Hi guys,
I want to know when I move from shared hosting to VPS and after to dedicated server do I need to learn about servers? What should I learn? Is there tutorials or books? And will PHP and MySQL will be configured or will I configure them and how?
Thanks.
Most VPS or dedicated servers will have PHP and MySQL already configured, and in many cases will have a web based control panel e.g cPanel for typical tasks, so unless you particularly need to change configuration of the installed services then it’s not essential to learn how to manage a server.
I agree. The majority of providers will secure your VPS to the point where if you’re only using it for your own sites you shouldn’t experience any problems. They will also install all of the software needed to get your website up and running. I’d highly recommend using a control panel if you would rather not learn so much.
Jack
So VPS use cPanel as well like shared hosting? What about dedicated servers? What is the difference between dedicated servers and VPS?
You can have cPanel installed on your VPS or dedicated server.
If you purchase a dedicated server you own the whole thing and can do as you like with it. A VPS is basically a section or chunk of a dedicated server that’s sectioned of so you have root access to your VPS which is why it’s similar to running a dedicated server. With root access you can install anything on your VPS which you wouldn’t be able to do with shared/reseller hosting. You can also restart your VPS like how you would restart a computer.
Jack
Thanks. 
One more question, what is managed VPS?
And what if I want hosting for example with good CPU, 70- 100 GB disk space, 2 GB Ram, then VPS will be the best choice?
No problem.
A managed VPS has a different meaning for each provider but generally it means they will update any related software for you (not always software that didn’t come pre-installed) and cPanel issues on your VPS. Since you’re not going to be hosting anyone else on your VPS this policy should cover you for all you need. If not you could always ask for help on forums such as this one.
It depends on what you’re looking to host. To put it in perspective I’ve got a small VPS with vpslatch.net ($37/month) for my personal sites, it has 1GB of RAM and I’m currently hosting 5 Wordpress blogs with cPanel installed. My RAM usage hovers at about 30% although the blogs don’t get much traffic 
Jack
Your best option is to use a managed server. Most of the hosts will generally do this at no extra cost. The host will take complete care of the server management.
And for your requirements, if you need to directly upgrade to a server that supports 2 GB RAM, fixed/good CPU, you may want to look at semi-dedicated or dedicated servers. There you will have enough room for expansion.
I believe you can start your learning from wikipedia, then you can use various forums where you can ask plenty of questions. And where you can find all answers on all existing questions.
Wow there tiger There’s much more to managing a server than just having software installed on it and someone initially secure it - security and management are ongoing things and important to know about unless you’re paying for a fully managed server (even then it can still pay to know a few things).
I guess the basics would be learning about user/file permissions, securing all public facing services such as SSH, Apache, MySQL etc. running firewall & IDS on your server, log monitoring, virus scanning etc. http://www.securecentos.com/ is a pretty good resource.
Thanks,
Right, it’s much more than having software’s installed on the servers. Server management will generally include security monitoring, installing, compiling and maintaining the standard server application/software package, latest security updates, virus-protection, etc and of course technical support for the server.
There is no need to advance learn about server migration. It totally depends on your hosting provider. You can start your online business with shared hosting then you can upgrade into vps for better feature and then dedicated for more best feature.
The best is to hit them up with a support button. Most established companies would have that. (:
True. Generally your hosting company will take care of managing the server. That’s the reason most users prefer managed servers.
That all depends on the web hosts definition of managed though - I’ve seen some where managed basically means they install the software for you and fix the hardware if it breaks and it stops there. It pays to check carefully and ask detailed questions and get it in writing - and preferably as part of your contract as well.
Thanks,
Indeed! I’m glad this discussion got around to server management as that’s a MAJOR factor - especially if you’re asking about how to manage a server.
IMHO, you do not want an unmanaged server as managed servers are looked after 24/7/365. If you can do that, then learn all you can and Good Luck!
I have a managed VPS and rely on the server’s software (Tailwind) to monitor and ALARM the host’s staff (as well as send e-mails to me to I can follow-up). As far as I’m concerned, the routine updates of WHM/cPanel and all the security apps is a bonus - albeit REQUIRED.
Karl’s warning about the variance between hosts regarding WHAT they manage is also important: READ THE FINE PRINT but USE A MANAGED SERVER if you can’t dedicate all your time to hand-on monitoring and updating.
Regards,
DK
Good managed hosting provider will do everything for you, so you don’t need to worry, but imho it’s good to know a little yourself. It makes things much easier if you know what you want it’s easier to ask a support to do the stuff for you. Also sometimes it’s much quicker to do little things on your own than asking a support. I recommend you to take a look at basic shell commends, phpmyadmin tool and htaccess configurations.
For a VPS or dedicated server to support the PHP protocols and coding, you’ll need Linux. Windows OS won’t support it. When it comes to this, I suggest getting a fully managed server because you probably won’t want to tweek the settings yourself.
Its better to go for managed VPSor server. Now a days most of the VPS are managed by the provider itself. Its good to learn when you have time…
Not that I’m a Windows fan when it comes to hosting, but Windows will most certainly support PHP - in fact a lot of work was done from memory to make PHP work better than previously with IIS on Windows.
Thanks,