VPS FAQ's

A Virtual Private Server (VPS) is a cost-effective solution that offers incredible flexibility, scalability and security when compared to other server solutions.

Take a look at the VPS FAQs below. If you don't find your question answered here, please let us know.

General

  • What is a VPS?

    Virtual Private Server technology enables one physical server to house several Virtual Environments which behave exactly like isolated stand-alone servers. The physical server is also known as a node.

  • What can I do on my VPS?

    You can install any applications that you wish to, configure web sites or use the server for whatever purpose you may need. With VPS technology, you can give server access to team members who need to have it.


  • What kinds of sites can I host on my VPS?

    Any site that is in compliance with the law. Please read our Terms Of Service for more information.

  • Do you offer a control panel?

    Yes. You may install any control panel system that works with CentOS 4.6 or CentOS 5.2. As a DirectAdmin Partner we are able to provide you with discounted DirectAdmin license for your VPS. Please review our VPS plans overview and additional options.

  • Is my VPS secure and protected?

    Yes. Our infrastructure is secured from virtual and physical attacks. We have an advanced firewall configuration, threat protection from Denial of Service (DDOS) attacks and other intrusion attempts. Managed customers are monitored at the operating system level, monitoring log files and any unusual activity on the server. Our network and server node configuration secure each VPS from other network traffic. Physical access to our data centers is by two forms of authentication. Each cabinet is secured by combination lock. Video monitoring is performed by the data center.


  • Will other users be able to crash the server?

    No. We use advanced virtualization technology to isolate one VPS from another. Anything that occurs on one VPS cannot affect the other VPSes on the server, ensuring that your web site will not be affected by what other people do and will have maximum uptime.

  • What VPS technology are you using?

    Our VPS technology is based upon Xen. We performed exhaustive research and testing of the other VPS technologies (Virtuozzo, VMWare, qemu) and determined that Xen offers the best balance of performance, reliability, flexibility and security.

  • How is Xen different than Virtuozzo?

    Virtuozzo virtualizes at the application level, while Xen modifies the operating system kernel to run as a VPS. Xen allows for much more flexibility including:

    • Memory cannot be oversold. The amount of memory on the hardware must equal the amount of memory divided for all VPSes on the node.
    • Each VPS can have their own kernel and kernel customations.
    • Each VPS run a different kernel version (ie. one kernel can run 2.4 while another can run 2.6)
    • Xen also supports hardware assisted virtualization, which allows to run unmodified operating systems like Microsoft Windows as a VPS instance.

  • What is the hardware specification for a VPS node?

    The typical specification is as follows:

    • 2 Intel Xeon 2.33GHz Clovertown Processors (8 CPU cores per node)
    • Minimum 16 GB ECC registered RAM
    • 8 x 250GB SATA2 hard drives with a total of 1TB node capacity
    • Hardware RAID 10 - battery backup with read/write caching
    • Redundant Power - 2 Hot Swap power supplies on separate circuit breakers

  • What operating systems do you offer?

    We currently offer:

    • CentOS 4.6 (Red Hat Enterprise 4.6)
    • CentOS 5.2 (Red Hat Enterprise 5.2)

    If you have a request for a specific operating system, please contact us.

  • What is the difference between shared hosting and VPS hosting?

    With shared hosting, each customer is in a community sandbox. If one customer gets hacked or sucks up too much of the server's resources (i.e. CPU cycles), it can affect your quality of service (QOS).

    Our VPSes are designed to behave similar to a dedicated server. It is very secure, and in almost all cases, another VPS cannot affect other VPSes on the node.

  • When should a dedicated server be used instead of a VPS?

    A VPS is a very flexible and cost-effective solution, but it does not replace a dedicated server in every circumstance. We recommend using a dedicated server in the following instances:

    • Heavy disk IO (i.e. SQL database)
    • Heavy CPU processing (i.e. a PHP based web site that receives a large amount of visitors)

    If you begin with a VPS, you can easily scale up to a dedicated server with little effort. We offer both VPSes and dedicated servers for complex web sites. If you're unsure if a VPS is right for you, please contact us and we will help you to make the right decision.

  • Do you host DNS or register domains?

    Yes. We have a robust and distributed DNS system available free of charge with our managed VPSes. We can also register your domain names for a nominal fee.

  • How long does it take to set up my VPS?

    We manually verify every order to prevent fraud, however we guarantee you will wait no more than 24 hours. Once a customer, additional VPSes take no more than a few hours.

Application Support

  • Do you support Ruby on Rails?

    Yes. Our VPSes can be configured as Rails development stacks, database servers and web servers. In addition, Apache, Lighttpd and Mongrel are all available as pre-installed appliances.

  • What programming languages do you support?

    Python, PHP, Ruby, Java, Perl, C and C++. We are experts in open source application development. We have many years of experience working with these languages and know how to make them run efficiently. Contact us for pre-installed VPS solutions.

Managed VPS

  • What programs will come pre-installed with a Managed VPS?

    The programs pre-installed with your VPS depend on the plan that you have selected.

    If you choose to add DirectAdmin to your VPS, it will include Apache, ProFTPd, and all other common services found on DirectAdmin servers. If you do not choose to use DirectAdmin, we provide a base CentOS install. A non DirectAdmin VPS will at least have this software installed:

    • CentOS (RedHat) 4.6 or 5.2 (64 bit version)
    • OpenSSH
    • postfix
    • gcc
    • Perl
    • Python
    • Ruby

    We can also install Apache+SSL (web server), ProFTPd and many other services. We understand that every client is unique and we will work with you to meet your exact requirements.

  • What other program templates are available?

    The following can be installed into your VPS in a short few clicks:

    • Analog 5.32
    • Autoresponders 1.16.7
    • AWStats 6.0
    • FormMail 1.92
    • Front Page Extension 5.0.2
    • Guestbook Scripts 2.3.1
    • IMP WebMail 3.2.2
    • JDK 1.4.2_02
    • JRE 1.4.2_02
    • JRun4 4.0
    • Majordomo 1.94.5
    • mod_perl 1.99
    • MySQL 3.23.58
    • Open WebMail 2.21
    • Perl 5.8.0
    • PHP 4.2.2
    • PHPAdsNew 2.0
    • PHPBB 2.0.6
    • PHPMyAdmin 2.5.4
    • PostgreSQL 7.3.4
    • Python 2.2.2
    • Shoutcast 1.9.2
    • SI Webalizer 2.01
    • Spam Assassins 2.63
    • Tomcat 4.1.29
    • UW IMAP & POP3 Server 2001a-18
    • Usermin 1.051
    • Webmin 1.121
    • Web statistic analyzer
    • Zend Optimizer 2.1.0b

  • Can you reinstall my software so I can start over?

    Yes. We can preform a "virgin" installation. There is no fee for the first request and a nominal fee for additional requests.

  • Is my VPS backed up?

    Yes. Your VPS is backed up daily and off server. In addition, a full backup is stored off site. Customer requested restores are available for a small fee. We follow a 30-day backup rotation schedule.

  • Is root (super user) access available?

    Root access is available for no additional fee. With root access you will have access entire VPS. Keep in mind many applications and files are managed by us and cannot be modified. For those who do not feel comfortable with 'root' access, additional support is available.

Unmanaged VPS

Service, Support and Billing

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