5 Linux VPS Performance Tips By Christopher Pace

About Christopher J. Pace:
Christopher J. Pace is a freelance Linux consultant who has worked with Linux since 2001. Currently, he provides remote Linux consulting services for sick servers.

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As a freelance Linux consultant, many of my clients are often interested in making their VPS (Virtual Private Server) as responsive as possible. Since VPS servers by nature have somewhat limited system resources (often less than 1 GB of RAM), getting the best VPS performance can be a crucial part of running a successful server. To make matters worse, most clients assume that the VPS host has already optimized their server- which simply isn't true (even Rackspace, a wonderful VPS host, doesn't do this). Therefore, I've written this article as a brief introduction to some of the more common ways to get the best performance from a VPS.

Tip #1: Disable system services
The top way to increase your VPS performance is to disable any system services that are not necessary. Services that are never used will still use up valuable RAM and CPU time, and also possibly allow your server to be attacked remotely. If you don't need these services, why have them? Manage the startup scripts that start these services at boot time, and disable them.

Tip #2: Configure MySQL properly.
One of the more common ways to increase the available RAM (or to allocate more RAM to MySQL) is to configure the MySQL cache sizes. If your MySQL server instance is using too much memory, decrease the cache sizes. Likewise, if MySQL gets bogged down with large requests, increase the MySQL cache.

Tip #3: Configure Apache properly.
With Apache 2.0, many system administrators and clients alike have become confused as to the proper configuration of the Apache worker threads. Check how much memory Apache is using, and adjust the StartServers and MinSpareServers directives as needed to free up more memory.

Tip #4: Clean up your modules!
Without exception, there will always be modules or features that are enabled in memory hungry server software packages (such as Apache) that simply are not needed. Take a look at the configuration files for Apache, and decide if you need FrontPage support, or some of the other extra modules that ship with the VPS software packages. Disabling unnecessary modules or plugins will decrease the system memory that server software such as Apache requires, which will give you more resources for the software that needs it!

Tip #5: Disable control panels.
Let's face it, everyone loves the more popular control panels, such as Cpanel, Plesk, Webmin, and phpMyAdmin. Heck, I've even written tutorials on how to use some of these control panel software packages. However, disabling these software packages frees up quite a bit of resources- sometimes as much as 120 MB of RAM! Sometimes the best solution is to disable these control panels until you actually need them- then they can be turned on via a PHP script (albeit somewhat insecure), or via a command entered at a shell prompt.

These 5 tips should decease the amount of RAM that your VPS uses by as much as 30-40%, which might save you quite a bit of money per month. Since most providers start out their VPS plans at systems with 256MB of RAM (and upgrades from there are expensive, often costing $40/month for an additional 256 MB), optimization of a VPS server is a crucial step. In addition, these 5 tips can be performed by a talented system administrator or consultant in typically less than two hours, which can mean a return on investment after only two or three billing cycles. What you do with the extra money saved is your business- you've earned it!

Windows 7 Preview - The Top 5 New Features By Rowland C O'Connor

About the author
Rowland C O'Connor has worked as a Microsoft Certified Professional for over 12 years and has over 20 years of experience with Windows. Rowland is the editor at Windows Performance.com, a resource with helpful tips, articles and videos showing you how to speed up your Windows computer.

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Windows 7 is the next release of Windows from Microsoft and is scheduled for release on October 22, 2009. It will replace Vista which has had problems with performance, device compatibility and annoying /invasive pop-ups, alerts and notifications.

We've been looking at the Release Candidate (RC) and so far, Windows 7 looks a vast improvement on Vista. Here is a quick tour of some of the features of Windows 7 that we like.

1) Better performance

Microsoft appear to have worked hard to sort out the performance problems that Vista had. It seems that Windows 7 does appear to be faster and more responsive than its predecessor (Vista).

2) Enhanced taskbar

• Icons are larger & clearer and easier to work with. Rearrange icons, new "Jump Lists" and full Aero enabled previews of open windows make it a lot easier to work with lots of open windows.
• The "Show desktop" button is now more prominent and easier to use. Quickly minimize all windows with the touch of a button.

3) Desktop improvements

• No more sidebar. Add "Gadgets" quickly and easily directly to your desktop.
• New themes. Good looking new themes contain several high quality backgrounds that periodically rotate (similar to the Mac).
• "Snap" feature allows you to easily compare windows side by side.

4) Less annoyance & interruption from pop-ups and alerts

• All alerts are now contained in one place in the notification area. You can customize the notifications (pop ups) that you receive.
• Less alerts from User Account Control (UAC). Generally, you should notice a reduction in alerts from Windows 7 compared to Vista. UAC level can be set to one of four possible levels.

5) Parental control - New to Windows 7

• Easily set what programs (e.g. games) your kids can use and when (i.e. schedule).

So far, we are impressed with Windows 7. Although we are only running the Release Candidate at this time, it does seem pretty fast and stable. The changes and improvements go a long way towards addressing the criticisms levelled at Vista. We believe that this could be the best operating system that Microsoft has released since XP.

See our our video tour of this article.

Choosing an Operating System For Your Web Hosting Plan By Holly West

Holly west Profile:
Holly West is an editor and copywriter for Hostway Corporation, a global leader in Web hosting, domain names and communications services for small and medium businesses. Her articles help newcomers understand how to build and launch a Web site and established businesses increase traffic and grow online. Read more of Holly's articles in Hostway's Web Resources.

Which operating system (OS) you want is one of the first decisions you must make when ordering a Web hosting plan for your Web site. This can be a difficult decision if you're not sure what an OS is or which one fits your needs. Read on for a general overview of factors that should guide your plan selection.

What's an OS?
An operating system is a system software program that manages and distributes the server's resources. It prioritizes program and user requests and ensures that users' content on the server doesn't interfere with other users. Without it, your server simply wouldn't work. It is the backbone that enables the server to run software and programs.

Which One Should I Choose?
The two most common operating systems for shared Web hosting plans are Windows and Linux. One common misconception about choosing a Web hosting operating system is that if you design your Web site on, and generally use, a Windows computer, you need a Windows Web hosting plan. While both your personal computer and a Web server have an OS, they do not need to run the same system to work together.

In reality, your computer's operating system shouldn't affect your Web hosting server choice. You can design your Web site using Dreamweaver on a Microsoft Windows PC and upload it to a Linux server without any issues, for example.

In most cases, either Windows or a Linux will work. But there are real differences that may make one or the other a better fit for your Web site. The biggest difference between Windows and Linux Web hosting plans is the server-side databases and scripts they support.

There also is usually a slight price difference between the two. Windows hostings tends to be more expensive because it's a proprietary system, and your Web host must pay Microsoft a fee for the rights to use it. Linux, on the other hand, is open source, so there is no licensing fee associated with it.

If you're using a particular database or script, you'll want to choose the operating system that supports your needs. However, if you have a simple, brochure Web site without plans to use more advanced features in the near future, go for the plan that saves you money (usually Linux).