Virtualised staging and production server environments

The Challenge:

1. The client was working on a project, where it required two servers; one for internal development staging and another live demo.
2. The client wanted a redundant hosting solution which would allow to backup entire server setting along with data which they can restore any point of time.
3. And they were also using a custom web server for their application which was running on a different port (e.g. 8089).
4. As cost was a constraint, they wanted a virtualized solution which would enable them to utilize their dedicated server hardware to the fullest extent.

Solution Delivered:

1. In this scenario we had the XEN Server which is a virtualization solution and enables the server to host multiple OS and control panels in their own virtualized environments.
2. We had split the server into two Virtual Dedicated Servers with equal disk space and memory allocation.
3. And set the port redirection through “xinetd” configuration so that the entire incoming request to Port 80 will automatically get redirected to a custom port.
4. This has allowed client to save the server cost.
5. With the help of Critix Xen Center we were able to backup an entire VPS with all the setting and data and which can be restored easily at any point of time. Additionally, the server HDDs were in a RAID 10 array to preempt any data loss in the event of multiple HDD failures.
6. Virtual Dedicated Servers are the recommended solution for SMEs who wish to host their own web application, email services or any other custom application on a dedicated server environment without the associated costs involved in hosting a dedicated server.
7. They are also recommended for hosting staging applications for multiple stakeholders to test and debug the application before deploying it online.