Difference between revisions of "Offsite Hosting/Meeting Notes 2017-05-08"

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==== Offsite Hosting Meeting Notes ====
+
{{:Offsite Hosting}}
−
* Introductions
+
-----
 +
==== Video ====
 +
{{#evu:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p5o6Cc7Kja8 | dimensions=640 | alignment=center}}
 +
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p5o6Cc7Kja8 Offsite Internet servers hosting - YouTube] (courtesy of [https://www.meetup.com/NetSquared-Kitchener-Waterloo/members/16643951/ Gheorghe Curelet])
  
−
* Selecting a hosting provider
+
==== Meeting Notes ====
−
** There's no "One size fits all"
+
* Today's guest is Mark Steffen from [https://www.indieservenetworks.com/ indieServe Networks]
−
** What do you need?
 
−
*** Disaster recovery?
 
−
*** Microsoft licensing?
 
  
−
* What kinds of servers for a host?
+
===== Selecting a hosting provider =====
−
** Dell servers at one plc
+
* There's no "One size fits all"
−
** Had HPs, didn't mind
+
* What do you need?
−
** Lenovo, but there was BIOS based malware
+
** Disaster recovery?
−
*** Liked IBM servers, anecdotally liked the reliability
+
** Microsoft licensing?
 +
** E-mail hosting?
 +
 
 +
===== What kinds of servers for a host? =====
 +
* Dell servers at one place
 +
* Had HPs, didn't mind them
 +
** indieServe has some HP servers for colocation
 +
* Lenovo, but there was BIOS based malware
 +
** Liked IBM servers, anecdotally liked the reliability
 
** indieServe has all Lenovo servers
 
** indieServe has all Lenovo servers
−
*** Also has some HP servers for colocation
 
  
 +
===== Offsite Hosting Problems? =====
 +
* Shared hosting was OK for a while, but host was asking for more money
 +
* Another company seemed perfect shared hosting (using WordPress),
 +
** Works today, but lots of complaints on Facebook, so he no longer trusts
 +
* Backups?
 +
** Yes, keeping your own backups in addition to using the hosts' backups
 +
 +
===== [https://www.indieservenetworks.com/ indieServe Networks] =====
 
* indieServe is hosting for KWLUG, KWVoIP, FairvoteWRC, KWPeace, &c.
 
* indieServe is hosting for KWLUG, KWVoIP, FairvoteWRC, KWPeace, &c.
−
 
−
* Problems?
 
−
** Shared hosting was OK for a while, but host was asking for more money
 
−
** Other company, seems perfect shared hosting (using WordPress),
 
−
*** Works today, but lots of complaints on Facebook, so he no longer trusts
 
−
** Backups?
 
−
*** Yes, keeping your own backups in addition to using the hosts' backups
 
−
 
−
* indieServe Networks
 
 
* About $10/month for shared host
 
* About $10/month for shared host
−
* No limits but on the honour system
+
** No limits but on the honour system
 
** Keep it to one company per shared host
 
** Keep it to one company per shared host
−
* Local non-profits may be able to get '''really''' good deal -- talk to Mark Steffen
+
** Local non-profits may be able to get '''really''' good deal -- talk to [mailto:info@indieserve.com Mark Steffen]
 
* Also has VPS (Virtual Private Servers)
 
* Also has VPS (Virtual Private Servers)
 
* Can do hosted Windows servers or domain
 
* Can do hosted Windows servers or domain
 
** Good for small file sharing systems
 
** Good for small file sharing systems
 
** Microsoft has a specific licensing arrangement for hosting providers
 
** Microsoft has a specific licensing arrangement for hosting providers
−
*** Cost based on cores and sockets, plus number of customers
+
** Cost based on cores and sockets, plus number of customers
−
*** Not cheap, $100's /month
+
** Not cheap, $100's /month
−
*** Similar model to Azure or Amazon AWS
+
** Similar model to Azure or Amazon AWS
 +
 
 +
===== Offsite Backups =====
 
* Some customers use offsite hosting only for data replication (disaster recovery)
 
* Some customers use offsite hosting only for data replication (disaster recovery)
 
** Do keep offsite backups encrypted
 
** Do keep offsite backups encrypted
−
* Cheap backup? 20c/GiByte for storage is typical
+
** For any backup solution check with Legal for PIPEDA legislation
−
** But try Duplicity for Linux
+
** Cheap backup? 20¢/GiByte for storage is typical
 +
* Backup software:
 +
** Duplicity for Linux
 +
** Cloud Berry for backup service
 
** DupliCaddy for Windows (Open Source, Beta software,supports SQL, kinda slow)
 
** DupliCaddy for Windows (Open Source, Beta software,supports SQL, kinda slow)
−
** Cloud Berry for backup service
 
 
*** For Windows, do full backup, then everything is incremental afterwards
 
*** For Windows, do full backup, then everything is incremental afterwards
 
*** But it keeps a synthetic "Full" in the background
 
*** But it keeps a synthetic "Full" in the background
−
*** With S3 or Azure, you can restore to EC2 -- get (almost) instant restore on external VPS -- really cheap disaster recovery
+
** With S3 or Azure, you can restore to EC2 -- get (almost) instant restore on external VPS -- really cheap disaster recovery
 +
** Back Blaze (personal backup for $5/month, also B2 backup storage, .02¢/Gibyte?, $10/month for 1 TByte?)
  
−
** Back Blaze (personal backup for $5/month, also B2 backup storage, .02c/Gibyte?, $10/month for 1 TByte?)
+
* indieServe keeps hard backups (USB drives stored offsite)
  
−
* For any backup solution check with Legal for PIPEDA legislation
+
===== Backup horror stories =====
 +
* Hijacked truck (backups not encrypted, nobody knows who now has access to backup data)
 +
* Encrypted backups corrupted (physical disk damage corrupted one block of data, cypher block chaining made rest of backup inaccesible)
 +
* Bulk files corrupted (backup file is OK, but contained invalid data, making rest of the backup invalid)
 +
* Tape backup is still the most dense storage for immutable backups
 +
* Mark Steffen has techniques for redundant backup storage (good for ransomware attacks, &c.)
 +
* How much backup do you need?
 +
** How much data can you afford to lose?
 +
** Have at least one automated backup in place
 +
 
 +
===== Selfhosting? =====
 +
* Run your own service on a VPS or shared host (XMPP, Wiki, Social media) instead of using Facebook, Google, Twitter)
 +
* Manage your own server, colocated in a datacentre
 +
* Getting a DSL line (with multi-link support), and running a server on premises
 +
* Managed hosting - servers in house or colo, but contract out the SysAdmin
 +
 
 +
===== Webhosting Management =====
 +
====== cPanel ======
 +
* Set up WordPress, &c.
 +
* Handles updates, patch management, backups, email
 +
* Installatron for managing applications
 +
* Varnish is a cache in front of Apache, for bursty traffic
 +
* cPanel is pricey? $20/month for bare metal, less for a VPS
 +
** Keeping cPanel on a VPS makes it portable, allows cPanel admin to perform maintenance with no downtime
 +
 
 +
====== Zenserver ======
 +
* A Virtual Machine host
 +
* The free version is pretty unrestricted
 +
* Use Zenserver to run cPanel
 +
 
 +
====== Cloud Linux ======
 +
* uses CageFS,
 +
* isolates users from each other
 +
 
 +
====== Other panels? ======
 +
* CentOS Web Panel
 +
* ISP Config
 +
* Ubuntu MAAS
 +
* WebMin, VirtualMin
 +
* WHM is the management tool for cPanel
 +
* WHMCS is a shopping cart / billing system for hosting
 +
** But these apps may have security issues (PHP doncha know)
 +
 
 +
===== Reseller hosting =====
 +
* Perhaps for Web developers, who want to manage resources for their customers
 +
* Can add multiple accounts, lets hosting provider manage growth and resources
 +
* Could be unlimited accounts, but typically 300 GBytes, good for about 50 accounts
  
−
* indieServe keeps hard backups (USB drives stored offsite)
 
  
−
* Backup horror stories
+
[[Category:NPSA]]
−
** Hijacked truck
+
[[Category:KWNPSA Meeting Notes]]
−
** Encrypted backups corrupted
 
−
** Bulk files corrupted
 
−
** Tape backup is still the most dense storage for immutable backups
 
−
** Mark Steffen has techniques for redundant backup storage (good for ransomware attacks, &c.)
 
−
** How much backup do you need?
 
−
*** How much data can you afford to lose?
 
−
*** Have at least one automated backup in place
 

Latest revision as of 02:47, 3 December 2017

Offsite Hosting

Date
Monday, 8 May 2017
Event Announcement
https://www.meetup.com/NetSquared-Kitchener-Waterloo/events/237779027/
Location
Communitech Jelly Bean Room 1st Floor, 151 Charles Street West, Kitchener, Ontario Map

Where are your servers? Are you self-hosting? Have you thought about professional hosting? What services does a professional hosting service offer? Do you need shared hosting? Do you need a VPS? What's a VPS? What's a colocation site? How much will all this cost?

Come share your experiences with self-hosting, shared hosting, and VPSes. Bob and Marc have the questions, and special guest Mark Steffen from indieServe Networks will have the answers.

See you at the meeting!

--Bob Jonkman and Marc Paré


Video

Offsite Internet servers hosting - YouTube (courtesy of Gheorghe Curelet)

Meeting Notes

Selecting a hosting provider
  • There's no "One size fits all"
  • What do you need?
    • Disaster recovery?
    • Microsoft licensing?
    • E-mail hosting?
What kinds of servers for a host?
  • Dell servers at one place
  • Had HPs, didn't mind them
    • indieServe has some HP servers for colocation
  • Lenovo, but there was BIOS based malware
    • Liked IBM servers, anecdotally liked the reliability
    • indieServe has all Lenovo servers
Offsite Hosting Problems?
  • Shared hosting was OK for a while, but host was asking for more money
  • Another company seemed perfect shared hosting (using WordPress),
    • Works today, but lots of complaints on Facebook, so he no longer trusts
  • Backups?
    • Yes, keeping your own backups in addition to using the hosts' backups
indieServe Networks
  • indieServe is hosting for KWLUG, KWVoIP, FairvoteWRC, KWPeace, &c.
  • About $10/month for shared host
    • No limits but on the honour system
    • Keep it to one company per shared host
    • Local non-profits may be able to get really good deal -- talk to Mark Steffen
  • Also has VPS (Virtual Private Servers)
  • Can do hosted Windows servers or domain
    • Good for small file sharing systems
    • Microsoft has a specific licensing arrangement for hosting providers
    • Cost based on cores and sockets, plus number of customers
    • Not cheap, $100's /month
    • Similar model to Azure or Amazon AWS
Offsite Backups
  • Some customers use offsite hosting only for data replication (disaster recovery)
    • Do keep offsite backups encrypted
    • For any backup solution check with Legal for PIPEDA legislation
    • Cheap backup? 20¢/GiByte for storage is typical
  • Backup software:
    • Duplicity for Linux
    • Cloud Berry for backup service
    • DupliCaddy for Windows (Open Source, Beta software,supports SQL, kinda slow)
      • For Windows, do full backup, then everything is incremental afterwards
      • But it keeps a synthetic "Full" in the background
    • With S3 or Azure, you can restore to EC2 -- get (almost) instant restore on external VPS -- really cheap disaster recovery
    • Back Blaze (personal backup for $5/month, also B2 backup storage, .02¢/Gibyte?, $10/month for 1 TByte?)
  • indieServe keeps hard backups (USB drives stored offsite)
Backup horror stories
  • Hijacked truck (backups not encrypted, nobody knows who now has access to backup data)
  • Encrypted backups corrupted (physical disk damage corrupted one block of data, cypher block chaining made rest of backup inaccesible)
  • Bulk files corrupted (backup file is OK, but contained invalid data, making rest of the backup invalid)
  • Tape backup is still the most dense storage for immutable backups
  • Mark Steffen has techniques for redundant backup storage (good for ransomware attacks, &c.)
  • How much backup do you need?
    • How much data can you afford to lose?
    • Have at least one automated backup in place
Selfhosting?
  • Run your own service on a VPS or shared host (XMPP, Wiki, Social media) instead of using Facebook, Google, Twitter)
  • Manage your own server, colocated in a datacentre
  • Getting a DSL line (with multi-link support), and running a server on premises
  • Managed hosting - servers in house or colo, but contract out the SysAdmin
Webhosting Management
cPanel
  • Set up WordPress, &c.
  • Handles updates, patch management, backups, email
  • Installatron for managing applications
  • Varnish is a cache in front of Apache, for bursty traffic
  • cPanel is pricey? $20/month for bare metal, less for a VPS
    • Keeping cPanel on a VPS makes it portable, allows cPanel admin to perform maintenance with no downtime
Zenserver
  • A Virtual Machine host
  • The free version is pretty unrestricted
  • Use Zenserver to run cPanel
Cloud Linux
  • uses CageFS,
  • isolates users from each other
Other panels?
  • CentOS Web Panel
  • ISP Config
  • Ubuntu MAAS
  • WebMin, VirtualMin
  • WHM is the management tool for cPanel
  • WHMCS is a shopping cart / billing system for hosting
    • But these apps may have security issues (PHP doncha know)
Reseller hosting
  • Perhaps for Web developers, who want to manage resources for their customers
  • Can add multiple accounts, lets hosting provider manage growth and resources
  • Could be unlimited accounts, but typically 300 GBytes, good for about 50 accounts
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