VPS or Semi-dedicated?

[Mark_Amy]

Hello,
I'm currently developing a stock photo website and I'm looking for hosting. Jaguar seems to come up time and again as recommended and looking through the forums here, everyone is really happy with the service.

My site will start off small, but obviously with the nature of stock photos, it will grow and could grow to be very large. Depending on how successful it is I will probably have to look into dedicated servers in the future, but for the time being I think it'll be better to go with either VPS or semi-dedicated.

Would anyone recommend which one would be better? I'm not too clear on the differences as I've only ever used shared hosting before and I want to move away from who I'm currently with.

The most important aspects I'm looking for are diskspace, bandwidth, and of course reliability and uptime etc.

Thanks,
Mark

p.s. Looking at other threads here, I think I need to add more details. I will need Linux hosting with PHP at least version 4 and with a memory limit higher than 64mb, GD Library 2.0 and a MySQL database.

[thecoalman]

Unless you need root access and/or specific software installed that is not common I beleive the correct choice is semi-dedicated.

VPS gives you root access, you can do whatever you want with it. e.g you could delete every file on the server if you wanted. but more importantly you can install whatever you want. Think of it as having a remote computer that you have complete control over.

The semi dedicated is a very high resource shared hosted plan(more than you're going to get with VPS) but if you needed a special application or wanted to do something specific with it that doesn't come with the plan you won't be able too.

If you're just installing a php photo gallery semi-dedicated will be all you need.

[Vin DSL]

Looking at other threads here, I think I need to add more details...

Nice site!

My dad was an anchor clanker (Seabee) stationed in the Quadulans, and traveled to China several times - taking pics, buying ivory, black-lacquered furniture, yada, yada, yada. It's a very photogenic country!

If it was me, I'd go the SDX/Menalto Gallery2 route - they're both powerhouses!

BTW, one of the (many) nice things about this place is - it's one stop shopping, so they'll be able to fully accomodate your needs as your site grows.

[jason]

SDX ois nothing more than a shared plan on steroids (don't tell Congress). The only thing different with it than a shared plan (aside from increased storage and bandwidth) is that there are only something like 10% of the users that would normally be on a server, so you have lots more resources at your disposal. If you are working with a shared plan now and it meets your needs then you should be fine with SDX.

A VPS is a similar server to a SDX, but it is divided into individual pieces for each user. So each user gets a guaranteed "chuck" of the server at any given time (whereas with shared/SDX a single user can take all of the available resources if they are free), so running a VPS account is like running a server on an old desktop that you haven't used in a few years. Since it sounds like your site is probably resource intensive (processing photos with GD takes a fair amount of resources) you'll probably be better off with an SDX plan.

--Jason

[Spathiphyllum]

...but obviously with the nature of stock photos, it will grow and could grow to be very large. Depending on how successful it is I will probably have to look into dedicated servers in the future, but for the time being I think it'll be better to go with either VPS or semi-dedicated.

...I've only ever used shared hosting before and I want to move away from who I'm currently with.

...important aspects... diskspace, bandwidth, and of course reliability and uptime etc.

Since you've been satisfied and comfortable with shared hosting even though your host is, um, lacking I guess, then stick with the SDX at first. It should have the standard fare of applications and more than basic support to do what you need to do without the need to perform full administrative duties. Being an admin can be very time consuming and worrisome, so pass that bit of handling on to the Jag staff and stick to perfecting your photo presentation with good performance setups. A Jaguar SDX should suit you fine.

...Linux hosting with PHP at least version 4 and with a memory limit higher than 64mb, GD Library 2.0 and a MySQL database.

I believe PHP 5 is the default version now. Memory limit of 64mb seems easily attainable. You should get burstable RAM more than an order of magnitude larger than that. Jag can probably install whatever version of GD you need, and MySQL (like all LAMP configurations) is standard for all of their setups.

Just reiterating what everyone else has said. Start with SDX and skip the VPS. I run a VPS and a shared account here, and the VPS requires much more babysitting. Plus, the SDX will probably give you more resources for the buck compared to a VPS.

[Vin DSL]

Heh! Here we go again...

You guys want to compartmentalize your poor decisions, eh? That's fine! In a word...

SDX is shared hosting done right!

VPS is dedicated hosting done wrong!

Given a choice between right n' wrong, I'll pick 'right' every time!

Does that make sense, Mark_Amy? You're a man of the world - with an eye for beauty!

Whose the 'fairest of them all' - ME or the knack?

[Gwaihir]

WRONG is such a strong term. VPS is dedicated hosting for those who do not want to pay for dedicated hosting. Unfortunately, too often they do not know how to handle dedicated hosting either, do not really need it, or need the power of the real thing. That however doesn't mean a VPS is wrong for everyone.

[Mark_Amy]

First of all, thanks everyone for your advice and comments and apologies for my delayed reply! I thought I'd set it to get emails, but I obviously didn't and I've been busy with other stuff and didn't think about checking until now.

Vin DSL...great name!...thanks for your comments on my site. That's not actually the site I'm concerned about, assuming you looked at markamy.com but thanks anyway. Yeah, China is beautiful...well a lot of it is...major cities aren't so beautiful!

I don't think I need root access. I just want my site hosted, and up and running and then forget about the server side of things. I'd want access to the root directory where all my files would be stored, is that the same thing?

Shared hosting has been fine up to now, but then I haven't launched my site yet so I don't know how it's going to go. All I know is that I'd rather err on the side of caution and I'd rather pay for something I don't need now, than to have not paid for something I should have had earlier...does that make sense??? For now, I just want to concentrate on the business and not worry about the technical aspects of it. VPS scares me to be honest because I have no experience with any of this.

I will look at SDX more....thanks guys for your help

[Vin DSL]

I just want my site hosted, and up and running and then forget about the server side of things...

All I know is that I'd rather err on the side of caution and I'd rather pay for something I don't need now, than to have not paid for something I should have had earlier...does that make sense???

Yes, that makes perfect sense!

When I started hosting here, regular shared hosting was fine, but my site grew n' grew!

After 3-4 years, I had to start watching my disk space - start pruning my caches - watch my bandwidth - repair corrupt sql dbs on a almost-daily basis - suffer server loads of 20.0-125.0 - submit tickets asking Tech Support to restart Apache or the MySQL server, yada, yada, yada.

After several moves from server-to-server, forensics pointed to MY web site as being the cause of 'the problem' - too much traffic, using too many resources. In fact, it was bringing whole servers down...

I assume this is the scenario YOU want to avoid...

All I can say is... my site is just as busy as ever, and using just as many resources - but, it's a drop in the bucket for SDX - it isn't even breathing hard now, let alone working up a sweat!!!

I don't even check my disk space and bandwidth any more - all the problems are gone, for me and my neighbors - server load is fine - no more repairing the sql dbs - and I've only had to contact Tech Support once or twice in the last year, for minor stuff like expired certs, et cetera.

If I was you, I'd go with SDX!

[Mark_Amy]

Yes, that's exactly what I want to avoid!

I just sent customer service a message with all my details and my requirements and they are recommending VPS, starting with the Discovery package and then expanding as my site grows.

What if I went with SDX and then started using too many resources? Would they be really pi##ed? Would I get heavy penalties?

[thecoalman]

I don't think I need root access. I just want my site hosted, and up and running and then forget about the server side of things. I'd want access to the root directory where all my files would be stored, is that the same thing?

No root access gives you acces to the root of the server itself. If you take Vin's example of calling tech support to restart appche you wouldn't have to do that because you could just do it yourself.

Again sounds to me like you don't need/want a VPS. You of course get access to where your files are stored on shared, SDX is probably not much different that what you have now except with lot more resources.

What if I went with SDX and then started using too many resources? Would they be really pi##ed? Would I get heavy penalties?

I haven't been down that road myself, but I'd imagine they would give you a buffer to get set up on another plan. I believe I read another post here where they gave the cutomer a chance to move it before shutting it down, on the other hand if you're site is getting hammered and its going way over the limit that's certainly possible but I'm just guessing here.

[Mark_Amy]

Thanks for that. After communicating with Sales, I'm pretty sure I'm going to start off on SDX and then if my demands get too high, I'll switch to VPS.

Just waiting for a couple more answers and then I think I'll be set to move over

[thecoalman]

Thanks for that. After communicating with Sales, I'm pretty sure I'm going to start off on SDX and then if my demands get too high, I'll switch to VPS.

It's my understanding that if you are hitting the limit on that plan you skip the VPS and go right to dedicated server.

[Mark_Amy]

Yeah I think you're right. I misunderstood the services. After reading through a lot more of the threads here, it seems you go from SDX to Dedicated.

Although, when I asked Sales, they said it'd be OK for me to go from SDX to VPS....maybe they just thought I would never want full dedicated because I told them my fears of VPS.

It's confusing!

[Mark_Amy]

Well the good news is that I decided to join the Jag family with the SDX package

The bad news is signing up isn't going very smoothly...I guess it's because I'm in China and it's considered high risk

With a 14 hour time zone difference I have a feeling this is going to take a while to get sorted. There's no rush though, as long as the migration of my site goes smoothly, that's all I'm worried about!