The site is currently hosted on shared web hosting using a regular LAMP stack. However, the hosting has started to exceed the allowable limits for MySQL and CPU due to the site's high traffic of 20-70K hits per day. This is mainly caused by heavy SQL queries used to generate some of the pages.

Given the situation, I believe it is best to migrate to a VDS or Dedicated server. Nonetheless, choosing the right configuration can be quite tricky. Are there any tips that could help determine how much RAM or CPU power is needed? Unfortunately, the current Shared hosting shows the resources consumed in abstract units, making it difficult to draw any conclusions.

I've recently migrated to a VDS and was surprised by the significant performance difference between the weakest dedicated server on hetzner.de and the most powerful Windows server on firstvds. The difference was measured dozens of times, highlighting the benefits of using dedicated servers.

However, it is worth noting that even after configuration, there's a possibility that pages may load slower than they would on a shared hosting platform.

In terms of choosing a dedicated server, I recommend any of hetzner's offerings as they are reliable and cost-effective. More information, including pricing, can be found at www.hetzner.de/en/hosting/produktmatrix/rootserver-produktmatrix-ex

If you're unsure of how much RAM is needed for your site, try deploying a copy on an 8Gb VPS with DigitalOcean and carry out an artificial stress test to gauge performance. Using the results, you should be able to determine how much RAM and percentage is required to run the site effectively.

During the testing process, consider installing NewRelic's free version to monitor the load charts in real-time, giving you important insights into how the site operates under pressure.

After the testing process, you can confidently pick up a VPS from leading hosting providers such as Linode.com, Amazon, Rackspace or Joyent. Alternatively, sticking with DigitalOcean could also be a solid choice, given their competitive pricing and fast support.

If you're looking for stable, reliable, and trustworthy servers, I recommend checking out asvhost.com and planethoster.com. They offer excellent pricing, reliable customer support, and all the necessary tools to get your site up and running.

These providers are definitely worth trying out if you haven't already, as they have a proven track record of delivering high-quality service to their clients.

Quote from: ryan reynold on Jan 06, 2023, 01:14 AMThere is a web site (a regular LAMP) spinning on shared web hosting. Recently, hosting has started to show exceeding the allowable limits for MySQL and CPU. The site has 20-70 thousand hits per day. Some of the pages are formed by rather heavy SQL queries.

I want to move to VDS or Dedicated. The question is, how do I choose the right configuration?
 Are there any tricks to estimate how much RAM is needed or which CPUs? The current Shared hosting shows the resources consumed in the control panel in some abstract units, from which it is difficult to draw conclusions.

To test the server, some companies that provide server rental have such a function. Lease for how many days. Or for how many days, how many the company provides. Test loading of users on them. And then think about whether you need a server or not.

I feel fortunate to have found GTHost.com and recommend their instant servers highly. Great cheap service and easy too use.

To determine the benefits of renting a VDS server over a virtual server, it's useful to compare their "basic" characteristics.

Virtual servers share hosting resources among all clients, which means that if one client's project occupies a large amount of disk space or memory, other projects may suffer. In contrast, VDS offers fixed amounts of disk space and memory to each user.

On a virtual server, all projects share the same IP address, resulting in slower browsing speeds as search engines take longer to index them. With VDS, however, each project has its own IP, ensuring faster performance.

Furthermore, the software on a virtual server is provided preconfigured, while VDS allows users to customize the software and operating system to meet specific project needs. This provides greater flexibility and control over web-based projects.

A shared hosting platform's performance depends on the number of projects sharing the system resources, whereas VDS guarantees high levels of performance and resource availability since resources are shared solely between your own sites.

Finally, security is more reliable with VDS, as virtual hosting platforms can be impacted by the actions of other "neighbors". If a site shares the same IP address as a blocked project, it will also be affected. By switching to VDS, users can fully manage their projects and ensure optimal performance even during peak loads.

When considering the migration to a VDS or Dedicated server, there are several factors you can consider to estimate the required RAM and CPU power:

1. Traffic and Hits: You mentioned that your site receives 20-70K hits per day. Analyze your traffic patterns, peak usage periods, and concurrent user numbers to estimate the maximum simultaneous users your site handles.

2. SQL Queries: Identify the heavy SQL queries that are causing the high resource consumption. Determine if there are any optimizations that can be done to improve query efficiency, such as indexing or caching database results.

3. Database Size: Analyze your database size and growth rate over time. Consider the amount of RAM needed to accommodate your database in memory for efficient query execution.

4. Content and Media: Consider the size and frequency of content updates on your site. If you have large media files or frequently updated content, factor in additional storage requirements.

5. Application Framework: Assess the resource requirements of your web application framework, such as PHP, and any additional components or plugins it uses. Check their recommended hardware specifications.

6. Monitoring: Implement server monitoring tools to track resource usage on your current hosting environment. This will provide you with useful data for estimating the required resources on a VDS or Dedicated server.

7. Scalability: Plan for future growth and scalability. Ensure that the chosen server option can handle not only your current needs but also accommodate future increases in traffic and resource demands.


tips to help determine the RAM and CPU power needed for your VDS or Dedicated server migration:

1. Load Testing: Conduct load testing on your current shared hosting to simulate peak traffic conditions. This can help identify the maximum resource usage and provide insights into the required server resources.

2. Resource Monitoring: Implement resource monitoring tools on your current shared hosting environment to track CPU usage, memory consumption, and other relevant metrics over time. This data will help you understand the resource trends and patterns of your website.

3. Benchmarking: Compare the performance and resource utilization of your website on the shared hosting with industry benchmarks. This will help you determine if your website's resource usage is within acceptable ranges or if it requires an upgrade.

4. Consult Hosting Providers: Reach out to different hosting providers and discuss your requirements with their support teams. They can provide recommendations based on your website's needs and the amount of traffic it receives.

5. Analyze Error Logs: Check the error logs of your website to identify any performance bottlenecks or issues causing high resource consumption. This can help identify specific areas that need optimization or improvement.

6. Consider Managed Hosting: If you don't have the expertise or resources to manage the server and optimize its performance, consider opting for managed hosting services. Managed hosting providers can assist you in choosing the right server configuration and handle server optimization tasks.

7. Scalability Options: Look for hosting options that offer scalability, such as the ability to easily upgrade server resources as your website's traffic grows. This will ensure that your server can handle increased loads without major disruptions.