VPS & Dedicated

This week, I will be featuring several Linux/Unix commands that are very useful and important to know if you have a virtual private server or dedicated server. All of the commands can be executed from an SSH connection. If you have Mac OS X or Linux, you can use the …

Many hosts, especially VPS and dedicated server providers, charge new customers a setup fee. The charge is often waived for users who prepay for several months of service, but for those who don’t wish to go this route, what is a fair setup fee? For a shared web host, I …

When shopping for a dedicated server, you may face the decision between a dual-processor server and a dual-core server. The two terms can be confusing, and newcomers to the industry could easily confuse one for the other. A dual-core processor is one CPU with two separate parts. The operating system …

Question: What is a “man” page? Answer: Linux and other Unix-like operating systems usually have hundreds of commands that a user can execute from the command line. When running a dedicated server, there are a few that you will use regularly, but there may be instances when you need to …

In Linux, most server configuration files are located in /etc. Most of them are text files, and although it is fairly easy to edit them, Redhat-based distributions have a handy graphical ncurses program that allows the dedicated server system administrator to handle certain tasks. The program is simply called setup …

Many dedicated hosts offer server management options of their own, but what if you want to rent an unmanaged server and employ the services of a friend or other third party to manage the server? There are many server management firms out there that can do everything your host does …

Colocation is a dedicated hosting solution growing in popularity where the customer owns the server and rents space from a data center. Colocating a server is a great way to save money, but you may not have a data center nearby. So what if you have to ship your server …

The vast majority of dedicated server owners don’t have the time or experience to handle complex system administration tasks, but fully managed servers can be quite expensive. For those with a bit of computer know-how on a budget, semi-managed servers are a popular alternative. With a semi-managed server, the most …

Question: Where do I view logs on my dedicated server? Answer: Most of the logs on a Linux operating system are kept in the /var/log directory. There you will find logs for the main system, kernel, network, hardware, Apache, MySQL, and often times other third-party applications that you might happen …

Question: How do I find out what Linux programs are using my ports? Answer: Running a Linux dedicated server can be a big responsibility, so it is good to know shortcuts for some of the more sticky situations that arise. If you ever have a situation where you cannot start …