Anyone with basic IT background can deploy any VPS server. But this doesn’t offer any guarantee that everything will work out well as you would expect. The level of server deployment complexity or simplicity varies depending on the type of experience and knowledge you have in the IT field. It also depends on the project scope you’re trying to implement. Smaller projects are beginner-friendly and large server deployment projects will require a sophisticated level of engineering in this field.

What basic knowledge is needed to deploy a VPS server?

At the beginner level, it’s relatively not that hard to deploy a VPS server if you have some basic knowledge of Linux systems and Networking.

So, why do these two important in server deployment? Let me break it down for you.

First, Linux is the most commonly used operating system for the biggest percentage of servers deployed in Data centers or Server rooms all over the world. Without any doubt, if you want to be a server computing nerd, you must start with Linux basics and then gradually advance to the sophisticated level.

At the most basic level, you will need the following Linux skills so you can start with VPS server deployment;

Know how to use the terminal

In most cases, you’re going to use the Linux terminal to install scripts or execute commands on your server. It’s important to note that knowing how to use a Linux terminal is not optional in this case. In other words, it’s necessary for you to know how to execute commands on Linux systems using the terminal.

Why not just use a Desktop Graphical interface?

I know you could be asking this question in your mind, but the truth is, most Linux VPS servers don’t use Desktop GUI because of security and performance optimization reasons. And the most reliable option available is to use the terminal interface to remotely run commands or install scripts from the repositories.

Know how to create User accounts

You must be able to create user accounts and assign appropriate privileges based on the type of users you’re creating. The most privileged user on the Linux VPS server is the root user. Such a user has all the power to change anything on the system without the need for anyone’s permission.

Therefore, it’s important to limit access to your root account to yourself only, or someone you really trust as any compromise could drastically lead to security consequences for your entire system. When a malicious actor gets hold of your VPS root account, they will be able to destroy your system if that’s their intention or extort money from you in exchange for regaining back your system.

Understand how the Linux File System Works

You must be able to know how to navigate through the Linux file system while also understanding the various directory paths on the system. This can help you to know how to make necessary configurations, where to install certain scripts, and which directories to avoid for your server system security and performance optimization.

Security optimization.

VPS servers are connected to the internet and there is a bigger chance that they’re vulnerable to different types of threats if the necessary security optimization isn’t implemented.

You have to know which part of the VPS is vulnerable and how to secure it. Things like using Linux firewalls should be very important and you must have some basic knowledge of how to implement them.

Why do you need networking skills to deploy a VPS server?

Well, server computing is all about networking. You’re running and managing a virtual machine that’s likely to be geographically located hundreds or thousands of miles away from you.

And the best way to access this server is through a network which is the internet. But this is not about plug and play as anyone would assume. You have to do some bit of technical configurations so you can remotely access your server.

Now, these are some of the server networking skills you will need;

 Basic understanding of TCP/IP protocol stack

This stack has most of the important protocols which are crucial if you plan to deploy applications on your VPS server. For example, if you want to deploy a website on your server, you will have to install and configure a Webserver. A Webserver is a script that is configured to listen to an incoming request and then respond accordingly.

Websites are hosted using a Webserver which requires certain protocols to be configured on the server. For example, when you visit any website, you’re asking the web server on which that website is hosted to serve you the type of content you’re interested to see in your browser. During this process, two important protocols are employed; HTTP and HTTPS. These two protocols do the same work but vary in terms of security.

They’re responsible for establishing a data transport layer between the browser on your computer or smartphone and the remote server which contains the webpages you’re looking for.

When a website or web application is hosted on a VPS server, the HTTP or HTTPS ports have to be opened or enabled through the Firewall. If you don’t do that, your website won’t be able to connect to the internet and nobody will be able to find it.

In addition, VPS servers are deployed remotely and so, we use an SSH terminal in most cases to establish remote connections. When you have some basic understanding of networking, you will appreciate the fact that SSH has to be enabled and then configured through the firewall so you can establish a remote terminal connection from your local machine to your remote server.

This, therefore, means that you must have better knowledge of how the TCP/IP protocol stack works. Popular Protocols like HTTP, HTTPS, SSH, FTP, RDP, and more belong to the TCP/IP networking family.

Bandwidth management and optimization

It’s important to understand that, you don’t just buy a VPS server without understanding the actual specifications you need for your application. For example, if you wanted to deploy a live streaming server on your VPS, you must ensure that you have the right hardware specifications and also make sure the network performance of your server is capable of handling high-quality video streaming.

Basically, when you buy a VPS machine, your service provider will allocate it to a certain data transfer capacity. If your server is given limited bandwidth and your application needs surpass what you have, you’re likely to fail. So, you need to understand how bandwidth allocation and optimization work as part of your journey to efficient and effective deployment of your VPS servers.

Security reinvented again

In the first section above, I already talked about security optimization. But I would like to emphasize it again under the networking section. Servers are hacked by exploiting application or server networking flaws. For example, the primary intentions of most malicious actors are to gain unauthorized access to your system by all means. And they try to achieve this by scanning your server to identify if there are certain open gaps to exploit.

The most effective gateway for hackers to intrude into your system is when you offer a wide-open door to your system. This could basically mean allowing your server so vulnerable which makes it easier for malicious actors to enter. Thing like all the TCP/IP ports open on your server can prove to be totally a bad idea. Malicious actors love it when important ports on the server are left open. For example, if you have an SSH server running on your VPS machine, be sure to optimize its security configurations to prevent anyone from exploiting any flaw that could give them a path to your system.

If you leave flaws in your SSH server configurations, you will be basically inviting malicious actors to intrude into your system. One of the best ways to frustrate unauthorized access to your SSH server is by whitelisting the IP address of your local machine which you use to establish a remote terminal connection to your system. This will totally deny connections from other IP addresses that are not recognized on the system.

There are so many protocols and ports filled with vulnerabilities, and you should be careful when trying to open them or configure them on your server. The best idea is to first research on something before you employ it in the production environment.

Therefore, the e best way to harden your server security is to have a better understanding of how server threats work and how to use reliable methods to prevent them from wreaking havoc on your system. So, the basic understanding of how firewalls work is a critical skill you need if you plan to deploy a VPS server for a production environment.

The nature of the VPS platform matters.

Even though I talked about the core of this topic, it’s important to point out the advantage of using a VPS provider that offers a simple management dashboard. Usually, VPS platforms that are crowded with confusing features are going to give you headaches especially if you’re just a beginner who needs a simple web hosting server for your website. For example, it’s probably a bad idea to want to use massive bigger platforms like AWS, Azure, GCP, or IBM cloud if you’re just a beginner in server deployment.

These platforms I’m talking about are not that beginner-friendly and they’re likely to give you pain when in reality you don’t necessarily need them.

RECOMMENDED READING: How to install a Graphical User Interface on Ubuntu Server

What does a simple VPS management Dashboard looks like?

A VPS Management Dashboard is where everything about your server is managed. If you want to upgrade the computing capability of your server, you could just go to your management dashboard and place an order for more functionality from your VPS vendor.

Your VPS account dashboard account is something you shouldn’t take lightly. When you lose root access to your server, you can easily solve this problem by logging into your account dashboard and resetting the root password from there. This means that a good VPS provider should provide the root password reset functionality in the users’ dashboards so they can do it with ease.

Usually, complex server management dashboards are likely to give you a frustrating experience while trying to find a certain feature you want. This is why I strongly advise you to start with VPS platforms that offer simple dashboard interfaces that you easily take use to manage or troubleshoot your server.

What is the most accessible VPS platform to use for beginners?

Undoubtedly, there are so many VPS server providers out there. But Contabo is one of the best and easiest VPS platforms for beginners because of the following reasons;

You can launch a server within a few minutes.

If you’re looking for the easiest way to deploy a VPS server, Contabo is the right choice you need as it’s pretty straightforward to get started. You don’t need to be a pro to get started with Contabo. All you need is to find the right server package for your need, sign up and you’re good to go.

No unexplainable extra charges at the end of the month.

Cantabo charges are transparent. They won’t charge you for things you never asked for. When you order a package, they will charge you a simple setup fee plus the overall package amount and that’s all. For example, their starter VPS package comes with 4vCPU, 8GB RAM, 30TB bandwidth, and unlimited incoming traffic. Surprisingly, if you chose a yearly billing cycle, you will be charged even less because you won’t have to pay the setup fee. In the end, you will have unlimited access and autonomy to your server and nobody will prevent you from doing anything with it.

Free Ip address

While Virtual server providers like AWS, GCP, Azure, etc would charge you for reserving an IP address, Contabo can offer you a free IP address that comes with every VPS package you buy. They will only charge you an additional fee if you needed an extra IP address. But usually, this is not necessary if you just want to deploy a simple application.

Insane server packages at a penny price

It’s insane and yes, you’ve read it right. Contabo is probably the only provider in the market that can give you a server with 4vCPU, 8GB RAM, and 32TB traffic at just $7 per month. If you disagree with this fact, just look at the pricing comparison below with other popular VPS providers on the market;

Conclusion

If you’re looking to easily deploy your VPS server, better start with a provider that won’t give you headache. The ability to deploy a server instance, explore the dashboard, or troubleshoot issues should be considered when trying to find a beginner-friendly platform. Of course, VPS costs are important to put into consideration. You don’t want to subscribe to a service that’s going to drain your wallet in exchange for a poor Virtual server that can’t offer the kind of power you’re looking for.