Vitualization is a process that allows one operating system (the host) to run a full version of another operating system (the guest) within itself. Unlike emulation, where the host must also simulate the hardware, virtualization allows the guest to interface directly with the system’s hardware. As such, virtualization requires both the host and guest [...]
On a Linux dedicated server, the kernel is the single most important component of the operating system. It controls the OS’s interaction with hardware and handles all primary functions. If something is going wrong with your server at the OS level, the kernel is one place you should investigate.
The command dmesg is a [...]
Linux dedicated servers store logs in plain text files, often kept in the /var/log directory. The web server, for example, has a single file for the log, and as events are logged, they are appended to the end of the file, usually indicating the date and time of the event.
Over time, a log file [...]
Content Delivery Networks disperse content from a website over strategic global locations, allowing users to access content more quickly, while also reducing bandwidth costs and server loads. One form of CDN uses peer-to-peer (P2P) technology to achieve this goal.
Most people are familiar with peer-to-peer as it relates to illegal file sharing. [...]
On occasion you might have come across a website that had pages with the “.jsp” extension. JSP stands for JavaServer Pages, which is a technology created by Sun Microsystems (Now Oracle) that uses a Java server to implement a server-side scripting environment. This allows a website developer to create dynamic web applications, similar [...]
For most of my posts that cover the installation of software on dedicated servers, I have focused on Linux package managers like YUM and APT. Many servers, however, run variations of BSD (FreeBSD, NetBSD, OpenBSD, etc.). Therefore, it would be shortsighted to ignore Ports Collection, which is FreeBSD’s answer to software [...]
CGI, Common Gateway Interface, is a language-independent standard that determines how web servers can generate web pages. It is commonly used for dynamic websites and can be employed using numerous scripting languages.
FastCGI, as explained by the project’s website, is CGI with a only a few extensions. It is being promoted as an open [...]
There are a plethora of virtualization software tools on the market. Some are quite affordable, even free, while others are very expensive, enterprise-level software solutions. To decide which one you need, you should first ask yourself why you need virtualization.
If you are using virtualization for testing, you probably do not need buy an [...]
If you run your own dedicated server, you might also have clients or hosting customers who purchase services from you. If you host websites, you probably do not spend a great deal of time visiting each client’s site, but you may have some form of monitoring in place. This raises many questions. [...]
Content Delivery Networks (CDN) allow dedicated server administrators to offset some of the load from their servers, using strategically distributed servers hosted by a CDN service. Although the most basic goal is to reduce load on the server, it can also be used proactively to increase overall access speed, increased fluidity of dynamic websites, [...]
On dedicated servers running Linux or Unix-like operating systems, the default user account has limited permissions. This is a security measure that prevents an average user from wreaking havoc on an otherwise properly functioning server.
In order to perform administrative tasks, a user needs to login as root. On most servers, it is common [...]
For a small server that does not reach anywhere near its bandwidth or hardware limits, load balancing may not be relevant. For a powerhouse server, however, that receives a near maximum amount of monthly traffic, problems with high CPU and RAM load may be a serious issue. Putting too much load on a [...]
Manchester, United Kingdom – Customer focused dedicated hosting and shared hosting provider 34SP.com has announced a special promotion for the month of September. The U.K. based hosting company is currently offering a ”Back to School” promotion to reward both students and businesses during this month. 34SP.com was originally founded a decade ago by [...]
MySQL administration from the command line is an excellent skill to know, just in case you need it, but sometimes, graphical interfaces are easier and faster. Web-based configuration is also important if your dedicated server hosts websites for other users. You might not want them poking around in MySQL via SSH. In [...]
For those of you who are accustomed to using the graphical user interfaces (GUI) of desktop operating systems like Microsoft Windows and Mac OS X, you may find the Linux command line to be daunting. Nevertheless, it is a powerful tool that is a must when running a dedicated server.
Even a beginner to Linux [...]
Piping may draw up all sorts of images in your head that have nothing to do with dedicated servers or Linux, but the use of the pipe on a server is a great way to make your single-line commands more effective.
The pipe is actually the symbol “|”, which is right above the Enter key on [...]
A content delivery network (CDN) is a service provided primarily to website owners who publish large amounts of media. The CDN acts as a distributor, hosting clones of content for the website, taking a large amount of the load off of the site’s own server and distributing it over diverse geographical locations. Rather than [...]
A dedicated server running Linux has an arsenal of file examination tools. Should you ever need to find out more information about a file or set of files, there are several commands that can help.
File – This simple command will give you more information about a file and help you determine what type of [...]
Backing up unique data is extremely important. Many dedicated server server operating systems even come with built-in backup tools and functionality. For a local server, the simple solution is to have a backup device or even an entirely separate server used for backup.
When your server is hosted remotely, however, a reliable backup depends [...]
Nearly all modern servers come with multiple CPUs or at least a CPU with more than one core. Operating systems see more than one CPU, and the advantage is that you can dedicate a CPU to a particular process, freeing up the other CPUs for less intense work. Done correctly, it will make [...]
According to spamhelp.org, an open relay is “a mail server that does not verify that it is authorised to send mail from the email address that a user is trying to send from. Therefore, users would be able to send email originating from any third-party email address they want.”
Using an open relay, someone could [...]
As a dedicated server administrator, one of the most important services you can offer to your clients, customers, and users is support. Whether the support is for web hosting, server management, or even one-time services, you need to offer a solution that is convenient and easy to use.
In a previous post, we [...]
