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  1. #1
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    Question Will 256mb be enough?

    Hi,

    I'm considering VPS hosting for a web application, which is a typical PHP/MySQL web app, but with some extra code modules for XML parsing and full-text search etc. These modules will surely have an overhead (as compared to a simple data-driven web app) once the web app starts handling concurrent users.

    Looking at various VPS plans out there, I was wondering if 256mb RAM will suffice to cater a web application described above. Besides this web app, I do not plan to run anything else on the server (so server processes will be quite restricted). But I certainly don't want the server to crawl down (due to CPU and RAM usage). Thinking about it, 256mb "sounds" too small a number for a server, but hey I'm new to VPS anyways

    Please share your insight. Thanks for your help guys!

    --
    More about the web app: Technically, the website I plan to launch is a typical multi-user PHP/MySQL web application, but one particular PHP script (a search engine script which uses complex database queries and stored procedures) will be invoked very frequently (can't predict how frequently as yet) for database processing (keyword search) and returning some results back to the client.

  2. #2
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    Its hard to give a definite answer but from the sounds of it as long as MySQL is optimized then it should run ok. Services do take a surprisingly small amount of RAM but as you said it will be your script overhead that could potentially cause issue.

    You could of course try it and see how it looks. With a VPS you could just upgrade with zero downtime so it wouldn't be a major issue if you find you needed more RAM

    If you are going VPS make sure you go Xen or an SLM OpenVZ/Virtuozzo provider as that will help you get a bit more bang for your buck due to the way the system reports RAM. Also remember on OpenVZ/Virtuozzo you will get burst RAM so whilst thats never guarenteed for testing you can see if you creep into and make a choice from there

    Rus
    Russ Foster - Industry Curmudgeon
    Freelance Sysadmin for Hire - email vaserv@gmail.com

  3. #3
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    When you say modules, do you mean extra modules for the web server, modules for PHP itself or just PHP functions bunched together in a subroutine?

    It sounds like your just running a regular LAMP webapp, and with no control panel you should be fine with 256 MB of memory. It gets tricky when you start adding things like cPanel or Plesk onto VPS's with less than 512 MB of guaranteed memory.

    The good thing about the VPS is that you can increase your RAM ala carte (if your chosen provider supports that, and most do) instantly, so if you find that your site has exploded in popularity overnight you can get an instant resource upgrade.

  4. #4
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    Thanks for the info, Rus!

    I'm not sure if there are any VPS hosts who "specialize" in MySQL optimization as part of their managed service. So, I'll have to take things in my hand, which I thing I'm quite comfortable with

    Earlier, I was deciding between VPS and semi-dedicated (low density shared), but I'm now quite sure that VPS is the way to go, because of the custom optimizations (mainly around the database and object caching) I might need.

  5. #5
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    Thanks again for your reply Sean!

    By extra code modules I mean, some extra PHP compiled extensions as well as custom code libraries (PHP scripts). That should be easy to handle for any VPS host though.

    I'm aware that without a control panel, server resources will be saved, but since my Linux admin skills are novice, I'm not sure if I'll be able to manage the server otherwise.

  6. #6
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    Quote Originally Posted by TravisDesign View Post
    Thanks again for your reply Sean!

    By extra code modules I mean, some extra PHP compiled extensions as well as custom code libraries (PHP scripts). That should be easy to handle for any VPS host though.
    Libraries, that's what I meant when I said "functions bunched together in a subroutine". It's been a long day.

    I'm aware that without a control panel, server resources will be saved, but since my Linux admin skills are novice, I'm not sure if I'll be able to manage the server otherwise.
    You can always go with something like Webmin, which is a very lightweight control panel that runs off its own web server written in Perl. It does the job very well and has many modules available for various administration tasks, such as Virtualmin for web services and Usermin for system users, etc.

    MySQL optimization should not be too much of a big deal either, as it basically just involves tweaking the /etc/my.cnf file.

  7. #7
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    How's lxAdmin btw?

  8. #8
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    If you go with a decent provider who is willing, and can, upgrade your plan as needed that you should have no problem "Starting" at 256MB of RAM.

    I don't see the issue as much as whether it will run at 256MB of RAM, as we all know it can "Probably" do that, but whether the provider can scale the VPS for you to more RAM if the site grows to the point of needing more ram.

  9. #9
    Well,
    256 MB is not all you get...
    You should be having some burstable RAM too...
    If you have RAM burstable to 1 GB ... then it should work just fine.
    though i personally suggest atleast 512 MB of dedicated RAM.

  10. #10
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    256MB RAM will be able to run I guess many basic applications. Nothing to RAM hungry.

  11. #11
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    Yea, 256 should be fine.

  12. #12
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    Thanks guys!

    I reckon I'll should go with 256mb or 384mb, and then upgrade as needed.

  13. #13
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    One of the highlights of VPS plans are that they are usually very flexible.

    Start with 256 and upgrade as needed.

  14. #14
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    Depending on if which control pannel you are using. If you use cPanel or something like that, you might want to have a little more

  15. #15
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    256 with Cpanel not recommended ...

    i have used it before and i upgraded to 512 ...

    but now 1 GB ...

    Cheers !..
    Learn whatever you read ...
    Some day you well tech ...
    E-Learning .

  16. #16
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    256mb should be fine, however if you do ever find its running slow, you could ask your provider to upgrade you.
    The Hosting Heroes Ltd - over 20 years in the UK hosting industry.
    Website Hosting | Reseller Hosting | Cloud VPS Servers | Dedicated Servers | VPS Reseller for WHMCS
    www.thehostingheroes.com

  17. #17
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    Quote Originally Posted by TravisDesign View Post
    Thanks for the info, Rus!

    I'm not sure if there are any VPS hosts who "specialize" in MySQL optimization as part of their managed service. So, I'll have to take things in my hand, which I thing I'm quite comfortable with
    Futurehosting.biz list MySQL optimizing as part of their basic security setup for their managed VPS's

  18. #18
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    Quote Originally Posted by E-Learning View Post
    256 with Cpanel not recommended ...

    i have used it before and i upgraded to 512 ...

    but now 1 GB ...

    Cheers !..
    Why would you say that? -- 256 runs fine.... also it helps if you have bursting ability.... but 256 as a base model is fine...

  19. #19
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    i was used my portal plus a huge vb ( 75.000 ) users ...

    with some sites and paper .!!

    it's should have 512 at least ..
    Learn whatever you read ...
    Some day you well tech ...
    E-Learning .

  20. #20
    I wouldn't recommend anything under 512.. but that is just me.

  21. #21
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    It really depends on the memory accounting mechanism in place; not all 256MB VPS plans are equal.
    Eric Spaeth
    Enterprise Network Engineer :: Hosting Hobbyist :: Master of Procrastination
    "The really cool thing about facts is they remain true regardless of who states them."

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