Subject: Accessing Your Server For The First Time

There are a couple of ways for you to access your server after signing up. You will receive a welcome e-mail containing your username/passwords and server assignments. If you use linux or unix you can use Secure Shell (ssh) this service is similar to telnet but it encrypts the data between your computer and the server. To connect to the server from the command line issue the command:

> ssh servername@domainname.com -l username

The server will prompt you for your password and you will have access to your console after supplying it. To disconnect just type logout. If you are accessing your servers from a windows-based machine you can use PuTTY to access your server(s).

Your server can also be accessed via the webmin control panel. To access via the control panel do the following:

1. Open a Browser

2. http://servername.domainname.com:10000

You will be presented with a logon page enter your username and password.


Subject: Default Server Configuration


By default servers are configured with the following options - Base Operating System + Development Tools + Webserver + Webmin. The server is updated with the latest updates, a firewall is installed but turned off. The webserver will not restart automatically if the VM is rebooted you have to use chkconfig to have it start automatically.


Subject: Administering Your Server


This is an Unmanaged Service --Translation: You are responsible for installing, configuring and troubleshooting issues related to your VM. I will handle pretty much anything that you can't do for yourself like: Restarting a crashed server, Turning off a firewall [you should always include instructions on how to disable it.], RDNS setups, Network issues that might keep you from accessing your server if those issues originate from my end of the connection. Regarding system backups: please see the AUP/TOS #8 for details.

Subject: VM Technology Deployment


Primarily XEN 3.0 + Proprietary Full HW emulation for back-end operations/staging


Subject: VM Prices-More Bang for your Buck


One question I get asked often, is why are my prices lower than the competition? The simple answer is, huge up front investments for future flexibility, aggressive supplier negotiations and low overhead. Finally, by focusing on the basics that is, not trying to be a host for everybody.I can focus on providing a service that works. Your subscription fee gets you a box, and an Internet connection. The rest is up to you. In other words, no frills at a great price.


Subject: Equal Share CPU + Bandwidth


Equal Share CPU --Translation: There are no policies governing a VMs access to the host systems CPU. What that means is if you have one Active VM on a host requiring 100% of the CPU then that one VM can use 100% of the CPU. If another VM starts up and requires 100% of the CPU then both will achieve a perfect balance of 50% of the CPU. This division of CPU Mhz will continue with each VM. 100Mbps (Shared bandwidth) for a full explanation see our AUP/TOS #20.


Subject: Contention Ratio VMs Host Node


First, let me explain why the number of VMs on a host node is not a reliable metric for determining performance. It assumes that all of the VMs on the host node are busy accessing the disks and using the CPU when in fact, the vast majority of VMs on a host node are usually idle. Sure, there are some exceptions but this isn't the norm. So with that said, it's not so much about how many are on the node, as much as it is what they are doing, that will ultimately determine what kind of performance you can expect. Having a VM is a lot like having a computer where the Mhz change along a range based on system load. Now to answer the question you are asking. The magic number for our VMs will range from between 3:1 - < 10:1 The specific number will vary based on the packages on that Host Node.


Subject: Control Panels


All servers come pre-configured with the webmin control panel. Once you know yow to use it, you can pretty much manage your entire server using a web-browser. I know that I could sell more VMs if I offer cpanel - However, that would increase the base-price of the VM due to the licensing cost. Most customer who require those control panels save enough money on the VM that they can just purchase their own licenses and install them on the servers.

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Subject: Distribution Choice or Lack Thereof


Over the course of the service I have offered various distributions and my choices of distributions had a lot to do with support. Even though this is an unmanaged service and has been from its inception. I anticipated support questions from users who needed little help getting started. I started with RHX-9. However, when I started my hosting business the choice was SuSE. There were two reasons for this a) I was a windows user and while I knew linux, SuSE for me was the first distribution where most things just worked without a lot of tinkering. My first production use of this distribution was for my Content Distribution Service. After that, I used it on my Dedicated Server and finally as a VM offering. b) Due to my hardware technology choices SuSE was one of two distributions that fully supports my hardware platform. SuSE accounts for about 20% of my host server deployment and will run SuSE, Debian. 35% of my host server deployment is based on FC6 and it will only run FC6 VMs. Everything else is somewhat permanently sold out due to waiting lists which causes the slots to fill as soon as they are open. While you might not get the distribution of your choice you WILL get excellent value for the money. Not a bad trade off if you ask me.


Subject: VM Management Console

Another question I'm asked often is where I provide any type of management console for people to restart, or reinstall the OSes on the VMs. The short answer is NO. The longer answer is, your access to your VM is very much like your access to a dedicated server. Therefore, if you lose access to your machine you will have to send an email to admin to have it restored or rebooted so that you can get access to it again. Now, while this may seem like a pain for a provider it actually helps to cut down on carelessness. The incidents of lockouts and poor configurations are kept to a minimal. I think when there are real consequences for getting locked out of a server people naturally become experts at working on remote machines. Think before you type.


Subject: Unmanaged Service Overview In Simple Terms


1. By default all machine are patched. However, you are responsible for patching after you become the owner of the VM.


2. The servers are already setup to a degree for basic things. Such as hosting a website. Apache is installed and configured. However, it is not configured to start automatically at boot. You have to change this if you want.


3. The firewall is turned off by default you have to turn it on if you want it.


4. The machines come with Webmin Control panel. (Web-based Server management). If you need anything else you can install and configure it yourself.


5. Additional IP address can be rented for $1.50 each (request a link)


6. Servers are located in an unstaffed Carrier Data Center in downtown Chicago


The bandwidth is Cogent.


A - You get a box with an Internet connection


B - The machine has an OS installed that has been patched and a running webserver, ssh, and webmin control panel (The firewall is turned off) The webserver is not configured to autostart when the VM is booted.


This setup is provided so that people can go either way. Remove the stuff I installed for adjust the settings for continued use.


If you turn the firewall on (can be done from the command line) You will only be able to access the Webserver, ssh and nothing else unless you create a rule to allow it. You will lose access to the webmin control panel.


C - If you need a DNS, FTP or Mail server. You should know how to install and configure those things. If you don't you can ask and I can give you step-by-step instructions on how to do it or point you in the right direction to information and documentation which outlines how to do it. However, nothing stops you from doing this yourself. .e.g use Google.


D - I TAKE A HANDS OFF APPROACH TO PEOPLES MACHINES Outside of administrative actions (stopping, starting, pausing or backing up the machine) All of which do not require me to logon to your machine. Finally, most people change the root passwords which are assigned to them when they sign-up once you do that I will not be able to logon to your machine period.


E - If you jack up the machine really bad. I won't waste anytime trying to figure out what you've done to it. I will just blow it away and give you a fresh one.


F - The machines I provide can be used to learn how to manage a linux based system. In fact that's how many people use them and then when they get enough experience they can move on to dedicated servers or something else.


G - Finally, it is always good to remind those who would SIGN-UP and after three days of fooling around with the machine demand their money back because they don't know how to install and FTP server. You will NOT BE REFUNDED YOUR MONEY!


The aforementioned information has been provided to help the VPS shopper make an informed decision.


Subject: Community Support Forums


My customer-base is largely self-sufficient. Because I run a relatively large infrastructure I communicate problems and issues to Individuals as problems and issues are likely to only impact certain users and will remain irrelevent to all others.


Therefore, If you need a certain level of comfort i.e. 24/7 support you should probably select a provider that offers that.


It's not a secret that am a solo operator. However, the nature of my business and my work requires that I have access to a computer(s) for up to 10-16 hours a day. With that being said, as per the TOS/AUP. You will generally get a response within 24 hours. Realistically, anywere between 15 min - 4 hours. In otherwords, it could be more but usually less. (It should be obvious that I need time to, sleep, eat, exercise, have dinner with my wife, go on vacations, do research and development, setup new servers, work in the datacenter, solve problems, promote the business, do accounting and take a mental health break.) Also, because my customer base is spread out across the globe, non-us users need to mindful of the fact that while it may be in the middle of the day where you are, the opposite is true here so, I might be in bed and won't see your emails until I start the next day.


Subject: Service Reliability / Redundancy


a) Network Outages are beyond my control. However, they have usually lead to degraded performance and not a complete outage. Which means that most sites continued to respond normally and unless you were downloading large files you wouldn't notice these. They also wouldn't show up on the reports because the sites were still reachable.


b) Hardware failures: The service has gone over 700 days without any hardware failures.* If there was one today, It's a distributed environment therefore, a hardware failure HDD, CPU, Motherboard or MEM would only impact a subset of customers and not all customers. I generally have enough capacity to use other nodes in the event of a failure. I also maintain spare equipment offsite.


c) As I mentioned before, if there are problems which are usually software related those issues including work-arounds are communicated to customer in the form of disclaimers that are communicated on an individual bases as those problems if any, are irrelevent to other customers. If there are any known service impacting problems they will be communicated to you either pre-sales or post-sales (really depends on the situation).


d) Uptime for individual VMs - varies. To be frank, it's not my problem if an individual VM crashes due to user action. Most of my customers understand this therefore, they don't generally go on public forums crying about their VMs being down or do they send me angry e-mails demanding that I fix it. They simply follow the rules which is send an email to admin asking for a reboot, reinstall or simple instructions on how to undo whatever they did to allow them to connect again. (Keep in mind this can't take a lot of my time.)


#5. Backups - Also covered many times before. Customer should backup their own data! The reason is simple. My backups are a part of my due diligence as a provider NOT for the protection of customer data. So let's say your server decides to give up the ghost. When I first started it took a week 7 days to cycle through the servers and backup all of the VMs, it takes more than a month now to do this. The first problem is simple, my backup windows may not match your data that changes daily. Also, keep in mind, that if a server fails I can get you a new VM with the same configuration. Restoring your data is pretty much out of the question because a) not only is it stored off site, it is stored in tape archives that tooks days to create. b) unless you are willing to pay $$$ to have me to reverse the process it would be cheaper and better if you backed up your own stuff.


#6. Maintenance Windows - On about 75% of the servers I can peform routine maintenance without disrupting the customers running VMs. The rest would require downtime. In those instances I generally ask the customers to let me know when it's a good time to make an archive usually takes about 10-20 minutes per VM. Host server maintenance, I try to limit that to Sundays and to necessary activities (10 minute outage if necessary, with no VM reboots). Emergency Routine Maintenance (10 minute outage if necessary with no VM reboots and no notification.)


In a nutshell, I have customers from every corner of the planet and they try not to bother me too much and I try not to bother them unnecessarily. So, to make a long story short. I'm not trying to convience you to use my service. I think it pretty much sells itself. However, I am trying to give you information that could help you to make an informed decision and pick a provider that suits your needs even if it is not my service but one of my competitors.


Subject: GUI + VNC Access to Linux Desktop


1. Most VPS or *nix machines don't come with GUIs installed (Windows is the only exception) -- There are several good reasons for this, first, there is file and system overhead of running a full GUI on a box that will be primarily be used as some sort of server [www, ftp, smtp etc]


2. Your VM and all of the other ones have graphic support turned off. This was done during the creation of the machine.


3. VNC and Linux vs VNC and Windows -- Most windows users assume incorrectly that VNC works exactly as it does on Windows. However, because linux is a true multi user system, Even if you installed a full GUI on the linux machine and then added VNC what you would end up with is access not to the desktop as it appears at the actual machine console but to a blank desktop with a terminal window on it for which you could launch your graphical programs but you would have to know the terminal commands to call them. On top of this, you would have to resize and position each window you open.


4. VNC Access to a Linux Desktop - It does work and can be done. However, it is not that useful. For the following reasons. Sporadic mouse and keyboard behavior will frustrate you to the point of insanity: Because A) You would have to become an expert in positioning the mouse over objects because the tracking leaves a lot to be desired. B) when you type commands you will have similar issues e.g. trying type: "http://www.247hosting.info" will repeatedly come out like: htttttp://wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww.22222444447777hhhhooosssssttttiiinng.info When you try to correct the repeated keystrokes. you will end up deleting more than you want.


5. In addition to the above issues, when the console is logged out VNC will shutdown and can't be started again until after the local desktop has been logged on again and you pretty much have to start it again from the desktop session. If it isn't obvious, without local access to the console you won't be able to logon to the primary desktop of your machine.

6. What works:

A) ssh is the most preferred way to access the system because it give you seemless access to your server console. If you are on windows you want to use Putty you can download it from here : http://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~sgtatham/putty/


You could also use WinSCP {google: WinSCP Novell} This program will let you use scp (Secure Copy Protocol to browse and copy files to and from your windows machine to your linux machine. Easy way to upload and download stuff. However, for very large files on fast links the throughput tops out at about 15-20Mbps. This program also causes 100% cpu load on the Windows box.


B) Web-based control panels - Like webmin gives you the ability to execute commands that run on the terminal but output the response to a webpage. Obviously, it doesn't work with interactive commands. For example: Logon to webmin goto system --> running processes type in df -h and click run this will display the free space on your machine. or type ls which will show you all of the file in a directory. You could pretty much manage your entire server from webmin but you would need to know what you are doing.


C) Finally, there's X forwarding (two linux machines both with GUIs installed) through a ssh session with X forwarding enabled. You could just - like with VNC launch your graphical based programs from a terminal and the application windows would spawn on your local console. In my opinion this is even better than VNC or RDP. However, once again you would need to know the commands to launch your graphical programs from the console and you will have to connect from a linux machine with similiar software installed to get the true benefits of X forwarding.


From windows you have two real choices for accessing your server

1. putty [make sure you configure the auth to be 2 only]

2. Web-based control panels.

Hope this helps.


Subject: Cancellation Policy Explained


Sometimes I get emails from users who are frustrated that their VMs were disconnected. These disconnections are usually the result of a subscription cancellation or payment failure. Customers are under the incorrect impression that a subscription payment covers 30-days of services. However, when a provider doesn't charge setup fees they are taking a risk that the customer will continue the service beyond the first month. Your first month subscription payment goes towards provisioning costs. Customers should also keep in mind that every slot that is allocated to a customer who doesn't plan to continue the service he/she is using a slot that could be allocated to someone who does. In addition to all of this, the very first line of the AUP/TOS indicates that payments are non-refundable.


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