Running your own server can seem like a duanting task. Many webmasters find themselves crunched for time as it is with design and maintenance issues. This article will cover the basics of obtaining and maintaining your own server.
Your first thoughts should revolve around the needs and wants of getting your own server. You may find yourself in a situation where you need one. (Due to traffic etc.)
You may also want your own server for the following reasons :
Either way, this article is aimed at making the process transparent to you - the webmaster that wants or needs to run a server. There are unlimited configurations available when you set up your server. In general, the steps in this tutorial apply to all configuration variations, as it is intended to be a general guide.
The Operating System of any server is probably the most important decision you will have to make. You may be limited in choice due to the scripting language your sites run in.
This simply means if you program only in ASP, the best and first choice should be a Windows based server. This is not to say that ports do not exist to run ASP on other servers, but why add a layer of complication to your hosting configuration?
If you like *nix variations, the most popular platforms for hosting are by far :
From a server maintenance perspective, you are going to have to 'up your game' a notch - and learn to become proficient with the basics of the OS you choose. Each has it's advantages, and reading up on your choices is the best thing you can do.
At a minimum, you'll need to become aquainted with command line usage, a text editor such as VI or PICO (used at the command line), and an SSH client. (We use the freely available and reliable PUTTY)
You've decided on an OS, and have become familiar with the command line. What next?
With the amazing amount of configurations available today, it can be hard to decide which features to include with your server. Let's look at the three basics :
The Amount of RAM
Your operating system needs RAM to manage the server load. My basic rule, and the most common agreement among server techs is - "the more RAM, the better". And that is true. RAM prices are so cheap today, that it really is not beneficial to run a server with less than 512M. Over time your server operating system will use and manage as much RAM as it can (or is allowed - but we'll save that for another discussion).
CPU
The Central Processing Unit in general - does all the math. Again - with hosting prices so cheap, it's easy to set a baseline of at least 1.8Ghz in speed.
Why?
More often times than not - when you lease a server, it's a desktop machine, with minimal optimization adjustments to 'tell it' to act like a server. If you lease a bottom line unit with a bottome line CPU, you get what you pay for - a desktop computer with no processing power. Spend the extra few dollars to have the optimized 'desktop server' with increased processing speed, and you'll often get all the benefits of newer technologies.
Network and Bandwidth
Having a super heated machine won't mean anything if your hosting provider does not have a good network of backbone providers. Without making this portion of the article confusing, you'll simply want to ensure that your host choice is not too far down the stream food chain. The closer they are to a major connection to the internet backbone, and the quality of their connection to those peers, the better off you will be.
Bandwidth is the amount of data transfer you will be allocated with your server. Most providers calculate bandwith as the amount of data to and from your server. Check with your potential provider for full details. As with RAM, the more bandwith you can get, the better. It is so inexpensive as of late, that it's important you don't undercut yourself on a package. Doing so will actually cost you more in the long run because hosting companies charge a premium for overages. Rule of thumb - look for no less than 300G month if you are just starting out. It's alot - and you'll be glad you did.
Next Week : Getting your own server Part II