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server usage/performance – what to expect from an entry level rootie

I know this is totally off topic, but I thought its still a very good place to ask:

I am having some problems with my root server but all it does is providing email for < 10 users and hosting ca. 10 wordpress installations + 1 wpmu so I am somewhat at a loss to find out where the problem lies. These are all extremely low traffic sites, as the wordpress isntallations are just personal websites of friends and family and the wpmu install is my testbed.

Can someone offering serious hosting tell me if what I ask is too much from a 1GB RAM dual AMD (forgot the exact spec of the proc) processor server?

I just want to make sure I am not asking to much from this server…

Does anyone here on the forum offer a server-optimization-or-analysis service?

I know some of you are into hosting, so maybe you can show some figures how many clients you cram onto a server without problems…

Thu, 15 Jan 2009 11:43:27
  • andrea_r
    • The Incredible Code Injector

    One thing I need to know: does the 1gig count the control panel? :wink: If so, depending on what you have , that may be a part of it.

    But otherwise, that little shouldn’t be taxing the server much. Could be a wonky plugin, and mix of plugins, being hit by attempted spammers a lot…

  • Ovidiu
    • Code Wrangler

    I am using ISPCONFIG a free control panel. It runs its own apache instance and is pretty lean.

    its definitely nothing unusual, meaning there is no attack, no spammer (at least not more than usual) I just have one problematic blog (or so it seems)

    and its my own one :slight_frown:

    I even reisntalled this one from scratch, the page generation is almost 1sec. per page, DB usage is low, 6-25 queries per page depending on the page, but the page generation time is killing the entire server. If someoen browses my page and a second or 3rd person joins, the server load hits 40! from a below 1 average :slight_frown:

    Basically I wanted to make sure a) I am not expecting to much b) if anyone does Server or blog optimization “professionally” :slight_smile:

  • Luke
    • The Crimson Coder

    With low traffic like that, it should be handling it fine.

    Does the blog in question do the same thing with no plugins, no widgets and using kubrick?

    If not, then you have a good split to work from.

    Assuming it’s OK with the bare bones, switch back to your original theme.

    Does it start acting up? If so, there you go.

    If not, add plugins back one by one until you find the problem.

    Still OK? Add widgets back one at a time.

    If doing all of that, and it’s still OK, tail your error log while hitting a page

    until it acts up.

    If the error log isn’t giving up any details, then try tailing the access log.

    Check to see what requests are being made to the page.

  • Ovidiu
    • Code Wrangler

    k, following all your advice, one by one.

    yo ucan see the timings in the screenshots below the blog content

    screenshot with blog in normal operation mode http://screencast.com/t/90H6WvhW9

    screenshot with all plugins disabled, normal theme only the timer plugin active http://screencast.com/t/90H6WvhW9

    screenshot with all widgets removed – no changes here http://screencast.com/t/o6NAbJQLqi

    screenshot with default theme – here it gets even worse http://screencast.com/t/WPJWQ3aJMQo

    will have to get back home and check mysql. I remember I had quite a few aborted/failed attempts, will have to check from home for exact details.

    regarding SA, yes I have it running, but there is no “unusual” activity, and neither does SA show up in top a lot and I can definitely tie the load going up to visits to my blog :slight_frown: its reproducable.