my very first VPS - questions

[kpieper]

In the past 7 years, I've slowly matured from free accounts to shared accounts to reseller accounts. This time, I'm considering a VPS, and really do not know that much about them.

I'm used to things like CDOSYS, CDONTS, AspUpload and other IIS components are already installed when I start to use the server. I probably use several more but do not know it, because I use a number of pre-made scripts (like a forum).

I have used and do like PLESK, and some of the things like Remote Desktop and Virtuozzo sound easy enough on paper.

I have a small ASP forum with about 100 members, maybe 10-25 are ever on at the same time, and it uses an MS SQL database around 40MB in size (it grows about 30MB per year). I've also got some other items that use MySQL, like a wiki and a photo album, though those are still "under construction" and not used by anybody yet. I don't foresee the MSSQL needs going up anytime soon, the MySQL will grow some, but I doubt it'll be huge. I actually use Access for most of my small db-driven items (calendar, another tiny forum, etc).

The STARTER package is within my budget (not really, but I'll find it, not too much more than a reseller account elsewhere).

I read another posts where RAM was a concern. What exactly is needed, in terms of RAM to run those services? Can I pay a little more ($5-10) and get a little more RAM? The BUSINESS package is way more than I can afford, and all those resources (space, bandwdith) would sit unused anyway.

Right now, I have my MSSQL database on an SQL server, and I use Enterprise Manager to access it for backups and restores. I guess I'll need to use MSSQL Server Express 2005, and it has some sort of tools to perform these functions? Do I requires the PLESK Power Pack for using MSSQL?

I know, lot of questions. Teach me, I'll learn fast, not a computer dummy, this is just new territory.

[Andre]

Hi kpieper,

Thank you for the detailed inquiry. Let me answer your questions:

If you want to run Plesk with both MSSQL and MySQL at the same time, you will need more than 256mb ram; at least 384mb which is included with the business package. As you mentioned that's not an option for you, I would recommend to run MSSQL only and then simply convert your MySQL databases to MSSQL so that everything runs on the same platform. I'm not sure whether that's possible though, but that would be the only way to run on a 256mb ram vps.

For what you described you can indeed use SQL express with the enterprise manager. In order to use MSSQL with Plesk you will need the power pack, that's correct. You can order the power pack along with your VPS package in the order form.

It is not possible to upgrade ram seperately, you would have to upgrade the package as a whole (until you have reached the Enterprise package, at that point you can upgrade resources seperately).

If you have any further questions, please let us know.