For VPS services, VEDOS is responsible only for the operation of the virtual machine itself and its connectivity. Management of the operating system and any other software is entirely the customer’s responsibility; we do not perform any installations, modifications, or other interventions.
In this article you will learn:
- What problems are most commonly encountered with the VPS service
- How to check the functionality of the VPS service
- How to restart the VPS service
- How to check server resources in Linux
- How to deal with a server compromise
- Frequently asked questions
Common VPS problems
Common VPS problems include the unavailability of the server as a whole, or of some applications.
If the server does not respond at all, not even to ping or an attempt to connect via SSH, check the functionality of the VPS and, if necessary, restart it.
The unavailability of a key application can still cause problems with website display or availability via SSH. Check the application status, its logs, and server resources. If SSH does not work, connect via KVM.
Checking the functionality of the VPS
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 will 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 administration of the service itself in the following 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 switched off.
If the service is active, then check 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 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 IP addresses are removed on the Network tab for VPS ON, the VPS has been disconnected from the network on our side.
The network may also be unavailable due to an error in the server configuration. Connect via KVM and verify the network configuration using the ip a command (Debian, Ubuntu), or ipconfig.
Restart VPS
Restarting can solve a large number of problems, including increasing system resources 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 the backup, or reinstall it and upload the data.
Checking server resources in Linux
A lack of system resources can manifest itself as server slowdown, freezing or crashing of individual services, or of the entire operating system.
Connect to the server via SSH, or VNC (KVM).
VNC (KVM) also works when SSH is unavailable and the server is disconnected from the network.
- Connect to VPS HDD/SSD according to the instructions 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 commands:
ps,topandhtopto check RAM and CPU. If you are hitting limits, consider limiting some processes, or upgrading the VPS HDD/SSD or VPS ON plan. Note that a VPS plan can only be upgraded in the administration, not downgraded.dfanddf -hto check the disk and number of files. Large volumes and numbers of files can cause problems. Clean up disk space regularly.
Avoid solving a memory problem by activating swap. Access to data on the disk is significantly slower, and the server will slow down even more.
If checking server resources and resolving their exhaustion did not help, go through the system logs and logs of individual applications (usually in the /var/log directory).
Server compromise
Servers are most often compromised for the purpose of sending spam and launching attacks 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 handle 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 resolves 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 ⧉. Provide the service name or number 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 instructions 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 a resend of the service setup e-mail (VPS HDD/SSD) via the form ⧉, or change the root password in ON Sunstone ⧉ according to these instructions (VPS ON). If you have your own OS, or if you changed the VPS HDD/SSD service root password after setup, unfortunately we cannot provide it to you.