With nearly same specifications ( 32 GB ram , same ssd space...)
Do I need a dedicated server for moodle site ?
Or the vps is sufficient?
In another word , when I should go with dedicated server ?
Where you host ... how do they define 'VPS'? How do they define 'dedicated'?
To me, dedicated means a co-located server you have purchased ... you own the hardware and hosting just houses the server, provides you an IP address on their network, + other options.
VPS - Virtual Private System - big beefy server 'farm' (for lack of better term) and customer has a 'slice' dedicated to just one customer.
To me ... advantage is with a VPS as things like memory can be allocated larger ... you have 32Gig and provider can, upon customer request, increase to 64Gig in a matter of minutes. On a dedicated server, you have to have memory slots available, buy the sticks, take server down to install the sticks ... and that's manually done.
For a moodle - as long as you can configure web services and tweak database as you require (within the limits of the server) that's what you need.
Having said all that - ask how they define ... and read the fine print!
'SoS', Ken
My hosting company sells both VPSs and dedicated servers. From my own experience, for my Moodle, 500 students per year, 12-15 courses per year, my mid-size VPS has been doing fine. I would only switch to a dedicated server if my courses and students were to be 4-6 times larger, and only if I thought my VPS wasn't handling the load.
If you start small, and run into any performance problems, you most likely could upgrade (paying more each step of the way.)
If you start small, and run into any performance problems, you most likely could upgrade (paying more each step of the way.)
Hi
> In another word , when I should go with dedicated server ?
I assume, your question is "when _you_ should go for a dedicated server?" - not the general question "when should _one_ go from a VPS to a dedicated server?". Right?
> In another word , when I should go with dedicated server ?
I assume, your question is "when _you_ should go for a dedicated server?" - not the general question "when should _one_ go from a VPS to a dedicated server?". Right?
Then we should know what you are going to do, or doing presently. The specs of the current VPS, the number of users, the maximum number of logged in users in the last 5 minutes, the maximum number of users sitting for an on-line exam at the same, time, whether you serve lot of videos, the performance problems you've encountered - if any, what is the load (CPU load, memory usage, reaction times) during the peak times.
I saw that you have put a preliminary question in the Hardware and performance forum: Optimize a small vps server, which seemed to have stalled or gone off-track. 
it is for a friend how want me to build a moodle site for him
he said the target is about 3000 student , 200 at same time , all video will be on vemio ,
so as i read from many discussions , a 32 GB ram will be good start , but now m question ( it is a general question because he did not yet buy a server yet ) is have to buy a dedicated server or a vps ?
he said the target is about 3000 student , 200 at same time , all video will be on vemio ,
so as i read from many discussions , a 32 GB ram will be good start , but now m question ( it is a general question because he did not yet buy a server yet ) is have to buy a dedicated server or a vps ?
Ok, we have why and numbers now ... but still the question 'dedicated' or a 'vps'? Maybe the following will help clarify the difference?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virtual_private_server
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dedicated_hosting_service
Again, I'll ask what hosting provider? Buy? or Lease? Not all providers offer the same ... but similar ... read the fine print!
'SoS', Ken
Hostwind or Contabo
Neither go for VPS or Dedicated, go with Contabo's VDS M, will be more than sufficient. Keep database on NVMe
the default is NVMe
you mean i dont change that
right ?
you mean i dont change that
right ?
Yes, O/S, cache and Database on NVMe, rest keep moodle and moodledata on additional drive.
with VPS, the CPU's are actually vCPUs, depending upon hypervisor used it could be 2-4 vCPU's per core, so buying a 8vCPU VPS means you actually are getting 1 or 2 actual physical cores, while a VDS sits in between a dedicated and VPS, resources are dedicated but Unlike whole hardware to you (in case of a dedicated server), a VDS's actual resources are distributed (not shared) between accounts.
OK, now it's more specific: 3000 student, 200 logged in at the same time, no videos. Although the https://docs.moodle.org/39/en/Performance_FAQ refuses to give specific recommendations on resources, we can pull the old rule of thumb, "10-20 concurrent users per GB of memory" in the FAQ and say your friend needs 10-20 GB RAM. Considering the fact that people generally overestimate their concurrency, 16 GB could do the job. To match the RAM you'll need 4-8 threads/vCPUs. A VPS from a serious server provider, who uses banks of SSD to create the (virtual) storage, will give you much better performance and less trouble than conventional disk technologies. No dedicated server is necessary.
N.B. This is definitely something for the Hardware and performance forum.
perfect answer as usual from you 😍
thank you
thank you
We are far away from perfection.
Seriously, your friend's site is not big enough to argue for a dedicated server. A VPS "feels" identical to a dedicated server but brings lot of flexibility. The most important one is, you don't have to commit to a VPS of certain size. The provider can add or remove resources like the number of vCPUs and RAM without touching the system inside. Only a reboot is necessary. The (virtual) siorage size is a bit more tricky, the provider should have a FAQ on how to change it too. So, if you feel for perfection, order the smallest vCPU, say 1 vCPU, 2 GB RAM, monitor the page load time and server load during heavy load - try to improve first by "tuning" the system, once you reach the limits, upgrade the vCPU, and repeat the exercise.
Seriously, your friend's site is not big enough to argue for a dedicated server. A VPS "feels" identical to a dedicated server but brings lot of flexibility. The most important one is, you don't have to commit to a VPS of certain size. The provider can add or remove resources like the number of vCPUs and RAM without touching the system inside. Only a reboot is necessary. The (virtual) siorage size is a bit more tricky, the provider should have a FAQ on how to change it too. So, if you feel for perfection, order the smallest vCPU, say 1 vCPU, 2 GB RAM, monitor the page load time and server load during heavy load - try to improve first by "tuning" the system, once you reach the limits, upgrade the vCPU, and repeat the exercise.
Usman's advice sounds solid ... but let's stop and think a minute ..
Ok ... for a friend ... he/she buys whatever, you get login info and install a moodle for them. Then turn it over to them ... they now are whatever server admins + moodle admins.
Any ... and I mean any ... issue from day one on ... you installed it ... whatever is broke you fix? ... as a 'friend'.
Might need to create a 'pre-friendnup-moodle' doc!
'SoS', Ken
Both the servers are a type of hosting services provided by web hosting organizations and both the servers are unique in their own way. As the VPS can be used by low and medium-sized websites and dedicated server can be used by big websites. They
are almost same, as long as the VPS is a container on hardware based
virtualization (HVM) or kernel based virtualizaton (KVM). In this type
of virtualization, a dedicated amount of memory is assigned to the VPS
which can be used by the guest operating system same as the dedicated
server.
Managing more websites with less ram, is something that depends on the memory consumption of the websites that you are going to host on your server.
or check more about VPS and Dedicated Server i found the Wikipedia link on the Internet:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virtual_private_server
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dedicated_hosting_service
