Our VPS services are provided through an infrastructure, commonly referred to as a cluster, composed of a set of servers (nodes) connected to each other and several shared storage resources. This makes it possible to easily expand expand the computing and/or storage resources required to ensure the proper functioning of all services, while maintaining high operating performance and, above all, without any interruptions

The cluster-type architecture also makes it possible to manage any ordinary and extraordinary maintenance without creating any disruption, by migrating the computational part of the VPS between cluster nodes (vmotion) or even the disk part (svmotion), in a way that is totally transparent to the end user.

Our infrastructure provides 2 types of virtual server clusters:

• cluster with Citrix XenServer hypervisor
• cluster with VMware vSphere with Geographic Business Continuity hypervisor

Each cluster is configured in HA (High Availability) mode: it is therefore able to manage the fault of a single server by restarting it on another node in the cluster. In addition, DRS (Distributed Resource Scheduler) technology makes it possible to balance the load of VPS services by distributing it across the cluster. In this way, it is possible to make maximum use of the available hardware resources at all times.

VMware VPS: Geographic Business Continuity

All virtual servers on VMware hypervisors are characterised by Geographic Business Continuity: the servers are located on a VMware cluster, distributed over Florence and Rome thanks to the SnapMirror Business Continuity function of our NetApp storage systems, certified by VMware. In fact, the storage systems are configured in synchronous replication between Florence and Rome and the cluster nodes access the geographically closest storage node: in the event of a fault, the servers restart in the secondary data center without loss of data and with the same IP address.

XenServer VPS: Geographic Security Replication

Available among the additional services is the geographic security replication of the VPS server on XenServer Hypervisor in one of our colocation sites in Rome or Siziano (Stack Emea). The replication is performed asynchronously on an hourly basis and keeps the history of the last 6 hours.

Hardware and security

Our virtual servers are provided by physical servers located in the TIER IV Data Center in Florence and in the Data Center in Rome. These are enterprise-grade servers, characterised by physical redundancy for fundamental components such as power supplies and disks. The systems' RAM is of the ECC type and therefore able to automatically detect faulty memory cells and isolate them.

The nodes are equipped with a fault detection system that provides real-time notification of the hardware problem. In the event of a node pre-breakdown (non-blocking failure such as a RAM bank failure), the hypervisor automatically transfers all virtual machines to other nodes in the system.

The "virtual" disks of the VPS are stored on NETAPP Enterprise-grade SANs with SSD and NVME disks. The devices used are dual active/active dual controllers so that if one controller fails, the system does not suffer any disruption. The disks are in RAID-dp, with multiple spare disks, so the system handles without disruption the simultaneous failure of 3 out of 12 disks. In addition, thanks to specific agreements with our suppliers, we are able to replace a failed device within 4 hours.

Automatic Snapshots

Automatic snapshots are taken on SAN storage unit volumes on an hourly and daily basis: if a server is compromised, it is possible to restore a copy from a snapshot. As for the servers, the storage units are distributed in the TIER IV DC in Florence and the DC in Rome and the storage volumes of the virtual servers are replicated synchronously and automatically.

Off-site backup

The backup service is always performed in a different geographical location (off-site) from where the infrastructure is located, so as to ensure that the data replication is in a Data Center physically separate from the virtual server location (e.g. VPS in DC 2 TIER IV in Florence and backup in the DC in Rome). In the specific case of VMware virtual servers with Geographic Business Continuity, the backup will be performed in a third data center different from the two data centers of the virtual server and its geographical replica (e.g. VPS in the DC 2 TIER IV in Florence, geographical replica in the DC in Rome and backup in the DC Stack EMEA TIER IV in Siziano).

The ideal service for backing up virtual servers is Acronis Backup, which has an intuitive web interface to easily plan all operations, choosing between different modes (operating system only, data only, complete device/server image) and different frequency (hourly, daily, weekly backup, etc.), and monitoring the status in real time through customized notifications.

Connectivity

Our infrastructure provides igh-speed, private connectivity that enables secure and private communications between VMs, uses 10 Gbps network ports and is not restricted. As far as public connectivity is concerned, it is guaranteed at 1 Gbps. Data traffic is always unlimited.

Conditions of use

After subscribing to the service, the virtual server is activated in the cluster of Hosting Solutions and resources (number of CPUs, amount of ram and disk) are allocated according to the required configuration. The chosen operating system is then installed and the information for administrator access is communicated.

The contents of the virtual servers are under the complete control of the customer. The information required for administrator access is provided when the service is delivered, for the exclusive use of the customer. Hosting Solutions' technical team does not retain this information and will not be able to access any data or applications on the server.
The perimeter firewall, included in the service, can be customized at any time by indicating the access policy by means of a Ticket System request.

Administrator access

Depending on the operating system chosen, access information to the service will be provided via SSH (Linux) or Remote Desktop (Windows). With this access information, the VPS can be fully administered in the same manner and flexibility as a dedicated server. For example, it is possible to change the configuration of the existing software or install new applications in complete autonomy.

Support

All services, including VPS servers, are monitored on a 24-hour basis. In case of need, technical support can be contacted by telephone during office hours, or via ticket/email at any time of the day.