DreamHost Private Servers
DreamHost has just announced that they are launching DreamHost Private Servers.
DreamHost PS is a premium shared hosting service based on Linux-VServer, which gives each user their own “virtual machine” and thereby protecting their CPU and RAM from other users on the same physical machine.
While virtual servers gets more and more common in the hosting business, I belive the pricing model is pretty unique.
The price is currently $1.00/month for each 10 MB RAM and 10 MhZ CPU.
You choose your guaranteed server resources and can readjust whenever you want (you don’t even need to reboot the server).
You can still burst up to the full 2.3 GHz CPU and double the memory. This means that you can start out small and scale as you go.
A couple of examples:
- 150 MB RAM / 150 MHz CPU ($15/month)
99% of all predominantely static sites (e.g. www.dreamhost.com) - 300 MB RAM / 300 MHz CPU ($30/month)
A top 100 blog (e.g. blog.dreamhost.com) - 512 MB RAM / 512 MHz CPU ($51.2/month)
A busy forum (e.g. discussion.dreamhost.com) - 2300 MB RAM / 2300 MHz CPU ($230/month)
A very popular web app. (e.g. panel.dreamhost.com)
The price includes 2 unique IPs and the ability to name your own “server”.
Besides the protected and guaranteed CPU and RAM everything else works as your old DreamHost account. Same features, same web panel, same amount of bandwidth and disk, same support, etc.
The service is currently invitation-only, but you can already get added to the wait list through the control panel.
August 4th, 2007 at 08:50
Can you run your own services on those servers? Like for example shoutcast?
Thanks!
August 4th, 2007 at 09:24
@Udo: It appears you will have the flexibility to run processes on the servers, but there is some discussion of to what extent it’s allowed. See the comments here: http://blog.dreamhost.com/2007/08/02/what-a-con/
August 8th, 2007 at 15:44
what is the projected wait time for those on the wait list?
August 9th, 2007 at 16:38
I’d give them my spare rack server if I could just use half of it and batter the bandwidth.
August 22nd, 2007 at 10:59
I’ve already received a Dreamhost PS. It works about the way they promise: no root, but your own protected process space. Pretty much the same as shared server, only not as much shared.
The downside is quite obvious, when you think of it: 150Mhz/150MB is not going to get you anywhere. If you run out of memory+swap, the PHP scripts instantly give the Internal Server Error. While it’s really easy to up the memory, it’s quite hard to see exactly what’s going on. You have full access to your own little machine, but you can’t even momentarily burst to the full capacity of the server when you need it.
However, I have to admire how Dreamhost executed this. The “Adjust CPU/Memory” bar is brilliant. They make it look so easy and hide the technical details below. Also, there has to be a lot of legroom on these servers, since the users are constantly fiddling with their sliders.
August 22nd, 2007 at 12:27
Heikki – I wonder where you have the “you can’t even momentarily burst to the full capacity of the server when you need it” from? According to DreamHost Private Servers “You can still burst up to the full 2.3 GHz cpu and double the memory!”.
I love to see some screenshots from the control panel. Could I get you to send some to me at mail[at]blog[dot]dreamhosters[dot]com?