How do you know when a VPS is no longer enough?

surreality · #1 (**permalink**) 06-19-09, 12:07

Or rather, at what point should you start considering switching to a higher VPS plan or a dedicated server? Of course, you should switch if your resources reach 100% consumption, but what is the general safe limit before your VPS starts to bog down? 70%? 80%? Or is it all just up to your gut instinct?

What are your thoughts?

Vertigo · #2 (**permalink**) 06-19-09, 15:14

There's no actual number for when a VPS starts getting overloaded. A lot depends on the kind of website you run on the VPS, for example, so while something like a video streaming may experience issues at, say, 60-70%, a VPS for mostly static sites could run all the way close to 100% and still function fine.

Amelia · #3 (**permalink**) 06-20-09, 04:07

Quote:

Originally Posted by surreality

Or rather, at what point should you start considering switching to a higher VPS plan or a dedicated server? Of course, you should switch if your resources reach 100% consumption, but what is the general safe limit before your VPS starts to bog down? 70%? 80%? Or is it all just up to your gut instinct?

What are your thoughts?

Over time your server requirements can change and that is when your server needs an upgrade.

We always recommend some % of resources are kept free on the server. This can be used to cover up for any emergencies or spikes in usage.

squishy · #4 (**permalink**) 06-20-09, 23:38

If your vps is properly configured and is still experiencing slowness and other issues, that to me is a clear indication that you really need to upgrade. If I were you, I'd keep track of the performance and resource usage over time so that I will be able to track the usage trends. That way, it'd be easier to predict just how much a vps will be able to take. If the trends show that your site/s will eventually outgrow your vps, then it's time to upgrade.

MattBarthorp · #5 (**permalink**) 06-20-09, 23:43

Usually, a web hosting provider would send a notification once you reach 80% of the allocated resources. You can also check the stats present in the control panel, it would enable you to have an overview of the available resources.

surreality · #6 (**permalink**) 06-21-09, 03:44

Eighty percent, huh? That sounds about right, I think. That should leave enough resources free in case of spikes while still maximizing on your total resources. Nice to know about the notification, though. I haven't hit 80% yet, so I haven't received any, but it'll definitely be nice to know when it does happen.

BlueGigs · #7 (**permalink**) 07-18-09, 12:30

Once you can see that you're definitely going to need to go dedicated, I'd recommend making the switch in a timely manner (even if you could possibly make it work for a little while longer). I've never needed anything more than a VPS myself, but I've been a user of more than one website whose owners essentially refused to acknowledge that they needed more resources and ended up with extended downtime. When they finally made arrangements to upgrade, they'd lost a considerable number of their users.