Tech

5 Tips to Get the Best Out of Your Linux VPS Hosting

Virtual Private Server Hosting or VPS Hosting has cemented its place as the hosting of choice for various types of websites, especially SMBs and growing websites. VPS Hosting allows you better control over your resources compared to a Shared Hosting plan. Also, the dedicated virtualized environment ensures that other websites on the same server do not interfere with your resources. 

VPS Hosting offers full root access and one-click scalability. However, one may fall in the trap of scaling up a lot of resources which may not go into proper usage. Therefore, it becomes very important to optimize your VPS setting to get the most out of it. In this article, we have chalked out the 5 most important tips that will help you reap in the benefits from your VPS Server. 

But first, let us understand how VPS works. A VPS Server works on the principle of server virtualization by splitting a single physical server into multiple virtual servers with the use of applications called the hypervisor. Each virtual server works in isolation and does not interfere with other websites on the same server. Linux VPS Hosting gives root access to the client so one can install and configure the application as per their requirements. 

Tips to Optimize your VPS Server

  1. Optimize your Apache: An ill-configured Apache can put heavy stress on the server by consuming unwanted resources. This may prevent other processes from functioning in the right manner. The recommended setting for VPS is as follows.
  • StartServers: With StartServers, you can decide the number of child server processes which can be started during startup. It is highly recommended to set this value to 5.
  • KeepAlive: This function allows the conversation between the server and the browser through the same connection rather than opening a new one with each request. For smooth operation, it is recommended to set the maximum KeepAlive request to 100. 
  • MaxClients: This value determines the number of actual requests that can be served simultaneously. The recommended value for VPS is 150. 
  1. Keep the MySQL version updated: Since updating MySQL may require some prior technical knowledge, it is recommended to take the help of technical experts if you are unsure of doing it by yourself. Keeping an updated MySQL is a prerequisite for getting the best out of your VPS Server. Outdated versions like 5.1 are not recommended for peak performance. 
  2. Cache your content: Caching involves creating static files for your resource-intensive website and then serving the cached file if the user revisits the same page. This eliminates the need for making a new request to the server every single time, thus decreasing the time taken to load all the processes. Caching software like Varnish can speed your VPS website by up to 1000 times. 
  3. Make use of CDN: CDN works by storing data of your website on multiple servers across the world. When data is requested, it is retrieved from the nearest proximate location, thus speeding the process of data loading. Additionally, it reduces the load on the server by decreasing the number of HTTP requests made to it. 
  4. Content optimization: To know the fault lines in your content, it is advisable to make use of the free tools available like Google’s Page Speed and WebPageTest. 

Conclusion

Choosing a Linux VPS Hosting for your website can only prove to be a good decision if you optimize it well and make the most out of it.