Web Server Upgrade, Part 4

Does the drama ever end?

No, and it's costing me a bundle.

Unfortunately, I have to drop my current web-host because (among other reasons), bandwidth has been capped at 1.5 megabits. According to current server statistics, a 1.5 megabit connection isn't enough to meet the demand of knowledge hungry Infopackets Readers and the other web-owners who are sharing the dedicated web-server.

And now, the rest of the story (for now)...

If you read the last issue of the Gazette, the infopackets web site was originally configured for a 10 megabit connection. According to my current host, the server was averaging 5 megabits a second during peak times, which was almost quadruple the allowed limit.

Recall: bandwidth throttling @ the server-level

The bandwidth throttling program created by Ian Wilson -- super web-server programmer extraordinaire -- helped to manage file transfers and page requests at the server level before hitting the switch with an amazing program he wrote.

Unfortunately, it was only a temporary solution. Shortly after mailing out the last newsletter, the server was once again at its knees and I had no other option but to temporarily shut down one of the web sites which was hosting on my server in order to alleviate pressure.

The point is -- you can't suck a bowling ball of information through a garden hose (a T1 connection)

I had to make a painful decision -- which was, to dump my current host and to go and find another solution. This time around, I was a bit more informed in making my decision (although, I was burned for roughly $350 USD in the process). A quick comparison of the old server compared to the new server:

Old Server

• 1 x 60 gig hard drive
• 512 meg RAM
• Pentium 4, 1.7 GHz
• Unlimited bandwidth; sustained @ 1.5 megabits connection

Newest server

• 2 x 60 gig hard drives
• 1,000 meg RAM
• Celeron 1.3 GHz
• 400 Gig bandwidth; sustained @ 10 megabit connection; multiple backbone connections.

Side note: Backbone Connection = a major Internet carrier, also known as a "big fat pipe". Only monopolistic cable and phone companies have the ability to offer backbone connections, which consist of a fiber optic network. Here you can see I've roughly doubled the capacity of the server, and I still have a whopping 400 Gigs of bandwidth to play with on a monthly basis.

Believe it or not, statistically speaking...

The infopackets web site is currently hitting between 3,500 to 5,000 unique visitors a day, and averaging anywhere between 1 Gig to 2 Gigs of bandwidth per day. In an entire month, this web site might use up 60 gigs in bandwidth -- although unlikely.

With the new hosting package, there is plenty more bandwidth for *me* to consume -- if it was was only me that was eating it all up. The truth is that I have others who are sharing my server, and I have to consider their requirements as well.

Tentatively speaking, I have gone ahead and purchased the new web server. I'm hoping that within the next day or two things will be ready to move over. I have someone who knows a great deal about optimizing dedicated web-server setups and is currently working on a seamless transfer to yet another new server.

That makes 3 different web hosts in 2 months time!