It has gained market dominance by offering users the most flexible environment to run a server. As such, it has become the go-to web server software that nearly every web hosting company offers.

Today, we will be discussing what exactly Apache is and what does it actually does.

What Is Apache?

Apache is a web server software that is responsible for accepting HTTP requests from visitors and sending them back the requested information in the form of web pages.

Or in simpler terms, it allows visitors to view content on your website.

Another way to look at it is that Apache is responsible for ensuring that the server your website is stored on can communicate with the device a visitor is using. It’s what connects the visitor hardware to your own.

Without web server software, your website will not work and it directly impacts the performance of your website.

What Is A Web Server?

Before I can explain how Apache actually works, it’s important to define what a web server is as it is an integral part of the process.

When most people think of a web server they imagine a physical system that houses all of the data your website uses. And this is completely accurate, when you sign up for a web hosting plan, you are actually renting one of these servers.

However, this is where is it gets tricky.

Generally speaking, Apache is the software that the webserver is running on, but when you look around the internet, a lot of people use the terms interchangeably.

Without Apache or another software, you can’t really call a web server a web server, it won’t work. It’s just hardware with no software running.

This is why Apache is often referred to as the Apache Web Server.

So when most people refer to a web server, they are referring to the software behind it.

How Does Apache Work?

Apache is the software running on the web server. The first step is for it to establish a connection between the server and web browsers. This allows users from those web browsers to send requests to the server, and Apache is responsible for handling this.

So for example, if a visitor clicks on your homepage from Google, their web browser is sending a request to that server to display the information. Apache accepts this request and then sends the necessary data from the server to the browser.

The end result is that the visitor gets to see the content on that web page.

This is just the basics of it. Apache has a host of features to take advantage of that come in the form of modules. These include key features like security and caching.

This is what gives the platform so much flexibility; it can be altered to fit into just about any web development environment.

Advantages of Apache

Flexibility

The internet is a huge place full of millions of websites that all have unique needs.

Apache can be used by so many websites because it provides a flexible closing environment that allows it to operate as needed. In truth, two Apache web servers could be very different from one another, and that’s necessary for websites to be unique.

Easy to Setup

For the most part, new websites are typically made by individuals with no web design experience.

As a result, the industry has gravitated into easier web development platforms that use as little code as possible, like WordPress. Apache is the perfect web server software for beginners. It’s easy to install and works out of the box for most CMS.

Huge Userbase

There is power in numbers, and when a community gets large, so do the helpful resources.

Apache is the most widely used web server software available, and as such, it has the most support available. Beginners can easily find answers to the questions they are looking for.

Many take this for granted, but trust me, if you use another web server, finding answers is much harder.

Disadvantages of Apache

Customization Can Lead to Security Vulnerability

While Flexibility is one of the biggest advantages of the software, there’s no denying that it is a double-edged sword.

Customizing various aspects of Apache gives you greater control over everything, but it can also open up security vulnerabilities. These modifications can create an open door for hackers to exploit.

More experienced web developers can avoid this, but the fact remains, it can be dangerous.

Apache Modules Are Hard to Recognize

There are a lot of modules that add specific features to your web server. Many are quite useful.

However, some of the features may be unnecessary or serve no purpose. It really depends on the website. In those cases, it can be troublesome to recognize which modules are necessary and which are not without being knowledgeable about the software.

Updates

This really depends on the individual, but the number of updates Apache may roll out can be…a lot.

In the grand scheme of things, this shouldn’t impact anything you do, but many people don’t like to update often. However, in the case of Apache, it’s really important. The updates often close security vulnerabilities that are found.

Not staying up-to-date can make your website vulnerable to hackers.

FAQ

Does Apache Work With WordPress?

Yes, and right out of the box.

Most web hosting companies will default to Apache as the main web server software. Some may offer additional options, but due to the ease of use, popularity, and resources available, most WordPress sites stick with Apache.

It’s also worth noting that a lot of WordPress plugins are built with the assumption you are using Apache. These plugins will make that clear, but it’s something to be aware of.

Otherwise, those plugins could fail.

How Does Apache Perform Under High Traffic?

It’s no secret that when a website gets a lot of traffic, it starts to slow down, and the web server software is typically to blame.

In the case of Apache, every time a request is made, the software generates a new process to handle that new connection. This isn’t an issue for smaller websites, but when a lot of traffic occurs at the same time, you could generate hundreds or thousands of processes in seconds.

That’s when websites start to take a very long time to load. The good news is that there are workarounds, but they require reconfiguring Apache to handle it.

To be completely fair, just about every web server has the same problem, some just handle it differently.

If you are looking for a better alternative for a high-traffic site, Nginx gets better performance in this case.

How Do Other Web Server Softwares Compare to Apache?

Apache is not the only web server software available. You have a ton of options to consider.

In general, each web server software has its own set of advantages and disadvantages. Thus, it really depends on what kind of website you run and how much traffic you receive.

However, the market share of Apache speaks volumes.

For those interested, some of the main competitors of Apache include:

• Nginx
• Tomcat
• Microsoft IIS
• Litespeed

Each of these has its own pros and cons just like apache. Just keep in mind that web hosting companies typically default to Apache. You have to request a different web server, and that is not available on a shared hosting plan.

Is It Really Free?

It may be hard to believe that the most popular web server software is actually free, but it really is.

However, it’s not that rare. In fact, you could go as far as to say that Apache forced other web server software to become free and open source. It’s very hard to compete against a free product that performs very well.

In this regard, it’s quite similar to WordPress.

How Does Apache Make Money?

Apache is a 501(c)3 charity, not a company.

Instead, it makes its money from donations from the millions of users it has, especially bigger corporations. And this money funds the development of the Apache software and multiple other projects they produce.

For those not familiar with the US tax system, donations made to a 501(c)3 charity are tax-deductible. Essentially, companies get to donate money and write it off and in turn benefit from the software produced.

It’s a win-win situation for everyone.

What Languages Does It Support?

Apache was written in C but supports a multitude of coding languages.

These include PHP, Python, Java, HTML, and more. As a whole, this is just scratching the surface. There are multiple third-party modules you can install to gain access to more languages.

It’s a big reason the platform is so widely used.

Apache Is A Great Piece of Web Server Software

A server running on Apache is a great choice for most websites. It’s easy to use, customizable, and has a vast library of resources for users to take advantage of. As a result, it is the best option for beginners, especially in WordPress.

That said, it is always good to be aware of the other options that exist. Depending on the nature and size of your website, another option may be better.

What web server software do you use and why? Do you think Apache is a good choice for beginners?

The post What is Apache and What Does it Do for Website Development? appeared first on GreenGeeks Blog.

Both of these are known as Relational Database Management Systems (RDBMS), which tend to be the most popular type. This is due to them having better organization tools, which make them easier to use.

Today, we are going to take a look at what each one of these is, how they differ, and why it even matters.

What Is A Relational Database Management System?

Before we specifically talk about MySQL and SQLite, let’s talk about what an RDBMS actually is.

An RDBMS is a type of database that stores data in a table format, which can be used in relation to other stored data. The tables are often referred to as relations and can hold a lot of information.

Due to this structure, information is very easy to find within the database while compiling correlations to one another.

For instance, finding customers who bought a certain item who live in the state of Texas. This is a relational query within the database table sets.

As a result, RDBMS has become the most popular type of database in regard to web development. In most cases, when someone says database, they are referring to an RDBMS. These databases bring a wide array of benefits, which have made them so popular.

These include:

• Easy to Manage: Tables within the database are easy to manipulate. In other words, it’s easy to make changes or update tables. And you can grant certain users acces to certain tables. This ensures staff members only see the info they need.
• Scalability: The information a website collects and stores over time is constantly growing. And to hold all of this data, your database has to grow alongside it. That is a core strength of RDBMS. You can easily extend your database, although you may need additional hardware to do so.
• Maintenance: One of the top recommendations to increase site perfromance is to optimize your database. And when it comes to RDBMS, it’s really easy to do as most have built in tools to help optimize the perfromance and avoid duplicate data.

Overall, this type of database is the perfect solution for websites, which is why they are used today.

What Is MySQL?

MySQL is an open-source RDBMS based on Structured Query Language (SQL) that is by far the most popular database. It currently sits at a staggering market share of 44.49%, which makes it the dominant force when it comes to databases.

In most web hosting environments, MySQL is the default option. In many cases, you cannot use an alternative depending on your host. This is because MySQL requires a server to run, and it is typically preloaded into that server.

This is especially true for shared hosting environments.

This database is ideal when you have multiple users. Each user can be assigned access to a specific part of the database. This helps ensure that sensitive information is only viewable by the roles that need access to it, like customer payment details.

It supports over 25 unique data types, which makes it usable in just about any situation.

What Is SQLite?

SQLite is a software library that provides a lightweight RDBMS solution. For comparison’s sake, the SQLite library is roughly 250 KB, whereas MySQL is around 600MB. And to top it off, all of this data is stored in a single file, which makes it really easy to copy and move.

Normally, an RDBMS requires a server to operate. SQLite separates itself from the rest by not requiring an actual server. Instead of having to communicate with the server to a client/server architecture, the application is integrated into SQLite.

Or in simpler terms, you can directly read and write on files within the database. While all of this will result in a much simpler database to use, it is not as robust or versatile as other RDBMS solutions. This is part of why it only has a market share of 3.1%.

That said, it is ideal for small projects that do not require multiple users.

So What is the Difference Between SQLite and MySQL?

Now that we know what each one is and some of what it brings to the table, it’s time to specifically talk about how they differ from one another.

A great starting point is the requirements for use.

MySQL requires a server to operate, whereas SQLite does not. This makes SQLite much cheaper for smaller projects, however, due to some of the SQLite limitations, it may not be possible to do what you need.

One such limitation is that SQLite does not support multiple users very well. While it is possible to use multiple users, it is not recommended. For instance, if you have two users trying to write at the same time, the database will briefly lockdown.

This isn’t an issue in MySQL. In fact, multiple users are one of its greatest strengths. As I mentioned earlier, you can assign specific permissions to each user and multiple users can write on different files simultaneously.

This is a big reason why it is so popular.

Another shortcoming with SQLite is that it can’t handle a lot of data at once. Once you exceed that capacity, the performance of SQLite will degrade. This is why SQLite is only used for small projects and sites. In comparison, MySQL can easily scale for the user’s needs.

That said, you will need to buy more hardware to extend the database, but you will always have the option, unlike SQLite.

Ultimately, SQLite is a lightweight solution designed for small projects that will only have one user, while MySQL works for projects of all sizes and supports multiple users.

Due to these differences, MySQL has become the go-to for RDBMS solutions.

Which One Should I Use?

Well, it really depends on what you need an RDBMS for, and if you actually have a choice in the matter.

First, you need to know if your web host will support another database. In general, shared hosting environments will limit you to MySQL (or MariaDB, a MySQL fork). This is because a shared environment needs to work for everyone using it.

However, if you purchase a managed VPS account, some web hosts will install another database if you request it.

It really depends on the web host.

If the web host supports a different database, then deciding on which one to use should come down to two main factors:

1. How much traffic does the website recieve?
2. Do you need multiple users?

If your website exceeds 100 hits a day and requires multiple users, MySQL is what you want to use. If not, SQLite is a fine option. However, if you think the answers to these questions may change, MySQL is probably still the better option.

FAQ

Do All Websites Use Relational Databases?

No.

Many websites will opt for other options. Recently, NoSQL (non-tabular databases) have become more popular. They come in a variety of forms, and In many cases, websites will use relational databases in conjunction with others.

Again, it really comes down to what you need to use a database for. There are a lot of solutions that may perform better in a certain set of conditions.

What is the Difference Between SQL and MySQL?

This remains one of the most asked questions for beginners. To put it simply, SQL is a language used to communicate with databases, whereas MySQL is a database that uses the SQL language. The most confusing part is the name, but there is a good explanation.

Michael Widenius was one of the inventors of MySQL, and he named the database after his daughter, My.

Do Both SQLite and MySQL Support XML?

MySQL supports XML. You can export tables into the XML format to store them outside of the database, which can help back up important information.

On the other hand, SQLite does not support XML, at least not natively.

There are workaround tools you can use to like SQLiteToTxt. It’s more convoluted than MySQL, but the option exists if you absolutely need it.

My Web Host Has MySQL Installed, What Can I Do?

Using a different database from the default option on a web host can be tricky. Mainly because you typically need to make a request. To do so, simply contact your web host and submit the request to have them install a different database on the server.

These requests can only be made on dedicated servers or VPS. Shared hosting environments will not accommodate these requests because it affects everyone on that server.

If the web host supports another database like SQLite, they may have resources on how to use it.

Is It Worth Changing Databases?

For most standard websites, it’s not really worth the effort to switch from the default database. At least, assuming your web host is using something like MySQL or MariaDB. These databases will perform very well for every type of website.

Realistically, the only reason you would swap databases on a standard website (blog, e-commerce, etc.) is that you prefer one over the other. It’s very similar to choosing a CMS.

They all accomplish the same tasks, and you’re going to pick the one you know how to use.

Do Both of These Support Running SQL Scripts From A File?

Yes.

Running SQL scripts from a file is a great way to save time when setting up a website. Experienced web developers often have files they run when building a site from scratch.

This ensures that every database can be set up in an identical way.

More importantly, running scripts from files can save you a lot of time manually entering the information. That said, there are many instances where using files to run scripts is not recommended, so proceed with caution.

How Often Should I Backup My Database?

This really depends on the volume and frequency new data is added, but I always recommend doing it at least once a week. This will ensure that if anything does go wrong, like a hard drive failure, at most you only lost a few days.

One of the best ways to do this is to set up automatic backups. This makes it easy for you to manage and keeps your data safe. Just remember to store your backup in a different location from the original.

If the hard drive fails and you lose both the original and backup, well, it’s not pretty.

SQLite And MySQL Both Work on WordPress

Which one you use really comes down to preference and individual needs, but you can rest easy that both of these and many other databases work with WordPress. While I would recommend MySQL due to the plethora of resources available, the choice is yours.

Just remember that ultimately, the option you can use for databases is determined by your web host. If you are not satisfied with those options switching to a web host that supports what you need is a great option.

Which database do you prefer using? How big of an impact did the database a web host offers make on signing up?

The post SQLite vs MySQL: What is the Difference and Does it Matter? appeared first on GreenGeeks Blog.

However, the one-size-fits-all approach doesn’t always work when choosing your web host. Every website has its requirements when it comes to storage, performance, features, and price. Even though most businesses choose a hosting package without giving it much thought, they soon realize that it doesn’t meet their site’s requirements.

Most business owners and webmasters think twice about switching to another hosting provider for fear of downtime, hurting their rankings, and losing business.

The fact is, it’s fairly straightforward to switch web hosts quickly and easily. This post is aimed at guiding you through the process of migrating to another hosting provider.

How Can I Move My Website to a New Host?

If you are planning to migrate your site, you can either do a manual transfer or outsource the task to the new hosting provider. Let’s look at both options.

OPTION 1 – Transferring Your Site Manually

Before you begin the process, check if your new host offers free (or affordable) migration. If yes, we’d recommend you go for option 2, as it will save you a lot of effort, especially if you aren’t a tech geek.

But if you are planning to do this manually, here’s a look at the process.

Opt for a New Host

Today, we have a variety of hosting options, each providing different configurations and features. Choose the one that best suits your needs based on the cost, the required space, and server configuration.

Move Your Site’s Files

If you run a static website (no database), just download all the files and folders from your existing host and upload them to the new host. This is easy with FTP/sFTP programs like FileZilla, Cyberduck, or Core FTP Pro.

For a dynamic website, you will need to move the database (MySQL) from the old host to the new one. If you are on cPanel, you will have to use phpMyAdmin to export your database.

If you are using a CMS like Joomla or WordPress, install the applications on the new host before uploading the database. WordPress offers import/export functionality that allows easy transfer of these data files.

Test Your Site

Once you’ve loaded the files, it’s time to check if everything’s working correctly. This will allow you to troubleshoot any issues. There are a few ways to test your new site before you make the big domain switch. This is the time to check for site navigation errors, database errors, and missing links.

Move Custom Email Accounts

Moving email accounts is one of the toughest parts when manually switching to a new host. Here are three possible scenarios.

• If your email is hosted on a domain registrar like GoDaddy, you will have to log in and go into DNS settings and change the MX Record Entry to point to your new hosting provider’s mail servers.
• If your accounts are hosted with a third party, ensure that your MX records are updated in the DNS.
• If your accounts are with the old web host, download your email accounts and files from the cPanel File Manager and upload them to the new host. Here’s a handy tutorial that will guide you in the process.

Update the Domain Nameservers

Updating the domain name will take the visitors to the new version of your website without any downtime. Locate the nameservers for your new host in your hosting dashboard or welcome email. Alternatively, you can ask the support staff to guide you.

Test Again

The new nameservers can take up to 24 hours to be updated (usually faster, sometimes instantaneous). Once that’s done, take time to browse through pages and test your forms to make sure everything’s working as required.

OPTION 2 – Outsourcing the Migration to the New Hosting Company

For busy company owners and people who aren’t tech-savvy, it’s best to outsource the migration process to a web hosting service. Several hosting companies offer free website migration services, including us! All you need to do is to sign up and request a migration. Their support staff will help you through the process.

How to Avoid Downtime When Migrating Your Website

A lot goes on behind the scenes when moving a site from one host to the other. Regardless of the speed, the transfer of DNS servers between the old hosting provider and the new one can cause your site to go dark for several hours.

This can be fatal to a business. No one wants their site visitors or customers to experience extended downtime.

Here are a few tips to avoid this situation.

1. Don’t Cancel Your Existing Hosting Plan Till the Move Is Complete

Though it’s essential to notify your old hosting provider about your switch, doing so before the transfer is complete can result in downtime and a loss of critical database information.

Many hosting companies take down a site the moment they are asked to cancel a plan. They often do not wait for the expiry of the current month’s service and give a prorated refund of the balance fees.

While this can be a good thing, it means that you will have no opportunity to retrieve any lost files. Plan ahead and transfer them before calling.

2. Procure a Compressed Backup of the Files

Login to your cPanel and get a backup of your site files and database information. Make sure that both the hosting services employ the same web-based administration technology, allowing the data to be backed up quickly and easily.

Now, it’s time to locate the group of settings and control panel pages that’s labeled ‘Backup.’ This holds the tools to back up the site’s main ‘public_html’ folder and subdomains. Plus, it will help you take the backup of the MySQL database.

Next, click through the relevant cPanel administration page in the ‘Download Backups’ option and download the relevant files (in compressed form).

3. Don’t Decompress the Files

Make sure not to decompress these backup files as the process will be undertaken by the new server. In most cases, the new host sends an email, mentioning the IP address details and domain name servers. You can view your site’s content using the new IP address.

4. Check the Databases

Make sure that your database backup files do not carry usernames, passwords, or permissions associated with MySQL databases. This information needs to be entered using the interface of MySQL databases found in cPanel.

5. Use the New Domain Nameservers

Once you’ve completed all of the steps mentioned above, it’s time to switch to new name servers. This is the final step in the migration process where you need to inform the domain registrar that you’ll be using the new domain nameservers and view the files and data on the other server.

Common Issues Encountered in Web Hosting Migration

Migrating to another hosting provider isn’t always a smooth ride. It requires careful planning and knowledge of what can go wrong. This will help you proactively avoid issues when planning to make the switch.

Here are a few things that can go wrong during the host migration process.

1. It Can Hurt Your SEO

Switching to a new host can jeopardize your search engine ranking in more ways than one.

Firstly, Google checks a site’s IP address. Proximity to a user is one of the factors that influences ranking. Make sure you choose your server location wisely.

Secondly, if your site is loading slower on the new host, your ranking is bound to drop. This means the new server should be optimized to handle the hits.

Finally, any downtime during the migration will impact your ranking. As mentioned above, it’s advisable to leave your original website up until the transfer is complete. Then, allow 72 hours for DNS propagation to be completed and ensure that the search engine bots properly crawl the site on the new server.

Shut down the website on the old host only when you’ve completed these steps.

Migrating Customer Data, Passwords, and Transaction History Is a Significant Issue

This is a common complaint we come across from our eCommerce clients. When transitioning to a new host, you want to avoid a negative customer experience.

For instance, a customer with an account on your old site should be able to sign in to the new one without any hurdles. However, in most cases, the hosting providers encrypt passwords and similar sensitive data to protect the users. It isn’t easy for the new host to decrypt this information. This can make a direct handover of login credentials very difficult.

Similarly, you would want the transaction history to remain intact on the new site. However, migrating this data to a new host is a laborious process.

These challenges are surmountable in various ways. However, businesses should be aware of them and develop a proactive customer data migration strategy to avoid running into such issues.

3. Loss of Critical Files

During a web host migration, there’s nothing worse than losing your site files and database information. This issue can prove to be quite expensive and time-consuming as it means going back to the earlier version of your site.

You can avoid this issue by taking a backup of your files before starting the migration process. CMS like WordPress offer plugins that are made for this purpose. Some options are Duplicator, UpdraftPlus, and WP-DB-Backup.

4. You’ve Forgotten to Procure the Necessary Web Access Data

Even if both your old and new hosting providers are switch-friendly, you need administrative access to every aspect of your website. If you’ve missed acquiring these elements, the transition won’t be smooth.

Make sure you get your hands on the following before commencing the transition.

• FTP (file transfer protocol) hostname, username, and password
• Web host login and password
• Email client login and password
• Social media and social media manager credentials
• Domain registration credentials
• Google login and password (especially if you use Google-based tools and plugins)
• CMS credentials

5. phpMyAdmin Timeout

If you’ve had your website for a while, the odds are that your database will be rather large. The default 2mb upload/import limit for phpMyAdmin can prevent you from exporting your database through the web interface.

When this happens, there are a few options:

• Increase the limit in your server’s php.ini file.
• Use Mysqldump to export your database from the command line.
• Use cPanel’s built-in database export and import features to import your database if available.

If you use WordPress, simply use the WordPress import/export features to migrate your site.

6. 500 Internal Server Error/Permission Errors

Even though you transferred over all the files, the new host might sometimes be missing files due to transfer or permissions errors. Double-check your FTP client upload message log to ensure no failed transfers and that all the folders on your new hosting have the same folder permissions as your existing provider.

Also, check your .htaccess file, rename it, and reload your site.

Why You Need to Safeguard Your SEO While Migrating Your Website

Website migrations are intended to improve user experience, boost traffic, and generate more business. However, migrations that aren’t managed effectively hurt the site’s SEO.

Safeguarding your SEO when migrating your site will help your team mitigate several risks and ensure a constant flow of traffic to your site after the migration. Here’s how a poorly-managed website migration can damage your ranking.

1. Content Errors

Content is the reason customers stick with brands. Unfortunately, if site migration isn’t managed properly, it will lead to issues like broken redirects, missing or incomplete content, or other unforeseen gremlins that can hurt your SEO.

Therefore, it’s important to keep a checklist of all of your existing content, settings, and configurations to ensure nothing is missed.

2. Domain Errors

Changing hosting providers is a slow and complicated process. If anything goes wrong with these steps, your migration can hit a roadblock, and your site’s performance can suffer:

• Not unlocking the domain with the previous host
• Making a domain transfer request outside of the lockout periods
• Not fully configuring the settings with the new host

3. Website Errors

Issues like 404 errors can be fatal for your site’s online ranking and reputation. These broken pages hold back the flow of your site’s ‘link juice,’ thus devaluing your standing in the eyes of Google.

Website Migration SEO Checklist: How to Avoid Losing Traffic

Here are a few things to keep in mind during a website migration. Considering these will help you fix unforeseen issues before they have undesirable ramifications on your rankings and traffic.

1. Design a Foolproof Site Migration Strategy

When changing web hosts, you are likely aiming at an improved user experience or enhanced security. Make sure to create a sound migration strategy for a seamless transition.

(UNABLE TO ACCESS IMAGE TO PLACE)

• Audit your content and webpages to see if they are showing up on the new site. You also need to set 301 redirects, allowing a visitor to be sent to the new webpages.
• Make a backup of your site.
• Verify that the canonical tags have been updated to the new version. This is critical as you don’t want multiple URLs showing the same content.
• Record your analytics data. Most historical benchmarks tend to get erased during migrations. Take time to review and record this data.

2. Update Your Site’s DNS Setting

You will need to change your DNS settings so that they point to the new IP address. Coordinate with your IT team and have them schedule the DNS update outside of your peak hours to avoid site performance issues.

3. Tell Google You Have Changed the Domain Name

If you are sending all the traffic to a new domain name, it’s important to tell Google about it. This will make sure you don’t lose your SEO ranking.

To do this, you need to verify your new domain name in Google Search Console (GSC) and fill out the Change of Address form. Also, watch out for alert messages from the Search Console. Here’s an interesting post from Google that will prove to be useful.

4. Monitor GSC for Issues

You have made some major changes to your website. As such, it’s a good idea to keep an eye on your GSC account for indexing issues. Track reports like index count, crawl errors, and search queries to see if the bots can crawl your pages properly.

When to Contact an SEO Agency

Since website migration impacts SEO to such a degree, the process can require an experienced search professional, especially if a lot is invested in the site. Whether in-house or an external agency, an SEO team can offer valuable guidance during the process. They can ensure that your business doesn’t lose traffic, leads, and revenue.

Here’s when you should involve an SEO agency in the website migration process.

1. When You Find a Dip in Traffic (Or Aren’t Getting Relevant Traffic)

Website traffic is the first indicator of whether or not your efforts are working. If you are tracking Google Analytics and find that your site isn’t getting the traffic it used to, an expert will be able to help.

2. When Your Site Doesn’t Show Up (or Has a Lower Ranking) in the SERPs

Look for your site on Google. Is your site in the results? Has your site reached the next page in the SERPs? If it’s tough to find your business on page one of Google’s SERPs, you can be sure that your customers aren’t finding you.

3. You Need a Hands-Off Solution

Website migration is a time-consuming process that demands a lot of effort. If you lack the technical skills or are too busy to get yourself in this process, it’s wise to get in touch with an SEO agency with experience managing such projects. They can help you transition smoothly while getting you quality traffic.

Summary

Website migration to another hosting provider isn’t uncommon. However, it’s not an easy undertaking. Mess it up once, and it can permanently damage your traffic, reputation, and revenue.

It is therefore important to understand the nitty-gritty of migrating to another web host. We hope the information shared above will help you perform a successful migration.

The post What to Consider When Migrating to Another Web Hosting Provider appeared first on GreenGeeks Blog.

What’s New in PHP 7.4

Some welcome changes and new features have been added as PHP continues to adapt and improve.

Most of the changes are “non-breaking,” meaning you can upgrade and your site will continue to work normally. (Assuming you’re upgrading from an earlier version of PHP 7.)

But some changes might have an effect on your existing code. You can check this list of backward-incompatible changes to see if your codebase is affected.

Here are the most interesting PHP 7.4 changes to be aware of.

• Arrow functions – also called “short closures,” arrow functions allow you to write shorter, single-line functions.
• Typed properties – allows for type-hinting in class variables.
• Preloading – improves performance by loading PHP files (say, from your favorite framework) into server memory on startup. That way, they’re always available for requests.
• Type variance – improvements have been made to allow for covariant return types and contravariant arguments.
• Weak References – previously available as an extension, weak references let you refer to objects without preventing them from being destroyed.
• Null coalescing assignment operator – lets you create shorter null coalescing operations.
• Spread operators in arrays – allows for the use of a spread operator in arrays and numerical keys.
• Numeric literal separator – allows you to use underscores as a format to separate numeric values.
• Custom object serialization – introduces two new magic methods, __serialize, and __unserialize.

That’s not absolutely everything, of course. Here’s a list of all of the changes.

What’s Going Away

The introduction of new versions always means some old methods and functions are retired and deprecated. PHP 7.4 is no exception.

The following functions are deprecated in PHP 7.4. They will likely be removed in PHP 8 (the next PHP major version release).

• The real type.
• Magic quotes legacy.
• array_key_exists() with objects.
• FILTER_SANITIZE_MAGIC_QUOTES filter.
• Reflection export() methods.
• mb_strrpos() with encoding as 3rd argument.
• implode() parameter order mix.
• Unbinding $this from non-static closures.
• hebrevc() function.
• convert_cyr_string() function.
• money_format() function.
• ezmlm_hash() function.
• restore_include_path() function.
• allow_url_include ini directive.

When Is the Right Time to Switch to a Newer Version of PHP?

At the beginning of this article, I mentioned that PHP 7.4 is the last update before PHP 8. I know some of you out there are still using PHP 5, so that might come as a surprise. You may be wondering when you should consider making a move to a new version. (Not to mention, what the heck happened to PHP 6?)

Like any software, PHP limits how long they support a particular version. Unsupported versions typically aren’t updated unless a serious security flaw is uncovered. Beyond supporting versions, they also set a time frame for “end of life.”

After the end of life date, security flaws may not even be patched. So, it goes without saying that it’s best not to use any software past its end of life.

Most web hosting companies will gradually phase out end of life server software like PHP. When that happens, your account can be involuntarily upgraded to a more recent version.

And therein lies the answer to the “When should I switch versions?” question. The answer is, before the end of life!

“Can” VS “Should”

When I say hosts will phase out outdated software “gradually,” I do mean gradually. GreenGeeks, for instance, like many hosts, will still let you use some PHP 5 versions that reached their end of life almost ten years ago.

But just because you can continue to use those old versions doesn’t mean you should.

If you stay as up to date as you can, upgrading is much less painful. PHP 5.6, for example, reached its end of life less than two years ago. But when you update a PHP 5.6 site to PHP 7.x, you’ll find that there are some significant changes that have to be made.

Especially for sites that use databases (and which site doesn’t these days?).

Often we find ourselves with older sites that we maintain for archival purposes. Maybe there’s still useful information on them, but we don’t necessarily add anything new. It’s easy to avoid (or simply forget about) upgrading the infrastructure of those kinds of sites.

But if you ignore those sites, you could find yourself facing an involuntary upgrade. If that upgrade is likely to break the site, you’ll be forced to make changes quickly. That’s not the best way to approach any website update.

Often, sites that fall into disrepair are simply abandoned, and in many cases, that’s a loss for all of us.

So take some time now to do an inventory of your websites and which technologies they use. If necessary, schedule some time to update them. It’s not fun or glamorous work, but it will save you potential trouble down the road.

If You’re a GreenGeeks Customer

GreenGeeks will make PHP 7.4 the “native” PHP version on all servers on October 1st, 2020. The previous native PHP version was 7.2.

We have tested PHP 7.4 thoroughly throughout our platform. PHP 7.4 includes important improvements over the existing native version, PHP 7.2, and boasts increased performance and efficiency.

If you want to switch to PHP 7.4 at any time before our update, here’s how to do it.

If you have any questions or concerns about PHP changes, contact us! We’re always available to answer your questions.

The post Using PHP 7.4: What You Need to Know appeared first on GreenGeeks Blog.

What is a VPS?

To put it in terms that are easier to understand, a VPS Hosting setup splits one powerful server into multiple virtual units. While the one server does have multiple users, there is a spot on it reserved specifically for only you. Private is exactly what it means, as you will not have to share RAM, CPU, or any other type of data with other users on the server.

Let’s dig deeper and talk about VPS Hosting and when you may want to get it for your website.

How Does VPS Hosting Work?

What VPS Hosting actually does is simulates or gives you the experience and feeling that you are on a dedicated server. This happens despite the fact that you are still sharing the physical server with other users.

Here is how it works. Basically, the web-hosting provider will install a virtual layer on top of the operating system (OS) of the server using the aforementioned virtualization technology.

Doing this separates the physical server into individual compartments that now have virtual walls. These separate virtual walls in the VPS Server allow each user to install their own OS and software.

Since a Virtual Private Server separates all of your files from other users on the OS level, it gives you the full private server experience. This means that your website is now in a secure container area that is private and dedicated to only you. You are guaranteed resources like memory, disk space, and CPU cores. You will not have to share these with anyone else.

With VPS Hosting, you are essentially getting the same type of root-level access that you would get with a dedicated server, but getting it at a much lower cost.

Comparing VPS to Other Types of Hosting

There are actually several different types of web hosting available. Each allows different levels of performance and customization on your server. They all vary in things like pricing, uptime, speed, performance, page load times, and overall service.

Let’s take a look at some other types of web hosting available.

Shared Hosting

Shared Hosting is the perfect solution for website owners who have websites with low traffic. This type of hosting is actually the starting point for most small business websites and blogs. It is very popular and usually what someone purchases when they are first searching for web hosting.

When you select a shared hosting plan, you are actually sharing a physical server with all the other clients that the web hosting company has as well. You may be offered a certain amount of bandwidth , storage, and disk space, but you are still sharing these resources with others. You do not get dedicated resources provided to you like you would with VPS Hosting.

Shared hosting is still very solid, especially with the right provider. It just does not provide you with a private, dedicated resource system.

Cloud Hosting

If you choose Cloud Hosting, you actually do not use a single server, but you use a cluster that runs in the Cloud. Every server in the cluster that is running in the cloud will store a copy of your website that is up-to-date.

When one of the servers gets too busy with traffic spikes, the cluster will automatically redirect traffic to a different server in the cluster. This usually means better page load times and no downtime. There will always be a server in the cluster that can serve up all requests coming from website traffic.

This is another popular hosting solution, and can provide you with a lot of upside. Cloud hosting is usually more expensive, though.

WordPress Hosting

WordPress Hosting is specifically designed to offer hosting to people who use WordPress, just like it sounds. This type of hosting will come with a set of specific features that you will only be able to use and take advantage of if you have a WordPress website.

Some of these features may include things like one-click installation, pre-installed plugins, or a WP command-line interface. These servers are specifically designed for all WordPress needs. It should also be noted that WordPress Hosting is also part of a shared hosting setup. Though if you want to, you can definitely choose VPS Hosting for your WordPress website.

Dedicated Hosting

Dedicated Hosting is basically you paying for an entire physical server to host your business or other types of websites. A Dedicated Hosting setup is most ideal for very high traffic websites that suck up a lot of resources.

A Dedicated Hosting setup gives you tons of flexibility, they are fully customizable, and are often exceptionally fast. However, it will come with a much heftier price tag.

VPS Hosting will allow you to choose and configure your operating system and server applications. However, Dedicated Hosting will let you go even further. With the ability to configure all the software and hardware, the entire server is also yours and you can run it from wherever you would like.

Pros and Cons of VPS Hosting

As is the case with most anything you are researching to make an educated decision, there are both pros and cons of VPS Hosting. Running a Virtual Private Server may be the most ideal thing for you. However, let’s take a look at some benefits and drawbacks of VPS Hosting.

Pros

Running a VPS Server environment comes with a lot of pros. Some of them include:

• It is faster and more reliable than a Shared Hosting environment.
• All of the server resources available in the VPS plan you choose are guaranteed.
• There is little to no fluctuation in the resources available.
• Traffic surges and other issues on the server will not affect you.
• You get much more privacy and security. All files and databases are locked from other users.
• VPS Hosting is easy to scale. If your site gets bigger and you need more resources, then you can easily upgrade resources like RAM, CPU, disk space, and bandwidth.

Cons

Even though VPS Servers have a ton of upsides, there are also some cons that you should be aware of. Here are some of those things that affect VPS Hosting:

• Higher pricing. It is more expensive than a Shared Hosting setup.
• It will require you to have more technical knowledge to be able to run it properly (though many VPS Hosting setups are managed).
• If you configure the setup the wrong way, it can lead to security vulnerabilities.

When Should You Switch to VPS Hosting?

There are several things you want to look at before making the decision on whether or not switching to VPS Hosting is right for you. One main thing to consider is if your website outgrows all the resources available on a high-end Shared Hosting plan, then it is probably time to move on to a VPS Server.

Other things you want to think about when considering a possible switch include:

More Security Features

Worried about possible security issues you are already facing? A jump to VPS Hosting can really help. A Virtual Private Server will give you:

• Enhanced Security Features
• Advanced Monitoring Capabilities
• More Backup Space
• Improved Website Reliability
• More Security For Online Payments

A jump to VPS will definitely improve overall security.

Website Traffic is Rapidly Increasing

If your website has started experiencing significant traffic increases, then it may be time to make the move. High traffic volume on a shared server can significantly slow your website down, or even worse, crash your server. VPS Hosting can easily handle these high traffic spikes.

Website is Already Running Slowly

High spikes in traffic are not the only reason a website can run slowly. As you add more content over time, your website will grow and use larger amounts of RAM. You will start seeing page load speeds slow down because you are pushing your available limits. Making a switch will allow you to easily scale this and get your site running smoothly again.

Your Website Has an Online Store

If you plan on running an online store, or already have one running, then you should already have switched to VPS. Why? You will have a secure and dedicated Virtual Private Server where you are more likely to pass a PCI compliance test. Furthermore, as mentioned above, much better security when dealing with personal information and online payments.

You Keep Getting Server Errors

Have you been experiencing “Internal Server Errors?” Are you receiving “Service Unavailable Errors?” If you are seeing these type of messages often, then chances are website visitors and customers are as well. Of course, you can diagnose downtime issues with your hosting provider, but switching to VPS Hosting will also take care of this.

Other things you may want to consider when thinking about moving to VPS include:

• VPS is pricier, but not nearly as expensive as a dedicated server.
• You Need to Install Custom Software
• You are a developer that builds websites for clients.

Final Thoughts

Now that you know more about VPS Hosting and all that it covers, you can make a more educated decision on whether or not it is right for you. A Virtual Private Server will fully control and guarantee your resources.

This is a perfect selection for websites with medium to high traffic or eCommerce websites running a full-blown online store. You will experience little to no downtime for your website, and the privacy you get from other server users can’t be overstated.

I hope that you better understand VPS Hosting now. This should have given you some good insight into how it works and why it is beneficial for you. If you have more questions, feel free to check out the Support Center at any time.

The post What is VPS Hosting and When You Would Want It appeared first on GreenGeeks Blog.

The easiest way to do this is to simply give you a rundown about everything related to both Shared Hosting and VPS Hosting. You can then see all the benefits of VPS Hosting and how it stacks up.

What is Shared Hosting?

First off, Shared Hosting is not a bad thing. Matter of fact, it is the most popular and common type of hosting around. That being said, it does lack a lot of VPS benefits.

Shared Hosting is very popular for small business websites and personal blogs that are low in traffic. A shared platform means your website shares resources with a bunch of other websites at the same time. This is why most of the newer shared hosting plans offer a lot of “unlimited” resources.

The issue becomes traffic spikes and data space over time. Since you are sharing a server with others, if you hit a traffic spike or another site on the server does, your page load speed may slow down because of it. Again though, shared hosting is not really meant for a website with a ton of traffic, so more often than not, you are good to go.

On price alone, shared hosting is a fantastic option. However, if your website continues to grow, then you will more than likely outgrow this and want to take a look at the benefits of VPS hosting.

Shared Hosting Pros

When you look at Shared Hosting vs VPS, you want to explore both the pros and cons of each. There are a lot of pros when it comes to shared hosting. Let’s take a look at some of those together.

Pricing is Very Affordable

Pricing for a shared hosting plan is very affordable. This alone makes it very attractive. Most web hosts will give you everything you need to get your website going quick and easy on a shared hosting platform. However, you still want to pick a solid web host provider.

Very User-Friendly

The fact of the matter is that most everyone who is jumping into a shared hosting platform needs it to be user-friendly. When you sign up, you will be given a number of instructions, a lot of support when needed, and the ability to choose from a number of CMS platforms. Things like a free SSL, email, and the ability to use a one-click installer are all made available to you.

Maintenance and Upgrades Included

Let’s be clear, maintenance and upgrades are included from the web host. However, you still need to perform the maintenance and upgrades to your actual site. For instance, if you are using WordPress, then theme, plugin, and WordPress core updates will be handled by you. Security, hosting platform updates and maintenance will all be taken care of by the web host.

Shared Hosting Cons

Now that you have seen the good things, let’s take a look at some of the downfalls of shared hosting vs VPS.

Slow Website Speeds

The main issue with a shared hosting system is that you can (and sometimes will) run into site speed and page load time issues. This is due to the fact that your server is being shared with hundreds, if not thousands, of other websites. If some of these sites have traffic spikes, you will experience slower speeds on your own website. You can only optimize your website so much.

You Don’t Control Server

While shared hosting gives you a lot of CMS options and other tools to start, you really don’t control the server itself. You will be able to make some small changes from cPanel. But if you require an advanced or more unique hardware or software setup, then this is one of many VPS benefits available.

Might Hit Server Limits

If you have a website on a shared platform and it is growing rapidly, then there is a good chance you may hit server limits pretty quickly. Shared hosting does offer a little scalability, based on what plan or web host you use, but scalability at a greater level just can’t be handled using a shared platform.

Now you have a good idea of what Shared Hosting is. Let’s look at the benefits of VPS hosting, what it is, what it offers, and why you may want to make the switch.

What is VPS Hosting?

You might be surprised to find out that VPS Hosting, or a “Virtual Private Server” is actually still shared hosting. Let me explain.

As you know on a shared hosting system, you share the entire server with other websites.

With VPS Hosting, you are still sharing a server with other websites, but you have your own, dedicated, secure, private spot on the server that is for you alone. All the resources are yours, and they are not shared with anyone else on that server.

VPS Hosting actually simulates the experience you would get on a dedicated server. However, this is happening while you are on a shared server, and also happening at a much lower cost to you.

VPS works like this:

Your web-hosting provider installs a virtual layer on top of the operating system (OS) of the server. This process is completed by using virtualization technology.

Because a Virtual Private Server separates all of your files from other server user files on the operating system level, it is able to give you the experience of a full private server. Think of it this way, you are in a condo building with other tenants. However, your condo is private, exclusive to you, and you can do what you want with it.

VPS Hosting Pros

As we did with shared hosting, let’s look at the pros and cons of VPS Hosting. First, here are a few pros of a VPS.

Much Better Level of Performance

Because you have dedicated and private resources that are for you only, you immediately get a better level of performance. If you have a rapidly growing website or big traffic spikes, you will see no decline in performance or page load speeds. Since your site has its own area, other sites on the server will not affect you in any way.

Better Security Levels

One of the many benefits of VPS Hosting includes a higher level of security. Your hosting environment is virtualized, and your site is separated from any other sites on the server. Therefore, anything that may happen to other sites will not affect yours in any way.

VPS is Easily Scalable

If you need to scale up your hosting, it is very easy to do it with VPS. Since you aren’t actually tied to a physical server, it is much easier to add the resources you need. You simply can’t find this ease of scalability with shared hosting with many different hosts out there.

Server Customization and Root Server Access

Another VPS benefit is that you have almost total server customization. This gives you much more control at every level. You will also get root server access, giving you access to a myriad of functions to manage your virtual server.

VPS Hosting Cons

Yes, there are indeed a couple of cons that come with VPS Hosting. Here are a few to think about when deciding on VPS vs shared hosting.

More Expensive

While it isn’t nearly as expensive as having a dedicated server, VPS hosting will run you more than its shared counterpart.

How much more? Well, that depends on the package you choose, but you can definitely expect to shell out more money if you want to have VPS benefits.

It’s More Technical

If you are deciding to make the jump over to VPS hosting, you need to understand that it is more technical and you will need a little more skill to run it properly.

That being said, there are excellent managed VPS platforms that you can get. If you get a managed VPS server, then the web host will help you with everything you need.

When Should You Move From Shared to VPS Hosting?

It may be time to move from shared to VPS for a number of reasons. If you want to enjoy the benefits of VPS hosting, here are some things to think about when you are trying to figure out when to make the move.

• Your Business or Personal Website is Expanding Fast
• You Want to Host Multiple Websites
• Constant Traffic Spikes
• You Want More Control
• Better Security
• A Managed VPS Platform

If your reasoning falls under any of these, then it is probably time to make the jump to enjoy the benefits of VPS Hosting.

Final Thoughts

Sometimes, the choice of VPS or shared hosting can be tough. You need to know what to consider, which platform does what, and all the pros and cons for each.

As you can see, both are solid in their own ways, but the benefits of VPS hosting far outweigh what you can accomplish on a shared setup. Now that you have all the info available you can make an educated choice and make the jump to VPS hosting at the right time.

The post Benefits of Using a VPS vs Shared Hosting appeared first on GreenGeeks Blog.

If you see performance indicators that lead you to believe you may be on a virtual server, that’s a problem that can lead to the disruption of moving to a new server or host.

But before making any drastic moves, it’s important to be sure that your site is indeed running on a VPS and not a dedicated server. So let’s take a look at the server information that can provide clues as to whether your server is hardware or virtual.

Connecting to Your Dedicated Server

All of the commands we’re going to use are run on the dedicated server itself.

If you’re working on a Windows machine you can make an SSH connection to the server using the Windows command prompt (or Windows PowerShell), or an SSH program like PuTTY.

On a Mac you can connect to the server using the Terminal program. There’s also a port of PuTTY for Mac, or you can use an SSH program written for Mac, like Terminus.

The specific hostname and port for your server login will vary depending on your provider. Check with them for details.

Using dmidecode to Expose Dedicated Server Information

The dmidecode command displays BIOS information that can include one or more virtualized components.

When you see any of the following, it’s a sign that you are on a VPS and not a dedicated server.

Run:

# dmidecode | egrep -i 'manufacturer|product'

If you see something like:

Manufacturer: VMware, Inc.
Product Name: VMware Virtual Platform

that’s VMware, not a dedicated server.

Similarly, if you see:

Manufacturer: Microsoft Corporation
Product Name: Virtual Machine

that’s the Microsoft VM, VirtualPC, also not a dedicated server.

Some other variations of dmidecode and the VMs they indicate:

# dmidecode | egrep -i 'vendor'
Vendor: QEMU

VM is QEMU or KVM.

# dmidecode
/dev/mem: Permission denied

This VM is Virtuozzo.

# dmidecode | grep -i domU
Product Name: HVM domU

This VM is Xen.

Any of the above results indicate that the account is running on a VM, not an OS on a dedicated server.

But it’s worth noting that the lack of a specific manufacturer/vendor result doesn’t verify a dedicated server or rule out the presence of a VM.

We’ve got a few more tests you can run to be a bit more confident in the results.

Checking for Virtualized Disk Devices

Checking the disks can also show results that indicate virtualized components.

Run:

# cat /proc/ide/hd*/model

If your results are similar to:

VMware Virtual IDE CDROM Drive

it’s a VMware virtual drive.

Virtual HD
Virtual CD

Are Microsoft VirtualPC.

QEMU HARDDISK
QEMU DVD-ROM

Can be either QEMU, KVM, or Xen.

To detect a Virtuozzo virtual drive:

# ls -al /dev/vzfs

If you see:

b-----x--- 1 root root 0, 19 2019-07-20 20:19 /dev/vzfs

that indicates a Virtuozzo VM.

You can also detect a VMware virtual disk by running:

# cat /proc/scsi/scsi

If it’s a VMware virtual disk, you’ll see something like:

Attached devices:
Host: scsi0 Channel: 00 Id: 00 Lun: 00
Vendor: VMware Model: Virtual disk Rev: 1.0
Type: Direct-Access ANSI SCSI revision: 02

Other Website Server Information Tests That Can Indicate the Presence of a VM

esxtop

Run:

# esxtop

Virtual machines often employ a tool called esxtop to check performance. Running esxtop on a VM will generate results, but running the command on a dedicated server OS will not.

OpenVZ

Run:

# cat /proc/user_beancounters

If /proc/user_beancounters exists, you’re on a VPS running OpenVZ.

If /proc/vz or /proc/vz/veinfo exist, they also indicate OpenVZ.

Similarly, if /proc/xen or /proc/sys/xen exist, that’s a Xen VM.

IP lookup

A reverse IP lookup shows all the websites running on an IP address. If you do a reverse lookup on your server IP and see domains that aren’t yours, you’re not on a dedicated server.

Run:

dig -x [your server's IP]

Or use WhatIsMyIP.com, MXToolBox, iplocation.net, or a similar online reverse DNS tool.

Virtio memory balloon

Run:

# lspci

If the RAM memory value is “Qumranet, Inc. Virtio memory balloon,” you’re on a VPS.

Can You Really Verify You’re on a Dedicated Server?

Short of being granted access to your host’s data center, the tests we’ve gone over here are as close to definitive results as you can get.

And if you think about it, even if you were led down some endless corridor at your host’s data center and your dedicated server was pointed out to you, you could only verify that your site was on it by pulling the plug (no one wants to do that).

But even that wouldn’t be proof positive. One hundred other sites could still be on the server. The only way to know anything for sure is to test the server, as we’ve done here.

If the tests lead you to the conclusion that your “dedicated server” is a virtual machine, you’ve got a bone to pick with your host. If you’re in that position and now find yourself looking for a host that delivers what they promise, GreenGeeks has a dedicated server for you.

We’ve got a server with the size and power to fit your needs, and we’ve got the only dedicated servers in the world operating on 300% renewable energy. We’re not called GreenGeeks for nothing!

If you want the power of a dedicated server without any of the resource guzzling side effects, look no further.

The post How to Verify if a Dedicated Server is Really Dedicated appeared first on GreenGeeks Blog.

You may not even be aware that your site’s resource usage is surpassing the abilities of a shared server. Then one day, you receive an email from your host informing you that it’s time to move your site.

Whatever factors play into you making the switch to dedicated server web hosting, there are some things you should look for in a provider. The technical aspects of the server, yes, and we’ll get into that in a minute. But you also want to assess whether the hosting company will meet your needs as a customer.

How Can I Spot Good Dedicated Server Hosting?

Sites like Web Hosting Talk have forums where people discuss dedicated servers. The posts give recommendations and address problems, so you can learn a lot about the hosts that are being discussed.

Take information gleaned from Web Hosting Talk with a grain of salt. Be wary of anything too enthusiastic, or multiple people raving about a new or unknown company.

I have nothing against a new company just starting out and trying to establish themselves. But the hosting business has become too transient to put all your eggs into the basket of an unknown host.

Dedicated servers are expensive, so I understand the desire to save money by going with an unknown. But you want to be sure your host is going to stick around and not disappear with your website.

Of course, a company that is established doesn’t guarantee that they’ll always be around. But your odds are better with a known entity.

Ask a Lot of Questions

One of the best things you can do when trying to determine which company will provide the best dedicated server hosting for your site is to talk to them.

You probably won’t be able to contact their support staff before you’re a customer. But if they have a live chat feature on their site, use it to ask every question you can think of.

If there’s no chat, send an email or open a ticket if you can. Communicate as much as possible with as many different people or departments as you can. That will give you a better feel for how responsive and informative the company is.

If all of these suggestions sound a bit difficult and time-consuming, well, they may be. And I wouldn’t suggest that it’s necessary to go to such great lengths to vet an ordinary shared hosting account. But the stakes are much higher when you’re buying or leasing a dedicated server.

Your site’s reputation is on the line, after all. And you’re spending a good amount of money for a premium service. So talk to them. If a company isn’t responsive in its sales channels, what are the chances their support will be any better?

Which Is the Best Dedicated Server Company if I Want to Reduce My Carbon Footprint?

If you’re concerned with how many natural resources your website uses, you should know that moving to a dedicated server increases that usage significantly. There’s no way around it; web servers use a lot of energy.

Energy consumption is spread across hundreds of sites on a shared server. But when you move to a dedicated server, the server needs are basically the same. The problem is they’re all dedicated to supporting one site (or a few sites).

GreenGeeks is renowned for our green shared hosting. But you might be happy to know that our dedicated server energy use is matched by a whopping 300% from renewable sources.

That means your dedicated server will not only “pay for itself,” as far as reduction of your carbon footprint is concerned, but also for two other servers just like it.

What is a Dedicated Server?

Okay, so now let’s dig a bit into the technical side of dedicated servers.

You might see dedicated servers categorized alongside “Virtual Private Servers” or VPS. They are not the same thing. A VPS is a physical piece of server hardware (a fancy way of saying a computer) that is separated into many independent “virtual” servers.

If you think that sounds a lot like shared hosting, that’s because it does.

With a VPS, you have the advantage of using a different operating system or configuration than the other VPS on the same machine. But you’re still on the same physical piece of hardware, so if there’s some catastrophic failure of another server on the box, theoretically, it shouldn’t affect your site. But in reality, it can.

A dedicated server is an entire physical server dedicated to one site or customer. You buy, lease, or pay a monthly fee for a server, and you can do whatever you’d like with it as far as configuration is concerned. No other users are on the server, just you. In most cases, you are responsible for server security and maintenance.

If that’s not your area of expertise, you can shop for a “managed” server that the host secures and updates. Server management is a premium service. So the price is, understandably, higher than that of a dedicated server that you manage yourself.

How to Choose the Right Dedicated Server for You and Your Site

First, I want to touch on the last thing we talked about, managed vs unmanaged dedicated servers. If you don’t know anything about web or database server security, an unmanaged dedicated server is probably not for you.

If you are up on the latest security protocols and you have experience running servers – or a member of your team does – then an unmanaged dedicated server is all you need.

The point that I can’t stress enough is bad things can happen to a server that isn’t adequately secured. And most of us who believe we know “enough” about server management, or who rely on a lot of Googled how-to’s – well, we may be able to squeak by. But we’re really not qualified to be responsible for server security.

Try to be realistic when evaluating your own skills and proceed accordingly.

Dedicated Server Terms and Technology

When shopping for a pre-configured dedicated server, the first thing you’ll be asked to choose is server specs and technology. The processor, memory, storage, and operating system (OS) are server-specific.

The other spec you may have control over is the amount of bandwidth your server can use. That isn’t generally a server feature, but a provider function.

Processor and Memory

They will determine how much power (and as a result, speed) is available to your site. Most dedicated server hosts will offer servers pre-configured with certain processors and amounts of memory. As the available processor speed and memory increase, so does the price of the server.

It isn’t always possible to change the configuration of your server once you’re using it, so it’s often better to choose server configuration that somewhat exceeds what you think your needs will be. That allows you room to grow before you have to migrate to a more powerful server.

Operating System

The OS you choose will depend on the technology your website uses. The vast majority of dedicated servers will support various open-source, Linux-type operating systems.

But if your site uses .NET technology or Microsoft SQL Server, you’ll want to make sure you choose one that supports the Microsoft IIS operating system.

Storage

Hard drive storage has a couple of details to pay attention to. One is solid-state drives (SSD) vs. traditional disc-based hard drives (HDD). For speed and performance, SSD is far superior to conventional HDD. But of course, as with all things computer-related, the faster, better version comes at an increased cost in some cases. But if performance is critical for your site, the expense may be justified.

The other thing to note or ask about is the RAID disk array. You want to avoid any array of hard drives labeled RAID 0. This is because the configuration doesn’t provide any protection against data loss in the event of a single drive failure. You aren’t likely to run into a RAID 0 setup on a pre-configured dedicated server, but it’s something to be aware of.

While RAID 1 and 5 offer some redundancy and protection against data loss, RAID is not a replacement for backups. You should have an external backup system in place. That applies no matter what kind of server your website lives on. Your host may perform their own server backups, but you should not rely on those backups for your own disaster recovery.

Bandwidth

Your bandwidth needs can be difficult to accurately estimate unless you have historical website data. Luckily, most hosts can accommodate increased bandwidth needs even if a certain amount of bandwidth is associated with your server.

Server Backup

Remember when I said RAID is not a replacement for backups? Well, what I meant to say is nothing is a replacement for backups. Backups are the most critical element of your server setup that you will hopefully never need to use.

If you have the technical ability to set up a server backup system that backs up to a separate server (meaning a separate piece of hardware, not a partition or VPS on the main server) or storage service like Amazon S3, you should consider a cloud backup service.

While any remote service running on your server can introduce security issues, a reputable cloud backup service can be a lifesaver in the event of a server failure.

Companies like Carbonite or Backblaze can do full server backups. For what it’s worth, I tried half a dozen cloud backup services and found Backblaze to be the fastest and most unobtrusive, so that’s what I use.

Does It Make a Difference Which Datacenter My Dedicated Server Lives In?

If you have a choice of geographic location, you may feel better having your server closer to your home or office. If your site has a worldwide audience, as most do, geographic location is less important than the quality of the backbone connection that the datacenter or dedicated server provider offers.

Some dedicated server providers will tell you about their data centers and backbone connections on their websites. If they don’t, you can always ask them. But if you choose a well-known, reputable provider for your server, you’re probably not going to get stuck with a server that’s running out of a garage or someone’s basement.

Fifteen years ago, I would have advised you to do a lot of research about the data center. But in all honesty, that’s not the issue it used to be. Most servers live in data centers now and are adequately connected and sufficiently secured.

But it doesn’t hurt to ask your prospective host about where the servers live.

Should I Choose a Host Based on Uptime Guarantees?

Nope.

Let me tell you a little secret. It’s just us here, right? No one else is listening? Uptime guarantees are meaningless. They’re meaningless for a couple of reasons, mainly because on most networks, failure is unpredictable. So there’s no way, aside from performance history, to provide any uptime numbers.

Secondly, even if your host is on the ball as far as doing all they can to ensure the best uptime in the industry, when there is a failure or downtime for any reason, a guarantee doesn’t bring your website back online.

All the standard uptime guarantee does is reimburse anyone who complains about the outage. That reimbursement is often a relatively small amount based on the number of minutes your site is unavailable (check the fine print that you agreed to when opening the account).

To be clear, I’m not saying that’s bad or malicious behavior by the hosts. It’s just the reality of how guarantees work for most services. So an uptime guarantee shouldn’t really tip the scales one way or another when you’re looking for a dedicated server host.

The exception to everything I just said is a host that offers DDoS protection as part of an uptime guarantee. DDoS protection is a valuable service, and if you have reason to believe your site may fall victim to DDoS, or if you’ve been DDoSed in the past, the protection should be part of your configuration.

Listen to the People

Customer reviews have pretty much revolutionized the way we buy everything, and dedicated servers are no different. I mentioned sites like Web Hosting Talk right at the outset, and they are an excellent resource for unvarnished customer reviews and information.

There are probably more web host review sites than there are web hosts, but a few of them are reliable and unbiased. Look for sites that have done their own independent testing. It’s a bit difficult to find independent tests of dedicated servers, but there are some out there.

If you keep your skepticism dialed up to 10, you can find some useful review sites. Just be aware that affiliates run many of them (check for affiliate IDs on links), and in some cases, by the hosts themselves. An affiliate is going to recommend whichever host has the largest payout, and that’s not necessarily an indicator of service quality.

So Who Is the Best Dedicated Server Provider?

GreenGeeks, of course. 😉

It might not be surprising that I would say that. But I do believe in the GreenGeeks team because I know them, and I know that they care about what they do.

And if you would like a green dedicated server, there’s really no one else who can give you what GreenGeeks can.

The reality is there’s no one-size-fits-all answer to who the best dedicated server host is. What’s best for your site might not be best for mine. But hopefully, I’ve armed you with some useful information that will help you make an educated decision, and your needs will be not only met but exceeded.

The post What Should You Look for in a Dedicated Server Provider? appeared first on GreenGeeks Blog.

Performance and Brand Perception

One of the main issues you need to think about when it comes to managed vs unmanaged hosting is overall performance and brand perception. That is basically saying, what type of managed or unmanaged dedicated server do I need to put forth the best website performance possible.

Website performance is directly tied to brand perception. Think of it this way, have you ever visited a website for a company and the website had a slow loading time and was hard to navigate and get around?

Yes, there are certain things you can do to optimize a website, but the truth of the matter is that after optimization, a lot of load time and speed issues may be coming from the hosting plan or company you have chosen.

Furthermore, your other services that rely on uptime and online performance can also be affected. Things like your email and eCommerce need to remain up and running all the time. These things are relying on your server to be up and operation all the time, or at least with as little downtime as possible.

Managed vs Unmanaged Hosting: An Introduction

The first thing you do after creating your website, or oftentimes even before creating your website, is to choose the right hosting plan. A good hosting plan is something that is vital to the success of not only your website but your online business presence.

There are a number of different hosting plans available for you to choose from. There is shared hosting and VPS hosting, and it really can be difficult to decide what is best for you.

Every option provides it’s own list of pros and cons, it just depends on what you are looking for.

For example: Shared hosting is a very popular option that is low cost and if the right hosting provider is chosen, can be a very good way to host your site. Your website sits on the same server as many others while performance can still be very good.

VPS hosting is more expensive, but with that comes a lot of extra resources made available to you. This also includes more security options and oftentimes better performance. So again, it is all about what you need.

Differences Between Managed and Unmanaged Server Hosting

Now, let’s break it down even further. Every hosting plan (no matter what you choose) is either a managed hosting plan or an unmanaged hosting plan. We will go over the pros and cons of each in a little bit. However, it should be noted that most of the hosting plans you will encounter are unmanaged.

Unmanaged server hosting really just means you have full control over your own website. That being said, since it is unmanaged, you are also responsible for your own site security, optimization, maintenance and updates over time.

Yes, you will have customer service to ask questions and get help from when needed. But, for the most part, you have full control over what you do.

With managed server hosting, the hosting provider is most likely performing all of these tasks for you. The services you get and the price you received for managed hosting will depend on the hosting provider you choose. However, some of the more popular things that managed hosting usually provides includes:

• Automatic Backups
• Regular Server Updates
• Security Scanning
• CMS Updates via Softaculous

You might have heard these also referred to as “website care plans.” These types of plans are very popular with smaller companies and reseller hosting providers. They take on the entire hosting and managing process and make it very easy and worry-free to have your website running smoothly.

Again, this will be more expensive, but for a hands-off approach, it is perfect.

Now let’s take a look at some of the pros and cons of a managed vs unmanaged dedicated server.

Pros and Cons of Managed Server Hosting

Managed server hosting has a lot of good things going for it. Like anything else though, it also has downfalls. The choice you make will be based on exactly what you are looking for and how much hands-on work and management you want to have.

Let’s take a look at some of the pros and cons that come with the choice of managed vs unmanaged hosting.

We will start by looking at managed server hosting, which includes:

• Maintenance tasks are taken care of for you.
• Most security updates and CMS updates are taken care of automatically.
• Access to dedicated customer support to help you through any issues you may encounter.
• The ability to not have to worry about keeping all the details of your website in order.

So, you can see that managed hosting offers a lot of nice things. However, there are some cons. The biggest downfall of managed hosting is that it is going to cost you more. In most cases, quite a bit more. This can be a big issue for small businesses that are on a budget and can’t afford to throw that extra money around.

However, when you consider the extra costs and compare it to the work you avoid and all the other added benefits, the higher price often justifies itself. It is something to think about.

Another con of managed hosting is that oftentimes you do not have full root access to your website’s server. There are a number of reasons for this, but it can prevent you from making website customizations unless these customizations are offered as part of the plan.

If you want more control over everything, then a managed hosting plan is not for you.

Pros and Cons of Unmanaged Server Hosting

Like managed, unmanaged hosting provides you with a lot of pros as well. And again, there are also some cons. Let’s take a quick peek at both.

If you want a cheaper price and a higher level of control, then unmanaged server hosting is the solid choice. The upside, or pros, of this type of hosting plan include:

• Full root access to your server. This allows you to make any customization you want.
• A full-featured hosting control panel like cPanel. This helps you easily manage your website.
• More control over backups and security and doing it how you want.
• Unmanaged hosting plans are much cheaper.

Those are all fantastic options and allow you full control. However, all maintenance tasks, including website updates for core and CMS are your responsibility. You will also be fully responsible for all website security, optimization, and backups.

If you know what you are doing, this is fine. If not, this can be difficult. You will still have access to customer service but will need to personally contact them when needed.

Which Plan is Better For You?

Now that you have a better understanding of what managed vs unmanaged hosting is and how they are both operate, you can decide which one is right for you.

Again, both types of hosting offer some great things, you just need to decide what you want and how involved you want to be.

Also, different types of websites may be ideal for a different plan. As I stated above, a lot of thought may go into the final decision. So let’s review a few things that can help with the decision of which plan is better for you.

So, the level of support you will receive (even at a higher price) will be most ideal for small businesses and individuals that are looking for an option that is less technical. Allow the managed team to perform everything for you and take care of the website. The managed hosting option is particularly attractive if you don’t have much technical expertise.

Furthermore, managed plans will save you a lot of time in this aspect. That means you can spend more time figuring out your small business marketing plan and how to implement it instead of server settings, software updates and user permissions.

Unmanaged hosting plans are usually more suited for both bigger businesses with resources to handle all the things needed, or for someone that has technical experience or knowledge. Unmanaged plans are much more affordable and they offer you total freedom over the website. Although you are responsible for much more, the freedom you have is fantastic.

In many cases, site owners hire network administrators or other qualified technicians to manage the site’s server and resources. This isn’t a bad idea if you have the resources. But not every small business can afford to add another person to the payroll.

So, you can see that both options are good, it just depends on what you are looking for.

Final Thoughts

Making a decision regarding a hosting plan is one of the most important things you will do while in the process of setting up your website. All the information above should help you make an educated decision on whether you want to go with managed or unmanaged hosting.

Things like the size of the business, level of technical expertise, and budget will all play a factor in the final decision.

Remember, if you try one style of hosting and it isn’t working for you, then you can always switch plans. It’s just easier, in the long run, to make the best decision before you get started.

The post Managed vs Unmanaged Hosting Plans, What are They and Which is Better? appeared first on GreenGeeks Blog.