Have you rented a VPS (virtual private server), and your website or application feels like it is slow to respond? I have been there. A mid-range VPS is typically adequate for small or medium applications, but when you abuse the server, it can feel like a low-end laptop trying to run a heavy video game. Let us see some ways to fix the slowdowns while spending as little money as possible.
• CPU usage - Is your server trying to execute too many jobs at the same time?
• RAM usage – Is your ram always maxed out?
• Disk speed - Is reading and writing from/to the disk too slow?
• Network traffic – Is your site getting more visitors than your VPS can handle?
There was a time where my blog was unbearably slow to load. I later discovered that a plugin had entirely taken up all available CPU. All of this was caused by the plugin, a small detail that created a tremendously big problem!
• Caching - Use caching tools, such as Redis, Varnish, or other tools to greatly speed up page loading time.
• File compression - Smaller files load faster for users.
• Remove unneeded services - Get rid of unneeded programs.
• Keep software updated - While this may not always be the case, updates for PHP, MySQL, or Nginx usually means better performance!
It's like dusting an old phone - when you clean off the junk, it's like it speeds things up.
• Vertical scaling – Add CPU or RAM (if possible).
• Horizontal scaling – Use multiple servers to divide the load.
• Load balancer – Spread the traffic around so that we don't crash one server.
I like to use multiple servers (horizontal scaling) because if one goes down, the site stays online on the others.
• Identify the issue
• Optimize the server
• Scale if needed
• Continue to monitor your performance
You do not need to have the highest cost and best VPS to get the job done. By making small tweaks to your performance setting, even a mid-spec VPS should have no issues running like a champ.
Discover What the Issues are for the Slow Down
You should look at the following:• CPU usage - Is your server trying to execute too many jobs at the same time?
• RAM usage – Is your ram always maxed out?
• Disk speed - Is reading and writing from/to the disk too slow?
• Network traffic – Is your site getting more visitors than your VPS can handle?
There was a time where my blog was unbearably slow to load. I later discovered that a plugin had entirely taken up all available CPU. All of this was caused by the plugin, a small detail that created a tremendously big problem!
Make the Best of What You Have
You do not always need to upgrade to a bigger server. Sometimes, some small changes can make a huge impact:• Caching - Use caching tools, such as Redis, Varnish, or other tools to greatly speed up page loading time.
• File compression - Smaller files load faster for users.
• Remove unneeded services - Get rid of unneeded programs.
• Keep software updated - While this may not always be the case, updates for PHP, MySQL, or Nginx usually means better performance!
It's like dusting an old phone - when you clean off the junk, it's like it speeds things up.
When to Scale or Upgrade
If the server continues to be slow after you have cleaned and tuned it, you may likely want to scale. You have a few choices to make:• Vertical scaling – Add CPU or RAM (if possible).
• Horizontal scaling – Use multiple servers to divide the load.
• Load balancer – Spread the traffic around so that we don't crash one server.
I like to use multiple servers (horizontal scaling) because if one goes down, the site stays online on the others.
Maintain Visibility Of the Performance
A single fix won't suffice. You will need to have your VPS under observation each and ever day if necessary. Figuring out if the issue is occurring is much more important. You may want to employ some tools like htop, Netdata or New Relic to access real-time stats. Just like you check your oil and tire pressure on your car to keep the engine running smooth, keeping tabs on your server gives you a better chance, and no surprises.Final Thoughts
Fixing an performance issue on a mid-spec VPS is quite straightforward:• Identify the issue
• Optimize the server
• Scale if needed
• Continue to monitor your performance
You do not need to have the highest cost and best VPS to get the job done. By making small tweaks to your performance setting, even a mid-spec VPS should have no issues running like a champ.
