Unstable server uptime and frozen networks are the last things any business needs. And when you are an e-commerce solution company, those are the kiss of death.
Read here about the story of GoGo Eshop and learn how LayerStack helps the e-commerce company snap out of its downward spiral by offering a reliable and safe cloud solution, turning the cloud journey from painful to pain-free.
Growing a business is every bit as challenging as starting one, proven by the story of Recolo Consulting – an over-a-decade-old consultation agency that looks to make positive impacts on their clients’ businesses and bring success to companies around the world. Like any well-established brand, Recolo Consulting needs a cloud partner that helps them build and secure their hard-earned credibility.
Read the story to know more about the agency’s journey with LayerStack, how we streamline their web hosting needs and what they love about our services.
There may be three more months until 2022 rolls around but Microsoft doesn’t wait.
The tech giant announced the general availability of Windows Server 2022 earlier this month. Emphasizing stronger security, hybrid capability and a more flexible platform, the new operating system allows mainstream users to run their workloads more safely, enable new hybrid cloud scenarios, and upgrade their applications to meet the business needs.
According to Bernardo Caldas, Microsoft’s Vice President of Program Management, Core OS and Edge Infrastructure, Windows Server 2022 features several security improvements. The multi-layered Secured-core server better protects users’ sensitive data through a combination of hardware, firmware, and virtualization layers. Secured connectivity is also achieved by encrypted HTTPS and industry-standard AES-256 encryption with support for server message block (SMB) protocol.
On top of that, the new operating system brings better hybrid capabilities and scalability with its support for up to 48TB of memory and 2,048 logical cores running on 64 physical sockets, specially designed for users who are looking to run the most demanding Tier 1 applications out there. According to Caldas, Windows Server 2022 enhances application compatibility of Windows containers and supports IPv6 and dual-stack.
This launch comes as Microsoft announced back in July the end of support of Windows Server 2012 and 2012 R2 in 2023. The new Windows Server 2022 follows the Long-Term Servicing Channel releases, with five years of mainstream support (ending on October 13, 2026) and five years of extended support (ending on October 14, 2031).
LayerStack didn’t wait either. We have just welcomed Windows Server 2022 to our operating system lineup, with three language options available, namely English, Traditional Chinese and Simplified Chinese. Take a look here for the extensive documentation about Windows or contact our team.
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Are you a start-up that wants to make a change in the industry? Are you looking for a cloud service provider that values data security? Are you frustrated to see all the confusing pricing models in the sea of cloud services out there? Or are you simply finding ways to shave a few bucks off your cloud service bill without sacrificing your web performance?
If any of these questions check out, you are a lot like OLT Cloud. This newcomer to the e-commerce scene wanted to start their business off on the right foot. Check it over here to learn how LayerStack helps out.
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You’ve made it. You (or your team) have mastered the art of WordPress. You have a perfectly curated website for your business – or better yet, an online business. What’s next?
Often overlooked, the hosting services you choose can actually make or break your WordPress site, and when your website suffers, your business suffers too. Among all the options, hosting on the cloud is currently the most sought-after pick, and here is why.
What is cloud hosting?
Contrary to traditional hosting methods where data is stored in one single server, cloud uses virtually an unlimited number of virtual servers, offering the best insurance against congested traffic or website downtime due to system failure. And this is just the basics. The cloud has a host of benefits that make it outshine other hosting methods.
More stable network with higher uptime
Using cloud resources, cloud hosting spreads both workload and data storage of your WordPress site to a network of servers. If one of the servers goes down for any reason, the others will pick up the slack immediately and keep your site online at all times.
LayerStack upholds a service-level agreement that pledges an uptime of as much as 99.95%, giving you an extra layer of assurance.
Infinite and instant scalability
Your business grows as time goes by, and so do your hosting demands. The flexible architecture of the cloud allows you to scale up when you need more resources – anytime, anywhere. Scaling is instant and just one click away if you use LayerStack’s LayerPanel.
Optimized environment for WordPress
As cloud technology matures, cloud servers are now expertly designed and configured for WordPress sites to run at maximum efficiency. WordPress cloud servers are monitored by professionals that know WordPress at the back of their hands to fix any issues that may present.
Dedicated resources and SSD
If you want to have more control over the speed and performance of your WordPress site, look for cloud hosting services that give you dedicated resources. Opposite to shared server options, these solutions guarantee that you are the only tenant of the servers, meaning you can make full use of the CPU power, SSD storage and other hardware. The result is a stable, more responsive WordPress site.
What to look out for when choosing a cloud host
Now that you understand how your WordPress site can benefit from cloud hosting, let’s talk about the factors you should consider to ensure a smooth start off the get-go.
Technical Support
Maintaining a WordPress site can be tricky, and what is better than knowing there’s a team of cloud experts who always have your back? Absolutely nothing. When choosing a host, find one that has strong, reputable technical support. As far as that is concerned, LayerStack provides human support round the clock throughout the year, answering all your questions when you need it.
Quick and foolproof installation
Whether you are an IT expert or WordPress beginner, easy installation and smooth transition are always good news. Thoughtful hosts often go the extra mile and complete the installation for you. LayerStack promises a quick and painless installation and deployment in 60 seconds, all done by our cloud specialists. Once you have signed up, choose WordPress as your operating system with one click, go to the pantry to get yourself a cup of coffee and you’re good to go. Together with LayerPanel, you can monitor and control every aspect of your system in an instant.
Cost
This is an obvious one. Most of the time, good things don’t come cheap. But with LayerStack, you can get the best of both worlds. LayerStack delivers unrivaled cloud competence at some of the lowest prices out there, helping you shave a few bucks off the bill without compromising the performance of your WordPress site nor any hidden cost.
Practical features
It is not uncommon that a cloud hosting provider offers extra features. To find a host perfect for your needs, factor in the free as well as paid features that are relevant to you. For example, you can enjoy Firewalls, API and many premium features with LayerStack for free. At a low price, Global Private Networking gives you boosted security while the intelligent Load Balancers help maximize web efficiency.
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It’s not a surprise that the world of operating systems constantly moves at a fast clip. As a leading cloud server provider, LayerStack keeps close tabs on the latest trends and updates our comprehensive library of operating systems so you won’t be missing out.
Recently added to our OS selection is the Rocky Linux 8.4 that has reached General Availability for x8664 and aarch64. It is created by one of the founders of the CentOS project as CentOS’s successor.
Not a Rocky user? No problem, we have plenty more where that came from. From Ubuntu, Fedora and Debian to AlmaLinux and Windows, LayerStack has gone out of our way and maintains a comprehensive library where you can find multiple versions of operating systems of almost every description.
For those special snowflakes out there, if you need an environment outside our official image list, don’t feel left out – because you are not! LayerStack allows you to upload your customized VM images, meaning you can enjoy the flexibility of bringing your own operating system images on our servers to fit your specific needs.
Get some ideas of our operating system library? Share them in our Community and keep posted for more of our latest releases on our social media.
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From your apartment furniture, to your cell phone data, to your entire application workload, moving stuff to a new environment can make you sweat bullets, but it doesn’t have to be. Our tech experts at LayerStack will do the heavy lifting for you – all free of charge. On top of that, you can enjoy a slew of benefits from the cloud packages in which we take pride.
Why migrate to LayerStack clouds?
We let the quality of our cloud infrastructure speaks for itself. Snatching top spots in various benchmark evaluations, our cloud solutions excel in web performance, CPU power, stability, disk I/O performance, network performance and many other areas, beating some of the biggest names in the field for our unparalleled functioning.
Our prices are as transparent as they can be. All LayerStack cloud packages offer unlimited data transfer under our “Fair Use Policy”. We don’t charge extra traffic and there will never be unwelcome surprises on your bills.
Our intuitive LayerPanel allows you to control the smallest details in a single portal. Build, manage and monitor the environment and receive insightful, broken-down analytics so you can make the best and informed decisions that drive your business.
And we don’t stop there. LayerStack’s development team works tirelessly and rolls out new features to further improve your cloud journey with us. Global Private Networking, Load Balancers and API are just the start – the sky is only the limit, not our cloud.
These freebies are more than just bells and whistles. At LayerStack, we understand a cloud solution, as well as the data and applications that count on it, is an important part of your business’s asset. That’s why our solution packages come with all the necessary support, from firewalls, 24/7/365 technical support, and extensive documentary – all on the cuff.
How does LayerStack help migrate your workloads?
There’s no better news than being able to keep everything the way they were after a transition. We promise an easy and professional migration with minimal disruptions, and that’s what we deliver.
Our templates let you import your original VM images to preserve the software and previous configurations in your customed environment. You can install multiple instances from the same image and keep everything you know and love, at the same time enjoying the new benefits that LayerStack’s remarkable features offer.
2. Fuss-free migration delivered by experts
If all you want is a simple migration, you can have it too – for free! Our experienced experts have executed migrations of all sizes, and they will put together a migration strategy best to your situation for a smooth, simplified and swift migration with minimum downtime. During which, all data will be encrypted and transmitted over a secure channel, as security has always been our priority.
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An essential triage to internet traffic with practical security features, load balancers is the gatekeeper that directs web-based traffic to the best available servers for optimal application efficiency. This process involves different algorithms, all come with unique pluses. And in this post, you will read all about them so you can make the most of our balancers.
Round Robin
This is the most common algorithm where all available servers form a queue. When a new request comes in, the load balancers forward it to the first server in the queue. Upon the next request, the balancers distribute the traffic to the next server in the list.
The below diagram gives you a picture of how this works. Say we have an environment with three available servers, the first client’s request (1) received by the balancer is assigned to server 1. The next request (2) is then assigned to the next server in turn, namely server 2. When the balancer finishes routing the third request and reaches the bottom of the server list, it directs the next client (4) to the first on the list again, which is server 1. And the cycle continues.
It is the simplest and the easiest algorithm to be implemented where each server handles a similar amount of workload, making sure there is no overload or starvation of server resources.
Least Connections
The name says it all – the balancers monitor the current capacity of each available server, and assigns new requests to the one with the fewest active connections.
In the diagram below, servers 1 and 2 are serving a higher demand of requests. Therefore, when client 1 comes in, their request is directed to server 4 as it is currently idle. The next client (2) is assigned to server 4 as it is now one of the two servers (3 and 4) with the least connections. Now, with server 4 having two connections while server 3 having just one, the third incoming client request is routed to server 3 – the one with the least active connections.
This intelligent mechanism ensures all requests are handled in the most effective manner possible, and is more resilient to heavy traffic and demanding sessions.
Source-based
In similar nature to least-connection, source-based algorithm pairs certain requests with the client’s IP address. Once you set up the rules in the LayerPanel, our load balancers will route the workloads accordingly.
For instance, the balancer recognizes the IP address that you have previously specified, and autonomously directs the requests from that specific client to a specific server – server 2 – in the diagram below. When the same client returns a few days later with a new request, the balancer recognizes its IP address and will distribute the request to the same server.
This algorithm provides you with the flexibility to group certain application-specific tasks together or slightly tailor the environment best to process specific requests. This allows your application to handle requests with desirable resources and reach desirable, more predictable results.
Want more details on how to configure Load Balancers for LayerStack’s cloud servers? Read our tutorials and product docs.
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If you have any ideas for improving our products or want to vote on other ideas so they get prioritized, please submit your feedback on our Community platform. Feel free to pop by our community.
Why choose when you can have it all? LayerStack’s cloud server solutions are not only high-performing, reliable and versatile, they also come with a slew of features and services – all without extra charge! LayerStack promises stress-free, one-stop solutions, and those are exactly what you get.
Cloud Control Panel
Manage every aspect of your cloud with our foolproof and intuitive Control Panel that generates insightful analytics and tracking reports. Build, configure, and scale your infrastructure with just a few clicks.
Firewall
Safeguard your business with customizable Firewalls that secure your network traffic. Users can fine-tune firewall rules for security optimal to their specific business needs. Pre-defined templates are present so that setting up firewalls across multiple servers is easy and fuss-free.
API
Personalize the configurations with our powerful API so you can make the most of the server’s competence to fit your most specific requirements.
Free Migration
Migrating your applications and workloads across environments is sweat-free because our specialists will do it for you, after evaluating the migration process and careful planning of course – all on the cuff!
High-Performance Architecture
LayerStack holds a wide range of innovative cloud server options in our arsenal, all of which are as powerful and efficient as you can expect. Our Memory-Optimized servers and Compute-Optimized servers are equipped with 100% dedicated AMD EPYC vCPU for unbeatable CPU power and NVMe SSD that offers superior storage capability and speed, while the General Purpose servers are perfectly competent at day-to-day operations. Regardless of what you are looking for, we have just what the doctor ordered to drive your business.
Cloud Managed Service
From server configuration and operating system installation to bandwidth usage monitoring and SSL certificate installation with Plesk/ cPanel, our comprehensive cloud management support always has your back so you can focus on your business.
Additional Benefits
Need more convincing? On top of the benefits of having data centers around the globe, most cloud server plans at LayerStack offer unlimited traffic and are binding to a service-level agreement that guarantees a server uptime of 99.95% (Click here to check the status of our servers). Human technical support is up and ready 24/7/365, while an extensive Documentation Library is fully accessible whenever an issue presents itself.
LayerStack understands that your time should be spent on your business growth instead of wading through technical matters. Let our world-class cloud experts do the heavy-lifting while you sit back and watch how our solution drives your business.
Got questions about our cloud service? Click here to arrange a free consultation with our cloud experts now!
Load Balancers are LayerStack’s latest product that maximizes the capabilities of your applications by distributing traffic across multiple cloud servers regionally and globally. Whether you are running high traffic websites, performing disaster recovery or maintaining multiple sites that require high availability, our Load Balancers can be a valuable player to avoid overloading of any single server, so your applications can run at optimal speed and capabilities.
Intelligent traffic direction, however, is just a fraction of what makes our Load Balancers amazing. They support various features that make your cloud journey stress-free. Setting up is a cinch and can be done with just a few clicks in the LayerStack cloud panel or LayerStack API.
Global Private Networking
By configuring Load Balancers with the Global Private Networking, all data are transmitted via a low latency isolated network without compromising speed and security concerns.
To further enhance the security of your cloud, you can combine Global Private Networking with DDoS Protection.
DDoS Protection
Distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attack is one of the greatest cyber threats in recent decades where attackers overwhelm a network with a flood of internet traffic, preventing your applications from serving your genuine customers.
Sitting in front of the Load Balancers, the DDoS Protection mechanism protects both the balancers and the cloud servers behind it.
Putting it all Together
With the combination of these Load Balancers’ features, you can create stable and secure configurations for enhanced availability and performance. For example, you may create isolated web traffic through a private network to transmit data securely while still handling a swarm of simultaneous requests, hence ensuring a smooth running of your website.
Available today
LayerStack’s Load Balancers improve the availability, performance and scalability of your applications. You can deploy Load Balancers now in LayerPanel with ease and minimal configuration. In the Panel, you can also perform custom health checks, choose a preferred load balancing algorithm, set up sticky sessions, proxy protocol and SSL certificates, as well as activate DDoS protection and Global Private Networking.
Our Load Balancers are available to all cloud servers by LayerStack, including General Purpose Cloud Servers, Memory Optimized Cloud Servers and Compute Optimized Cloud Servers in Hong Kong, Singapore and Tokyo.
As always, we tirelessly improve our solutions while also developing new features – there will be more exciting news! Check out the LayerStack Community and keep an eye on our social media for more announcements.
