Question: One of my Linux system log files has suddenly become very large (several hundred megabytes). What should I do? Answer: The first thing to find out is what exactly is happening in the log files. To see the latest log activity for your web server error log, for example, …
July, 2010
-
1 July
Using GZIP for Faster Websites
Good webmasters and system administrators are always looking for ways to increase efficiency and create faster websites. While much of website speed depends on the speed of the server, network connection, and the design of the site, there are other software tweaks that can add some zip to your site. …
June, 2010
-
30 June
Apache HTTP Server Optimization: Part 3
StartServers You have already configured Apache to control the number of child processes to keep running. This directive will tell Apache how many to start initially when your server first boots. Depending on the level of traffic you expect to get, this number may be low or high. For general …
-
28 June
Apache HTTP Server Optimization: Part 1
When running your own dedicated server or even a VPS (virtual private server), it is important make sure your server is running at optimal performance. Apache, the web server of choice for many Linux system administrators, will not automatically make itself stable, secure, and fast. You must do that, and …
-
23 June
Using netstat to monitor a server
It is important to always keep a watchful eye on your dedicated server. Monitoring tools may be external, available through service providers, or internal, already included in your Linux distribution. One important internal monitoring tool is netstat. Netstat can provide you with useful information about the ports that system services …
-
23 June
AMD toots its cloud computing horn
In a company blog post published Monday, AMD discusses the growth of cloud computing and explains how its products meet the new needs of the technology. Besides tooting its horn about its processors, the company hit the nail on the head when it comes to the cloud’s server requirements: The …
April, 2010
-
16 April
Understand absolute and relative paths
When dealing with a web server, it is important to understand the relationships of one file to another, those files to the server, and those files to the Web. When creating hyperlinks or configuring various website options, particularly PHP or Perl scripts, you will need to know both absolute paths …
-
8 April
Change a URL with mod_rewrite
Question: My current website URL looks like http://mydomain.com/index.php?page=creative. How can I remove the index.php and question mark to make it look more like a regular page address? Answer: If your web server is Apache, you should be able to do this with mod_rewrite. If you have a shared hosting account, …
-
2 April
Offering web-based email on your web server
These days, many email users rely on free services such as GMail or Yahoo! Mail for their messaging needs, but these services lack the customization that some business customers may want (i.e. myname@mydomain.com). For that, they have two options: setup cloud services with Google or another service provider, or use …
March, 2010
-
23 March
Quad-Core vs Dual-Core servers
Many web hosts are proudly offering servers with single quad-core processors or with two dual-core processors. While they certainly sound impressive, are there actual benefits? Does a quad-core system deliver better results than a dual-core of the same processing speed? The truth is that it depends on what the server’s …