When should I upgrade from VPS to a dedicated server?

Every kind of web hosting has its own advantages, but nor all of them are equally good for your online business on this or that stage of development. When choosing the right solution you should always remember about your requirements. When VPS hosting is not enough, you can switch to a dedicated server. Learn what the main reasons to upgrade your hosting are:

1. Better speed, reliability and uptime. The best hosting provides ensure 99.999% uptime, so your website will be always available for users. So if you want your business to be more stable and reliable, a dedicated server is definitely worth buying.

2. Opportunity to run heavy software and applications. If you are going to build up your website, add new pages and a lot of content (especially videos and images), a dedicated server will be the most optimal solution. It provides enough resources and makes you independent from other users and their websites.

3. Better control over your server. Root access is not available for all VPS solutions. If you want to fully customize your server and hosting, you can order a dedicated server and specify its settings as you wish. Besides, you will be able to install and run any software you need for achieving your goals.

4. Hosting of several websites. Theoretically, dedicated server allows hosting as many websites as you want (although some companies still limit the amount of domains, its number will be high). Using Web Host Manager, you can give clients access via their own cPanels, but the account of your dedicated server will be under your control.

5. Success of your project is the main reason to upgrade. The more your business develops, the more traffic your need to handle. To meet the requirements of your visitors and expand space for development, you need to have a flexible and powerful solution. This is why a dedicated server is a must for advanced website creators. If you are going to launch a marketing campaign and expand your audience, it’s high time to switch to a dedicated server!

Original: https://inxyhost.com/blog/5-reasons-to-upgrade-from-vps-to-a-dedicated-server

How to clean your web-site to improve performance?

If you focus on developing a web-site, you should organize its space so that nothing obstructed and affected its work. Learn how to declutter a web-site to boost its speed and performance.

Get rid of useless plugins

Although they help in functioning of web-sites, some of plugins may slow down the speed of page loading. Some can appear to be useless, or just poorly coded. If you don’t need a plugin, remove it. You can also replace several plugins with one multifunctional.

Improve navigation

Check the navigation of your web-site from a user’s point of view. Make sure that the panel has only necessary categories for each search. Widgets and tags may also improve access to web-site resources. If there are many pages on the web-site, you a mega menu – it makes surfing more comprehensible.

Make the structure of content comprehensible

If there is a lot of content on your web-site, you should take care of its structure. Remember to insert H1 and H2, H3 headings into your articles so that they were more readable. Lists, quotes and links also make content better – they help to comprehend and memorize the information.

Check web-site relevancy

Don’t hesitate to use media that is connected with the subject. Add new content and update the old one from time to time. Ensure that you don’t have broken links.

Don’t forget about updates

Keep tabs on the latest updates of themes and plugins and check their compatibility. Before updating everything, you can make a backup copy of your web-site (it is highly recommended). If something goes wrong during update, you will be always ready to restore the site.

Check web-site speed

If users start complaining about slow loading of your web-site, you should find and eliminate the cause of it. If the server deals with more traffic than it is supposed to, you can switch to another hosting plan. Check your themes and active plugins and get rid of ones that slow down web-site speed considerably. It is advised to test the plugins before and after installing them.

Renew the admin panel

Remove of themes that are no longer in use. Don’t hesitate to delete all spammy and obscene comments – they may also spoil the image of your web-site. If you have some posts in your trash bin, it’s time to erase them forever. Fix broken links (it can be done manually and with the help of plugins). Check your database and get rid of elements you don’t need.

Origin: https://www.inxy.com/blog/decluttering-a-web-site-for-better-performance

Why do you also need online back-up?

Although most web hosting technologies ensure 99,99% uptime, back-up services serve as a great addition to it and allow saving all mission-critical data forever. Find out why both enterprises and individual Internet users need it.

Online back-up is copying of files and data from user’s hardware or server to a remote computer or server using Internet connection. Everything is simple: you upload your files (of any size and format) from your hard drive to the cloud storage via browser interface. Some services require additional applications or software to simplify access to your data. Theoretically, a user may store as much data as needed, having stable access to it from any point on Earth. You only need Internet connection to open the resource with your files. The information is stored on a remote server for as long as you need (usually, monthly payment is required), and data is automatically renewed if you make changes on the cloud server.

Mostly, such services are subscription-based and require monthly fee. The cost is defined by storage space required. To reduce the size of your files and save on storage, you may use such technologies as deduplication or incremental backups.

Cloud storage for back-up is quite popular among many enterprises, being deployed by their IT departments. Back-up is an affordable option that may save you from loss of mission-critical information (database or entre infrastructure) or just important personal files (photo, video, etc). This is a wise solution for those who care about digital safety.

Learn more about back-up options in CDN technology: https://spacecdn.com/blog/

How to prepare for live streaming?

 If you have decided to order a CDN for live streaming, you should take into consideration many important things. Learn which aspects are crucial for the right choice of CDN solutions.

Your target audience

Probably, this is the most important point in our list. Knowing your target audience you will find out what your needs are. First, you should identify the location of your visitors and get information about its peculiarities. For example, if your users are located in Europe and USA where connection speed is higher than average, you should use higher bit rate during delivery. Secondly, it is better to choose nodes located closer to the visitors.

Select the appropriate encoder

There are hundreds of encoders on the market. Choose the one that meets your demands, considering costs of production, your budget and potential revenue. Beginners are recommended Flash Media Live Encoder: it is free of charge, and does not require specific technical knowledge.

Specify video and audio settings

You should choose the settings that will allow reaching the best quality of your audio and video content. It is recommended to keep the bit rate speed 500-600 kbps under maximum and use H.264 video format. Audio settings may be as follows:

- Format: AAC (supported by most OS)

- Channels: Mono

- Sample rate: 11025

- Bit rate: about 20 Kpbs

Define the location

The biggest streaming CDNs have datacenters located in the USA, Southeast Asia and Central Europe. Choose a network that covers all regions with your target audience. Before publishing a video, try streaming it online to several people – you will test the quality and make adjustments, if necessary.

Perform your own tests

Prior to publishing online streaming prepare several devices: a tablet, a PC and a smartphone. Release a test version of your stream, and try accessing it from your devices. Perform some kind of troubleshooting and make sure that everything runs smoothly.

There is one more way to improve video streaming: https://www.jodihost.com/blog/news/how-cdn-helps-with-video-delivery/