One downside to a fully managed server

[Schmarvin]

It bugs the hell out of me. I can't touch any settings within PHP, MySQL, or whatnot. If I have to use SSH, I can't touch it. All I can touch are script settings, or settings that are within, lets say, cPanel/WHM. So, its kinda irritating I have to wait for someone else to install some things. Especially when I can install them faster.

If I try to do anything myself, I basically void the contract and would lose full management of the server.

 

[Decker]

Lose the server or at least lose the management, surely you can come to an agreement to make it unmanaged, or was it too much of a special offer to resist!

 

[Schmarvin]

Are you offering to fully manage my server for free?

 

[CN-Jeremy]

Wow that is kinda strict.. I understand why, but I don't agree with it.

Basically they don't want to be responsible if you go in and do something that messes up the server, then put in a support ticket for them to fix it.

I think I would be more inclined to go unmanaged and hire a 3rd party management service like rack911

 

[Decker]

Are you offering to fully manage my server for free?

See the part in bold and red no bloody way

Jeremy on unmanaged servers you don't really get an option to drop a ticket because you fouled up, they charge quite heavily for that only thing they would likely do free is image it again.

Schmarvin would be perfectly capable of managing a server by now I would hope

 

[[JSH]John]

This is usually standard with many fully managed servers. Which company do you use for this server? Sometimes it can be possible to change to semi-managed so you can at least install software yourself.

 

[Schmarvin]

See the part in bold and red no bloody way

Jeremy on unmanaged servers you don't really get an option to drop a ticket because you fouled up, they charge quite heavily for that only thing they would likely do free is image it again.

Schmarvin would be perfectly capable of managing a server by now I would hope

I can, but mate, I haven't got the time. That's why I paid about $20 extra a month for that service. I have to run my company, which is at least 30 hours a week. Plus, I have another full-time job, which is another 40 hours a week.

 

[Decker]

Is that all? Slacker!

I'm always happy to help, but I ditched the free long time ago, was being knackered by trying to help everyone

Less than a $ a day, but then there's the limitations, hard call mate. What are the demands on that server like, support wise?

 

[Schmarvin]

Is that all? Slacker!

I'm always happy to help, but I ditched the free long time ago, was being knackered by trying to help everyone

Less than a $ a day, but then there's the limitations, hard call mate. What are the demands on that server like, support wise?

Well, the managed one is the one with my websites on it. So, Cross Industries and Glacier Host both sit on it. It has to be at least 99% uptime. It also has all of my billing systems on it.
**Was trying to install magento, but that software is a joke. You have to buy it and have them install it in order for it to work.

 

[Decker]

magento FFS Nooooooooo!

Sorry went off on an old flashback, jeez that needs a server on it's own, it does not sit happy with anything else.

Seems nice but doesn't play nice category

Going to have to go lie down in my quiet dark room now...

 

[Seraphim]

I would seriously rethink that provider if you can't do any configuration or anything yourself. Since it sounds like you are paying for a managed dedicated server, but really getting nothing more than an elaborate reseller off of somebody else's machine.

Kind of defeats the purpose of having your own hardware if you aren't allowed to tune it to suit your needs in any way. Especially stuff like updating software and installing modules needed by features.

Incidentally I actually did succeed in getting Magento operating at one point. The real secret to it is the use of a PHP_CGI to provide the correct PHP version to it independent of the server's versions. But at the time I felt that it didn't suit my needs, and abandoned it to go on and develop my own billing system.

 

[Schmarvin]

I would seriously rethink that provider if you can't do any configuration or anything yourself. Since it sounds like you are paying for a managed dedicated server, but really getting nothing more than an elaborate reseller off of somebody else's machine.

Kind of defeats the purpose of having your own hardware if you aren't allowed to tune it to suit your needs in any way. Especially stuff like updating software and installing modules needed by features.

Incidentally I actually did succeed in getting Magento operating at one point. The real secret to it is the use of a PHP_CGI to provide the correct PHP version to it independent of the server's versions. But at the time I felt that it didn't suit my needs, and abandoned it to go on and develop my own billing system.

How is it a reseller mate? I drove to the DC, saw my server, and physically touched it. How is that reselling? Hell, I was even able to open it up and touch the hardware.

Having management like that isn't a bad thing. Means I'm not liable for anything that goes wrong. They are.

 

[Decker]

I drove to the DC, saw my server, and physically touched it.

Sure it was your server? Did you login locally to it when you were there? In the rack there may have been a nice slide out KVM tray did you get to use that???

Having management like that isn't a bad thing. Means I'm not liable for anything that goes wrong. They are.

Come on your to long in the tooth to really believe that...

 

[Schmarvin]

Sure it was your server? Did you login locally to it when you were there? In the rack there may have been a nice slide out KVM tray did you get to use that???



Come on your to long in the tooth to really believe that...

Your first question, yes. It was mine, I brought my laptop and connected it.

Your statement, yes. They have a contract. They signed it, I signed it. They are responsible for all damages to my server and for any maintenance.

 

[Decker]

You connected your laptop? So an RJ45 straight in there, would get you what, an idea that you need something else to do that.

Don't get me wrong I'm worried about the 'contract' and the (see above)

I brought my laptop and connected it.

No KVM that's a bit wrong as I could have you attached to any server and make believe its anywhere.

And still I don't trust them to take care of any losses if they screw up.

 

[Schmarvin]

Yes, my laptop. Not directly to the server...that is impossible. To the KVM switchboard. Secondly, I'm in a rack of 7 servers, all dedicated. Even if the others aren't mine. They are of the same series. One of them, on the bottom rack, is actually double the power of my server, and I'd love that one, lol.

So far, I've had no problems. They have taken care of all maintenance and core runnings of my server.

 

[Decker]

Not directly to the server...that is impossible.

Nope that's what the KVM's are for, sticking an RJ45 into a switch port and giving you an IP is pants, the rack KVM's are configured and connected physically, if they don't have one or couldn't at least show you one, (worse case servers always have at least 2 LAN connections and usually only 1 connected you could have plugged into the other port), think on this for a bit...

How do the DC techs physically rebuild a system without a physical connection to the box?

And when contracting I used to fool clients (to stop them having heart attacks) that everything was 'fine' by letting them plug in or connect remotely to a box that was running 'fine'

DC's have the facility to let you access directly your system, at console level as that's all that's running if your sitting in front of it with your own keyboard and monitor (everything neat is running behind that), but direct so you can do basic queries just to be sure.