For VPS services, VEDOS is responsible only for the operation of the virtual machine itself and its connectivity. Management of the operating system and other software is entirely up to the customer; we do not perform any installations, modifications, or other interventions.
Need help with a website? Find your specialist at VEDOS Profi ⧉.
In this article you will learn:
- What problems you most often encounter with the VPS service
- How to check VPS service functionality
- How to restart the VPS service
- How to check server resources in Linux
- How to deal with a compromised server
- Frequently asked questions
Common VPS problems
Common VPS problems include the server being unavailable as a whole, or some applications being unavailable.
If the server does not respond at all, not even to ping or an SSH connection attempt, check the VPS functionality and, if necessary, restart it.
Unavailability of a key application can still cause problems with website display or SSH accessibility. Check the application status, its logs, and server resources. If SSH does not work, connect via KVM.
Checking VPS functionality
If the server is not working for an unknown reason, first check the functionality of the service itself.First visit the Status ⧉ page, where you can find information about current outages. Information about planned outages can be found in the customer administration ⧉ and in your e-mail.
If there is no outage or maintenance, enter the service administration using these steps:
- Log in to the customer administration ⧉.
- In the top menu, select Serverhosting VPS SSD, or VPS ON.
- In the overview, select the service you want to check.
First, in the Information table, verify whether the Status of the service is active. If it is not active, the service has expired and is therefore turned off.
If the service is active, check further whether it is running and connected to the network.
- For VPS HDD/SSD, perform the check directly in the administration. In the left menu, click Status and VPS information. Verify that Status has the value running and Network is connected.
- For VPS ON, log in to the OpenNebula Sunstone ⧉ interface. In the virtual machine management, verify that the status is RUNNING and the graphs on the Network tab show activity.
If the IP addresses on the Network tab are removed for VPS ON, the VPS is disconnected from the network on our side.
The network can also be unavailable due to an error in the server configuration. Connect via KVM and verify the network configuration with the ip a (Debian, Ubuntu), or ipconfig command.
Restart VPS
A restart can solve a large number of problems, including increased system resource usage and the so-called kernel panic - a crash of the operating system in an abnormal situation. Follow the instructions:
If the server cannot be started at all, and you have a backup available (your own, or ours), restore the server from backup, or reinstall it and upload the data.
Checking server resources in Linux
A lack of system resources can result in server slowdown, freezing or crashing of individual services, or the entire operating system.
Connect to the server via SSH, or VNC (KVM).
VNC (KVM) works even when SSH is unavailable and the server is disconnected from the network.
- Connect to VPS HDD/SSD according to the guide VPS - Access to the server via VNC.
- Connect to VPS ON in the ON Sunstone ⧉ interface. After selecting the virtual machine, click the display icon in the control panel.
Run the following commands:
ps,topandhtopto check RAM and CPU. If you hit limits, consider restricting some processes, or upgrading the VPS HDD/SSD or VPS ON plan. Note that the VPS variant can only be upgraded in the administration, not downgraded.dfanddf -hto check the disk and number of files. Large volumes and file counts can cause problems. Clean up disk space regularly.
Avoid solving a memory problem by enabling swap. Access to data on the disk is significantly slower and the server will slow down even more.
If checking server resources and dealing with their exhaustion does not help, go through the system logs and logs of individual applications (usually in the /var/log directory).
Compromised server
Servers are most often compromised for the purpose of sending spam and attacking as part of a botnet.
Outdated applications are commonly compromised (for example, old, unupdated versions of PHP) and various content management systems. You can detect the problem by thoroughly checking running processes using the ps aux command.
On our side, we usually deal with a compromise by informing the server subscriber by e-mail, or by SMS in the case of a larger attack. In cases of a very serious compromise, or if the subscriber does not respond, we disconnect the server from the network in an effort to minimize damage until the service administrator removes the problem.
A server disconnected from the network is not accessible via SSH, but you can connect via VNC (KVM).
If you want to report that the server compromise has been resolved, reply to the technician’s original message, or write via the form ⧉. Include the name or number of the service and a description of the resolution.
Frequently asked questions
I can't connect via SSH, what should I do?
Connect using VNC (KVM) according to the guide for VPS SSD/HDD, or in the ON Sunstone ⧉ interface.
I don't remember the root password for logging in to the operating system, how do I log in?
If you are using a preinstalled operating system, you can request that the e-mail about service setup (VPS HDD/SSD) be resent via the form ⧉, or change the root password in ON Sunstone ⧉ according to this guide (VPS ON). If you have your own OS, or if you changed the root password of the VPS HDD/SSD service after setup, unfortunately we cannot provide it to you.