web hosting

VPS Web Hosting – Do Your Really Need a Control Panel?

Control panels are certainly a vital element in today’s web hosting operation, helping to transform complex tasks into simple processes that can be handled by users of varying skill levels.  The vendors that distribute these products and the hosting industry in general have no trouble pushing the software on the market, but critics are now questioning whether control panels are truly necessary in the VPS environment and what value they actually provide.

Potential Issues

In terms of performance and security, industry leading control panels such as cPanel and Plesk are not always what they are cracked up to be.  These powerful applications consume a great deal of resources and often force customers to upgrade their packages to continuously thrive in a VPS hosting environment.  This consumption is due to HTTPD processes ran by web servers like Apache that make a VPS more susceptible to performance issues and less able to handle exploits such as DOS (Denial of Service) attacks.  Though very useful, cPanel and Plesk are both resource hogs that are more likely to reduce the overall responsiveness and performance of web applications, leading customers to upgrade to more costly packages they do not necessarily need.  In addition to this, even simple tasks such as creating email account and managing databases are slow and lagging processes that generally take too long to complete.

Alternative VPS Control Panels

cPanel and Plesk are ideal for shared and dedicated hosting arrangements but could result in more problems then you bargained for when using them with a virtual private server.  Two more efficient control panels you may want to consider for your VPS hosting solution are DirectAdmin and LxAdmin as both are incredibly lightweight and consume notably less system resources than cPanel and Plesk.  This essentially means they are far more responsive, faster and likely to give you a better performance than the leading products.  A number of tests are increasingly showing that they are also more stable and secure than the competition.

Many observers are stepping out to the make the claim that cPanel’s days as a VPS control panel are numbered, attributing this to the fact that is the most resource leeching solution.  Due to its mass popularity and widespread use, it is also among the highly targeted by hackers, which presents numerous potential security risks to your hosting environment and sensitive data.  For this reason, you may want to carefully consider utilizing this control panel with your virtual private server.  Unless you have a robust VPS plan with a lot of RAM or absolutely require automation, it might be worth the risk to install a glamorous commercial product.

Conclusion

We are not telling you to refrain from using cPanel or Plesk as both are on top of the control panel market for obvious reasons.  However, in many situations, going with a lighter product or performing command line administration will allow you to get the job done in a faster, more efficient and secure manner.  Fortunately, there are several control panel applications specifically designed for the VPS environment, better assuring the optimal performance and adequate security you need to thrive with your web presence.

The Pros and Cons of Windows VPS Hosting

Short for virtual private server, VPS represents an increasingly popular type of web hosting that is established by partitioning a single physical server into multiple virtual servers.  Each server has its own private environment and is capable of running independently from its counterparts.  A VPS has its own fully developed operating system and can also be rebooted independent of the other virtual servers on the machine.  A VPS offers much greater performance than a shared server and while it still lacks in comparison to a dedicated server, it does share many of the same qualities.  A virtual private server provides you with a great deal of freedom and has garnered the reputation of being notably more affordable than a single physical server.

Microsoft’s Contribution

VPS hosting in enabled by a certain type of software that has the ability to control the multiple servers.  With the introduction of Windows Server 2008 and Hyper-V, hosting providers have access to a more secure and reliable platform to deliver VPS solutions.  Windows VPS hosting received its big start with Windows Virtual Server 2007,  a platform that while serviceable, could not complete with offerings on the market by vendors such as VMWare.  Thanks to Microsoft’s recent innovations, Windows VPS hosting customers are now ensured a dramatically improved performance that can be enhanced through integration with VMWare and other virtualization software packages.

The Advantages of Windows VPS

A Windows VPS platform offers an environment most administrators and developers really appreciate.  The familiar Windows desktop interface makes setting up an account a seamless and easy process.  Because of this, most users can easily adapt to and thrive in this environment.  A Windows VPS server is ideal for individuals and businesses that have a need to run high-traffic websites, complex web applications, or custom services that simply aren’t recommended for a shared server.   With the array of new security features implemented into the Windows Server 2008 operating system, the Windows platform has become one of the most secure VPS hosting solutions available.

The Disadvantages of Windows VPS

There is one major drawback to a Windows VPS and that is the significant amount of resources it demands from the server.  The good thing is that this problem can addressed by running the Windows 2008 Core installation.  This gives you a scaled down version of the platform with select features and services.  If you have a need to run a large number of applications, you might be better suited for a dedicated server as it will give you the best possible performance.

When comparing it to the open-source Linux operating system, another knock on Windows VPS hosting could be the cost factor.  Linux and its core components are released under a license that allows them to be freely distributed and this is often reflected in the cost of service.  Windows on the other hand, comes attached with costly licenses that can send the price soaring.

Minor drawbacks aside, Windows is an excellent choice for running a virtual private server. With the backing of reliable hardware, the superb performance, flexibility and security it offers makes it a VPS solution you definitely want to consider.

Move Over cPanel: Make Room for Kloxo

Formerly known as Lxadmin, Kloxo is a control panel that usually accompanies CentOS Linux-based VPS hosting packages.  Offering a comprehensive web-based interface, the software enables various administrative tasks including database administration, domain and sub-domain management, email and file management, resource distribution and more.  While more robust VPS control panels like HyperVM are mainly used for general management tasks such as maintaining server resources and power control, Klox is designed for everyday administration, making it a tool you will certainly want to become familiar with.  However, because the two applications are so tightly integrated, all of Kloxo’s functions be accessed directly from the HyperVM control panel.

Kloxo Benefits

Kloxo built a reputation as a control panel that consumes very few system resources.  Lxlabs, its developers, claim that it is the lightest application on the global control panel market as the software only requires 15 MB of memory to run.  Since the program only requires minimal resources, hosting customers can get unrivaled speed and performance out of their VPS solution.  Aside from being extremely lightweight and highly functional, Kloxo also offers a 5-tier security model and many advanced, yet user-friendly features.

Kloxo Key Features

The main features of the Kloxo control panel can be broken down into five categories: General Account Management, Server Tools, Email Management, Security and System Services.

General Account Management

Domain and Sub-domain Control

DNS Template Management

Web-based File Manager

SSL Certificate Installation and Management

Resource Plan Management

Data Backup and Restoration

SSH (Secure Shell Host) Access

Device Driver Configuration

Resource Monitoring

Reboot and Power-off Control

Server Tools

MySQL and Postgre SQL database administration

Ability to Add and Delete Dedicated IP Addresses

FTP Session Management

PHP, modPHP and suPHP Configuration

phpMyAdmin Access

Web Server and DNS Applications

Email Management

Ability to Create and Delete Email Accounts

Web-based Mail Interface

Email Queue Access

Multiple Spam Filtering Applications

Security

SSH Configuration

Ability to block and delete local hosts

Watchdog application to FTP, mail and web servers

Brute Force Attack Monitoring Provided by LxGuard

System Services

Server Process Status Menu

Server Service Status Menu

Server Components Status Menu

HTTP, Mail and MySQL Logs

Cron job and Task Scheduler

InstallApp

One of the most popular features of Kloxo is a built-in model known as InstallApp.  This utility is quite similar to the Fantastico application that comes bundled with cPanel.  The major difference is that InstallApp offer more than 130 add-on programs.  Some of the software on the menu include blogs, forums, ports, customer relations applications and much more.  InstallApp allows these programs to be created with ease as it automatically creates a database and configuration for the chosen application.

Hosting with Kluxo

You can enjoy Kloxo and all it has to offer with virtually any VPS hosting provider utilizing the HyperVM control panel.  Virtualization has its complexities but Kloxo should be easy to use for anyone that is familiar with cPanel.  Most VPS administrators appreciate the panel’s many Linux friendly features while end-users find comfort in its user-friendly design.

Efficient VPS Management with HyperVM

It is often said that a VPS (virtual private server) is the perfect compromise between a shared and dedicated server.  However, what many don’t understand is the technical challenges involved with maintaining a virtualized platform.  While this type of environment isn’t recommended for the rookie webmaster, it can be greatly simplified with the aid of powerful control panel software.  There are many control panels designed to run with a VPS but the one we will discuss in this article is a program known as HyperVM.

What is HyperVM?

HyperVM is a software product that enables the easy provision and management of VPS platforms based on OpenVZ and Xen virtualization technology.  Because the package is tightly integrated with the Kloxo hosting control panel, it essentially gives web hosts the power to deploy a fully functional web hosting system right out of the box.  HyperVM performs with the utmost efficiency in the virtualization environment, allowing VPS end-users to maintain their operations transparently across multiple servers.  The software includes a mechanism that has the ability to manage networking configurations such as gateways and IP addresses independent of the control panel and also offers an IP address pool to support larger scale administration.

Advanced Virtualization Technology

HyperVM is a multi-tiered, multi-server, multi-virtualization program.  Here are additional details on the relevance of each key component.

Multi-Tiered - Multi-tiered describes the application’s ability to run partially on one server while other parts of it run on another or multiple servers.  This technology serves as added protection just in case on of the virtual servers happens to crash.  If something of this nature does occur, HyperVM’s multi-tiered structure ensures that your data can still be accessed from the other available servers.

Multi-Server – By acting as a multi-server platform, HyperVM allows hosting providers to move customer accounts from one server to another.  By doing so, they can prevent overcrowding and better assure that customers enjoy an optimal performance.

Multi-Virtualization – The implementation of multi-virtualization technology enables VPS hosting providers to offer different forms of virtualization technology to their customers all from a single control panel.  HyperVM currently supports OpenVZ and Zen but compatibility with other virtualization platforms are said to be in the works.

HyperVM Control Panel Features

The HyperVM VPS control panel delivers a wealth of features that customers can use to effectively maintain their accounts.  Listed below are just some of the features that have made it one of the premier control panels on the VPS hosting market:

Comprehensive Administrative Tools – HyperV comes included with Kloxo, a website configuration and comprehensive interface that allows you to manage and update your site with ease.  This tool offers many of the same capabilities as control panels like cPanel and Plesk.

Centralized Console – With HyperVM, you can manage all the vital aspects of your hosting account from a single location.

Complete Management Authority – HyperVM defines what a VPS solution is all about, providing you with extreme control from configurations and rebooting to reloading and monitoring.

The HyperVM control panel gets the job done in the virtualized hosting environment.  If you have been considering VPS lately, this is one tool you may want to look out for.

34SP Recognized by Netcraft

Leading web hosting provider 34SP, recently added another notch to its belt by debuting in Netcraft’s Top 50 Most Reliable Hosting Provider’s Network Performance list.  The induction is attributed to the provider’s commitment to ensuring that its customers enjoy the best performance possible.

Netcraft is well known throughout the web hosting industry for measuring and publishing the response times of the top 50 leading hosting company’s servers.  The firm’s measurements are made at 15 minute intervals from individual points around the web while the averages are calculated immediately over the following 24-hour period.  According to the data compiled by Netcraft, 34SP is currently ranked as 25^th amongst the world’s top 50 web hosting providers.

Stuart Melling, 34SP cofounder, stressed the importance of upholding server uptime for their customers in a recent interview.  Melling states that 34SP was founded on the core values of high availability and reliability, qualities that enable every individual, developer and small business owner to get the most out of their hosting solution at a reasonable price.  34SP has been able to thrive in the industry by utilizing the best server hardware and software technologies coupled with an expert support staff that works tirelessly to make the customers happy.   Now recognized on a global scale by Netcraft for its network reliability, it is clear to see that these investments have paid off.

According to a recent statement, 34SP dramatically enhanced the reliability and overall performance of its network and hosting services by investing in an extensive infrastructure upgrade.  This upgrade was powered by the substantial increase in sales for the provider’s hosting solutions, an impressive lineup that features personal hosting, business hosting, VPS hosting, dedicated servers, reseller hosting and add-on products that range from SSL certificates to additional scripting technologies.  34PS has also made significant improvements to its customer service and technical support system.  Investments have been recently made toward hiring additional support staff members, upgrading local office and data center hardware, and expanding the customer support operations within the 34SP global headquarters.

The reasoning behind the additional support investments came as the result of an active client survey 34SP conducted early 2009.  This survey involved a large number of approximately 15,000 34SP hosting clients with personal, business, VPS and dedicated server accounts.  The provider revealed some intriguing statistics from the survey regarding its referral rates.  When presented with the question of whether or not they would recommend 34SP’s hosting services, 98% of the clients involved responded with a definite “Yes”.  The host points to this finding as confirmation of the positive impact its reliability and quality customer support has on referral rates.

About 34SP

Based in Manchester England, 34SP is an award winning web hosting provider that specializes in solutions designed for individuals, web designers, seasoned developers and small to medium sized businesses.  The company puts an emphasis on delivering industry leading reliability, personalized support and world-class service.  34SP compliments these qualities with generous incentives and a money back guarantee to assure customer satisfaction.