I have a few questions about my linux webserver. Currently I have a P166 with 64 MB ram, and 1 ethernet NIC. It's running Redhat 7.1 with apache, tomcat 3x, and mysql. I was hosting one website domain on it. I have a local ISP that is willing to let me put this directly on their network.

Here's my questions:

1) I'd like to host multiple domains on this webserver. Do I need to change my hardware setup? If I have one IP for the server, can apache safely and reliably handle virtual hosting for several domains all going to my single IP?

2) If I add JBoss or some other EJB open-source application to the box, will it be able to manage or should I upgrade my box to something newer?

My goal is offer ISP quality webhosting on this box. Is that attainable with my current plan?

Thanks!
Marty

It's possible to do but with the specs of 166Mhz and 64megs your performance will definitely be lacking. Most hosting now a days is run off a minimum of 800Mhz and 128Megs.

You may be able to host some 5-10 small sites if you dont mind the slow loading and performance is what this fool thinks

Good luck
Balaji

Originally posted by mghaught
I have a few questions about my linux webserver. Currently I have a P166 with 64 MB ram, and 1 ethernet NIC. It's running Redhat 7.1 with apache, tomcat 3x, and mysql. I was hosting one website domain on it. I have a local ISP that is willing to let me put this directly on their network.

Here's my questions:

1) I'd like to host multiple domains on this webserver. Do I need to change my hardware setup? If I have one IP for the server, can apache safely and reliably handle virtual hosting for several domains all going to my single IP?

2) If I add JBoss or some other EJB open-source application to the box, will it be able to manage or should I upgrade my box to something newer?

My goal is offer ISP quality webhosting on this box. Is that attainable with my current plan?

Thanks!
Marty

Hi,

A quality web host will be able to not have such small limits. As other's have stated, it's doable, but unless you have very small trafficked sites (well, they don't have to be tiny, mind you), and they don't consume a lot of resources, you better upgrade to a faster system. A 166 MHz system with 64 Megs ram can handle only so-many sites. It can be enough, it just depends on what type of sites you're hosting. My opinion, is that with the price of bandwidth and collocating your server at your ISP, it'll be costly enough to the point that you may as well get a better equipped system to handle enough sites to make enough money to pay the costs to be doing this, and to be doing it safely to ensure that you have enough power to make it worth it and handle enough sites to pay for it and make the effort worth it. Hardware is so cheap now and people will likely not have a lot of interest in a system with such low specifications.

Thank you guys.

So stemming from that, let's say I build a new server with updated hardware. What would be the best way to handle multiple domains if the server was on an ISP's network?

Would I route all DNS entries to point to my IP address and then use Apache's virtual domains to manage sorting out the requests?Or is there some other recommended application to handle sorting out the requests?

Cheers,
Marty