Linux Webserver Question

[xorion]

Hi experts,

I'm looking to install Directadmin hosting panel for my webhosting server with 10 clients.

1) Which Linux OS should is recommended? CentOS?

2) I plan to connect a USB 2.0 HDD to the server's USB port in the locked rack for backup. How do I configure the Linux to auto mount it as a drive on startup? How do I configure the system to auto backup folders to this drive?

Thank you!

 

[davidktw]

Hi experts,

I'm looking to install Directadmin hosting panel for my webhosting server with 10 clients.

1) Which Linux OS should is recommended? CentOS?

2) I plan to connect a USB 2.0 HDD to the server's USB port in the locked rack for backup. How do I configure the Linux to auto mount it as a drive on startup? How do I configure the system to auto backup folders to this drive?

Thank you!

1) I have not used directadmin hosting panel, but have been working with various Linux distributions for years. Typically for server based environments, which distributions makes little differences. It's not as if you will be using the graphical components of them. What is important is your adaptability coping with each distro's nuances of how they structure some common components like the startup design, applications construct such as apache web server, package manager etc. Also if the software stack that you are using are more updated with which particular distro, or you prefer well tested environments. CentOS follows RHEL hence is a more prudent distro. You typically find the repo having earlier versioned software, but nothing is stopping you from installing later software from external repo, or you compile yourself. Ubuntu is a debian based os, but it's more bleeding edge coming to packages and kernel.

2) Are you sure you want to use an external USB for backup, typically, USB 2.0 saturate at between 20-25MB/s for sequential stream of data. For multiple files, it can drop further. I be prudent assuming 20MB/s, 1TB will take you 14hours to backup. Make sure your backup window is sufficient.

automounting is simple with linux, go google for automount, autofs, udev. Nowadays modern linux distro depends on udev to detect devices, the automount rules will do the rest.

 

[xorion]

1) I have not used directadmin hosting panel, but have been working with various Linux distributions for years. Typically for server based environments, which distributions makes little differences. It's not as if you will be using the graphical components of them. What is important is your adaptability coping with each distro's nuances of how they structure some common components like the startup design, applications construct such as apache web server, package manager etc. Also if the software stack that you are using are more updated with which particular distro, or you prefer well tested environments. CentOS follows RHEL hence is a more prudent distro. You typically find the repo having earlier versioned software, but nothing is stopping you from installing later software from external repo, or you compile yourself. Ubuntu is a debian based os, but it's more bleeding edge coming to packages and kernel.

2) Are you sure you want to use an external USB for backup, typically, USB 2.0 saturate at between 20-25MB/s for sequential stream of data. For multiple files, it can drop further. I be prudent assuming 20MB/s, 1TB will take you 14hours to backup. Make sure your backup window is sufficient.

automounting is simple with linux, go google for automount, autofs, udev. Nowadays modern linux distro depends on udev to detect devices, the automount rules will do the rest.

Thanks for being so informative - good details!

Don't need graphical as the server is colocated in a datacentre - accessing it remotely.

Will go for CentOS then.

As for the automount, how do I set it up again after installing? say after I plugged the USB drive into the USB port

 

[davidktw]

Thanks for being so informative - good details!

Don't need graphical as the server is colocated in a datacentre - accessing it remotely.

Will go for CentOS then.

As for the automount, how do I set it up again after installing? say after I plugged the USB drive into the USB port

Perhaps some googling homework for you?

 

[Gottaname]

xorion.

1) CentOS is one of the typical directadmin deployment and its well tested.

2) google. Hint it involves your /etc/fstab file.

 

[xorion]

Thanks!

 

[vcrpex]

Hi xorion,
Both david and gottaname have answered your queries well enough. but are you gonna be the one who is going to install the CentOS? Or will it be done by your vendor? I am just alittle concerned given that you are not that sure about mounting a usb drive from the beginning. Gottaname have already given you the answer for that. Just wondering whether if you know to set up the whole thing for your 10 clients without a GUI. I am just a Debian user myself, not a professional IT guys like them. Most of the answers to any of the questions that you have on setting up can be found online if you search and try out the solutions. Looking at the way you post the first question, you are actually providing a solution for your clients. Please read the wiki pages of CentOS if you are doing the installation yourself.

Sorry if this have offended you, but I will be really worried if I happened to be one of your clients when your knowledge of setting up the infrastructure seems to be worse than just an linux user like me. Will you also be backing up the webserver on a different location other than the USB drive and how often will the backup be done? if it is ard 14hrs for just 1 TB worth of transferring? All this can be done through scripting. Really did not intend to offend you, but it is really worrying esp when it is for your clients.

 

[xorion]

No offense taken.