Cloud Computing Technology: LiteSpeed Webserver - Faster than Apache!

LiteSpeed Webserver

LiteSpeed is a webserver that is a direct replacement for Apache. Developed by LiteSpeed Technologies, it is designed to deliver content many times faster than what Apache can deliver.

Contents 1 LiteSpeed Overview 2 LiteSpeed Features 2.1 Interchangeable with Apache 2.2 Web Hosting Control Panel Compatible 2.3 Performance Benefits 2.4 Security 2.5 PHP with Security 2.6 DDoS Security 3 LiteSpeed and GigeNET

LiteSpeed Overview

LiteSpeed is a webserver that delivers static content much faster than Apache. According to benchmark tests, static content is delivered upto 6 times faster than Apache. This translates into a better experience for customers. LiteSpeed also shines when it serves dynamic PHP content with speed improvements of 50% or more.

LiteSpeed Features

LiteSpeed is made attractive with a wide variety of features that enable seamless migration for Apache as well as complete security and control panel interoperability.

Interchangeable with Apache

Much of Apache's power comes from the modules that are plugged into it such as mod_rewrite and mod_security. In addition, the .htaccess files are highly configurable and allow extreme fine tuning of Apache.

With the LiteSpeed Webserver, you needn't give up this power and flexibility. LiteSpeed is fully compatible with all the major Apache modules. In addition, all the hosting panels that work with Apache also work with LiteSpeed in exactly the same way. So if you're used to controlling Apache in a certain way like say, suspending an account, you can use the same technique with LiteSpeed.

LiteSpeed aims to transparently replace Apache so that you get the same interface with many times the power.

Web Hosting Control Panel Compatible

As mentioned above, all the major control panels work seamlessly with LiteSpeed. cPanel, Plesk and DirectAdmin are all compatible with LiteSpeed. This results in no transition overhead as with other webservers. You can continue to use the same interface that is familiar to you.

Performance Benefits

Apache has ruled the roost for a very long time. However, when it comes to improving performance as time goes by, the improvements have barely been evolutionary. Instead of dramatic performance increases between versions, Apache has shown only modest speed increases.

LiteSpeed significantly outperforms Apache in every Benchmark while serving up both static as well as dynamic pages. In addition, LiteSpeed includes several built in features that require 3rd party interference in Apache such as a static Load Balancer and Anti-DDoS technologies.

Several aspects of LiteSpeed leave Apache far behind such as superb Ruby on Rails performance and 50% PHP speed increases. Several handles such as the PERL daemon and the CGI dameon demonstrate far superior efficiency compared to Apache. If you're a reseller with many different types of clients, LiteSpeed will cater to all of them and provide you with drastic improvements, leading to satisfied customers.

Security

PHP with Security

LiteSpeed has one of the best security feature sets around. Traditionally Apache Servers have had security issues when running PHP scripts within a shared hosting environment. This is because PHP scripts run as a traditional Apache User, and this code is readable and writable by all the users within the system.

In usual Apache systems, one solution is to use suEXEC so that the scripts are not run as regular Apache users. All this extra work however, means suEXEC is extremely slow. The performance hit is large enough to necessitate an increase in hardware to cope with the load. LiteSpeed however, has the best security systems that can seamlessly secure your users from one another and doesn't come with the performance hit that such security entails.

DDoS Security

LiteSpeed comes with the most advanced DDoS protection that stops such attacks in their tracks. Apache is terrible at handling attacks that disguise themselves as legitimate traffic. This can happen with several bots installed on servers that launch low bandwidth attacks all at once.

LiteSpeed doesn't allow such attacks to eat up your resources. It comes with sophisticated tools such as per IP request rate throttling and bandwidth limiting that root out DDoS attacks quickly. Bots are identified and banned efficiently and with no hassle. Another cool feature, is it's ability to generate flash reports showing which sites are under attack and facing problems.

LiteSpeed and GigeNET

LiteSpeed is available to all GigeNET customers using a dedicated server plan. You can choose to use LiteSpeed at the time of ordering your server right from our website as an upgrade.

LiteSpeed is licensed based on the number of cores it is run on. Here is the cost of choosing LiteSpeed on various cores with GigeNET:

* 2 Cores - $35 per month
* 4 Cores - $48 per month
* 8 Cores - $69 per month

Order your LiteSpeed Server to get the best performance and interoperability over Apache - right here at GigeNET