPS infastructure. Our engineers do not deal with VPS setup themselves. We leave that to Worldstream managed service partners, while we ourselves focus on the IaaS part. However, our engineers have thorough knowledge of Internet infrastructure in general and are happy to share this knowledge and experience. VPSs can be deployed on our dedicated servers as well as our cloud offerings including private cloud and Worldstream’s public cloud offering, WS Cloud.
Keep VPSs Up to Date - As with dedicated servers, keeping up with software updates is essential for optimal performance of a VPS. Consider operating system and business application updates and security patches. Automating these updates can increase efficiency and reduce the risk of human error. In addition, routinely checking and updating the security settings of VPSs can help prevent possible vulnerabilities and unauthorized access.
Optimize the Server Database - Optimizing the database for a virtual private server can be crucial to the overall performance of a VPS hosting solution, as it directly affects the speed of (web) applications installed on the VPS. With optimization, server database settings can be adjusted according to the unique demand of the VPS and available resources. The size of the query cache and memory allocation can be adjusted so that the database is able to process querys faster and optimize application perfomance on the VPS. While cleaning up the data in the database is beneficial for performance anyway, in addition, creating indexes can also be an important way to optimize the server database for the purpose of VPSs. It enables the database to find and retrieve the required data much faster than if entire tables had to be scanned, significantly speeding up data transport within the VPS hosting solution.
Use Content Caching - Through the use of content caching, data that is accessed frequently is temporarily stored on servers located near (web) application users anywhere in the world. This may not only improve the effectiveness of the virtual private server hosting solution, but also allow (web) application users to retrieve data faster. With a VPS, a number of different caching options can be configured, including server-side caching, client-side or browser caching, and Alternative PHP Cache (APC). The individual requirements and workloads of a VPS hosting solution will determine the fitting content caching solution.
Use a Content Delivery Network - A CDN can make a significant contribution to improving the performance of a VPS. Through a CDN, frequently used data is brought closer to the (web) application user on servers nearby so that data transport does not have to be done constantly over long distances. It reduces the load on the server while speeding up data transport for installed (web) applications open VPS. The use of a CDN solution can ensure that the network latency and thus the loading times of (web) applications can be reduced.
Use Load Balancing - Load balancing is capable of improving the performance of VPS hosting solution by distributing (web) application traffic across multiple servers. Thereby, load balancing ensures that no single server can cause a bottleneck due to a possible server overload. Thanks to efficient data storage and transport for the VPS, load balancing is capable of reducing network latency and preventing server overload, leading to faster (web) application response times and a more efficient use of resources. In addition, load balancing can increase VPS reliability by redirecting traffic from failed servers to operational servers, minimizing downtime and keeping IT applications continuously available. In short, load balancing helps optimize the distribution of server resources, improving VPS performance and enhancing the VPS user experience.
Use a Reverse Proxy - A reverse proxy can significantly improve the performance of a VPS by taking over several tasks. It supports the processing of SSL termination, relieving the VPS of encryption and decryption processes while resulting in faster processing times. In addition, a reverse proxy is capable of performing caching tasks, delivering frequently requested content faster and reducing the load on the VPS hosting solution. Furthermore, with a reversed proxy, compression may help reduce the data volume sent over the network, ressulting in reduced (web) application load times.
Tweak Apache and NGINX configurations - Optimizing Apache and NGINX configurations can help a VPS hosting solution run more effectively. For Apache, changes to the ‘MaxKeepAliveRequests’ and ‘KeepAlive timeout’ values will enhance speed for heavy (web) applications. Optimizing ‘worker_processes’ and ‘worker_connections’ will enable NGINX to more effectively manage the server resources. In addition, both Apache and NGINX compression will add to lowering load times and network bandwidth usage. While boosting the general speed and scalability of a VPS, these tweaks may help lower the server load while boosting VPS performance and the (web) applications deployed on it.
Optimize (Web) Application Code - Finally, code optimization for (web) applications running on a VPS can help minimize the HTML, JavaScript and CSS code being used, benefiting the load time of applications on a VPS. Minimization of used code means that unnecessary characters and white space are removed, thus reducing the file size and optimizing the load time of an (web) application on a VPS.
Deploy VPSs on Dedicated Servers or Cloud
VPS hosting solutions can be deployed on Worldstream’s dedicated servers as well as the cloud offerings provided by us, including Worldstream’s private cloud solution and our public cloud offering, WS Cloud. In case of VPS deployment and/or support questions by MSPs and/or end clients, our engineering teams are more than happy to assist and think along with desired virtual private server solutions.
Worldstream offers dedicated servers in two varieties: fully customizable servers and fixed instant delivery server setups. We currently have more than 15,000 dedicated servers installed for our clients in Worldstream’s data centers. These dedicated servers are backed by Worldstream’s proprietary global network. Every dedicated server includes 40 Gbit/s anti-DDoS, which is also upgradeable. Due to the maximum bandwidth consumption of only 45% on Worldstream's netwerk, server users have optimal scalability and DDoS defense guarantees.
This is the last section of a three-part article about dedicated servers versus VPS.
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