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Choosing the right server configuration and predicting operating costs for running a UNA-powered site may be important for your business strategy planning. This guide may help you choose correct hosting and plan for scale.
Please remember that this is a simplified approximation for the default UNA setup with standard modules only. The real site can have many more modules from 3rd-party developers (which can affect on-site load, space requirements, etc.) or can be focused on resource-intensive tasks that may call for a different estimation (i.e. video conversions, high-storage sites like pro-level photo sharing, etc.)
How to calculate load and choose proper hardware.
The load is very dependant on the number, purpose, functionality and quality of installed modules and the site template. Therefore it is almost impossible to predict it beforehand. But if you have a sample setup of the desired site configuration or pre-production setup on the web server, it is possible to at least predict the memory usage.
To do it install "Profiler" module, this module shows different timings at the bottom of every page for site administrator (by default). Try to open different pages and watch for memory usage and page execution time.
Try open different pages and measure average "Memory" and "Time" values. Let's assume that it is 20Mb for memory usage and 0.5 seconds execution time. Then, if you have a web server with 4G RAM (for example) the web server is capable to handle:
4G - 1G (for system usage) / 20 Mb ~ 150 simultaneous requests.
Please note, that simultaneous requests aren't a number of online users. Users make requests to the server one time in several seconds or a dozen of seconds.
Static Site
If it is a mostly static site (without much dynamically changing content like the Messenger, Shoutbox, Rocket.Chat, etc) then one request in 30 seconds from one user is likely. In this case, the server is capable of handling the following number of online users:
30 (average seconds per one request from one user) / 0.5 (our average "Time" value) * 150 (simultaneous requests) = 9000 online users
Dynamic Site
If it is a dynamic site (with the messenger, active timeline, notifications, etc.) like most UNA sites, 1 request from one user every second on average is likely. In this case, the server is capable of handling the following number of online users:
1 (average seconds per one request from one user) / 0.5 (our average "Time" value) * 150 (simultaneous requests) = 300 online users
As you can see a dynamic site require 30x more resources than a static site.
This is a very rough calculation which considers only server memory usage, while CPU usage is not counted at all. You may have CPU-intensive usage and low memory load and vice versa. For example, video conversions may cause very high CPU usage.
How to calculate load and choose proper hardware for the database server
DB server is dependant on many factors and can not be precisely planned until the site use patterns are observed in production. Just make sire to follow these guidelines:
- Tune MySQL settings for your needs, recheck settings as your database grows and the load increases. Try this tool to check and tune your MySQL settings: http://mysqltuner.pl/
- Installing more RAM can help a lot. Refer to the first advice to see if you need more RAM.
- Use InnoDB DB engine instead of MyISAM if you have high load.
- Store database tables on SSD disks, for the better performance you may need to tune MYSQL especially for SSD disks. (Note, that UNA Cloud servers work on SSD disks only).
- If the load is too high, you may need a server cluster for your MySQL DB.
How to calculate database and files storage needs
Storage varies depending on number and types of installed modules. The better method is to start site and when you will have a number of users, calculate average data size in DB and on Disk and multiply this values on some number of users you need going to plan for.
In the following calculations, we are using some sample UNA setup. The site has only 9 users, all standard modules are installed and almost every user has some content (text content, photos, videos and sounds) in different modules.
Let's assume that we need to calculate future storage for 100 000 users.
DB size
- Current size: 1.5 Mb
- Number of users: 9
- Average DB space per user: 1.5 Mb / 9 ~ 0.167 Mb
Approximate DB Storage required for 100 000 users
100 000 * 0.167 Mb = 16700 Mb ~ 16 Gb
Disk storage
- Current size: 374 Mb
- Number of users: 9
- Average DB space per user: 374 Mb / 9 ~ 41Mb
Approximate Disk Storage required for 100 000 users:
100 000 * 41 Mb = 4 T
Note, that UNA supports remote storage, so you can use, say, AWS S3 storage for quick and price-efficient media storage.
Hosting Server Costs
As a rule of thumb, dedicated servers would be more cost-effective for large sites with a predictable load. You can get a configuration with more RAM, storage and better CPUs compared to a similarly priced Cloud-based server. On the other hand, Cloud-servers can be scaled up more easily and it is possible to start with a smaller instance, scaling up as required - this approach may prove to be more cost-effective for a small to medium community site.
Another consideration is that SSD-based servers will always cost significantly more than a HDD-based ones, so it is best to use SSD-based servers only for the web-server and the database while leveraging external storage for media files.
For a rough estimate, let's take una.io community with a few active modules, messenger, albums and timelines enabled, but no specific focus on video sharing, file storage, etc.
40 online users / 10,000 members
$100/mo (UNA Cloud4)
$50/mo - dedicated server + $50/mo UNA Pro license
At this size only a few "online" users are present at any given time, so a basic server like UNA Cloud 4 would be sufficient. On-server storage can be used for the database, and media storage needs would be in the range of 50Gb, so the media can also be stored on site. A dedicated server with similar specifications would cost about $50. Note, that UNA Cloud comes with included UNA Pro plan, so this choice may still be preferable.
80 online users / 50,000 members
$150/mo (UNA Cloud8) + $100/mo for AWS S3
$100/mo - dedicated server with 2 disk arrays + $50/mo UNA Pro license
At this size you may expect more online users during peak times. Still, on-server storage can be used for the database. While at higher numbers average storage uptake tends to go down, we would still recommend connecting remote storage at this scale - you may need around 300Gb, which is likely to be relatively expensive with an on-server SSD.
A dedicated server with similar specifications would cost about $100 and may include a disk array for media storage.
150 online users / 100,000 members
$200/mo (UNA Cloud16) + $200/mo for AWS S3
$150/mo - dedicated server with 2 disk arrays (or SSD), extra RAM and upgraded CPUs + $50/mo UNA Pro license
A community with 100K members may result in 150 online users during peak times. Database will take only about 3Gb, so it's best store it on-server. Media may take 500GB, so it is definitely best to leverage remote storage.
A dedicated server with similar specifications would cost about $150, as it will require RAM and CPU upgrades as well as multiple disks for media storage and redundancy.
300 online users / 200,000 members
$400/mo (UNA Cloud32) + $400/mo for AWS S3
$300/mo - dedicated server + $50/mo UNA Pro license
When you reach such stage, some of the costs "per members" can be reduced significantly. Typically remote storage pricing for higher allocation is lower and you can pre-order fixed-price servers. Usage patterns become more established and it is possible to optimise the site to meet specific requirements for best efficiency. Even with 300 online users during peak times the site is likely to operate well on UNA Cloud 32 or similar server. The database can still be stored on-server but may need to be separated soon. Media may take about 1TB, making it expensive to store media on-server's SSD even if you're using a dedicated box.
500 online users / 500,000 members
$800/mo (UNA Cloud64) + $1,000/mo for AWS S3
$600/mo - dedicated server + $1,000/mo for AWS S3 + $50/mo UNA Pro license
At half million members stage, you may be seeing around 500 online users. It is very important to optimise database requests, site configuration, turn off unused features and minimise clutter. UNA Team would be happy to assist with this process.
1 Million Members
Congratulations!
Starting from this stage you'll need custom dedicated server setup (you'd likely need to make a 2-3 servers cluster).
A dedicated server will have to use remote storage, so while you'd need to further upgrade CPUs and RAM, most of the storage disks can be removed.
While cloud server can be easily scaled up to 192Gb RAM and 32 CPU without adding complexity.
Reposted Andrew Boon's post.
Yesterday Alex T⚜️briefly announced the final release of the UNA 9. Indeed, after more than 3 years since of active development and testing; over 3 MILLION code additions in over 4000 commits; 1300 closed issues and 17 😮 pre-release versions, we finally have the stable UNA 9.
Compared to UNA 8, this version brings hundreds of enhancements, including new modules, system improvements, new integrations, new templates, new objects, new features, etc. etc. Since we decided to make all RCs upgradable the UNA 9 has been tested quite actively by the UNA.IO community and used in production mode for all our clients working with UNA & Boonex team under X-level service plans. It is now considered a stable release, recommended for all sites powered by UNA.
UNA Community
The v8 was released on 24th of November 2015. At the time, we haven't even launched UNA.IO site and were offering selected Boonex clients to try UNA. Later we launched UNA.IO provide community support and also use UNA ourselves, first hand, making sure that we eat our own cooking. Here's how the community grown during that period:
More importantly, we now have a core group of really dedicated community members, who committed to the platform and help us daily - asking and answering questions; trying new releases and sharing feedback; creating and uploading new apps to UNA Market; giving us hard time and praising us - all of that keeps the team rolling.
Now, look at the numbers of discussions posted over the same time:
As you may see, we're actually entering the stage of active growth, which should further accelerate after this release. It's a very exciting, but also very challenging time. Increased popularity comes with added support overhead and information inputs. We will have to find ways to automate processes, improve documentation, streamline on-boarding and above all - make UNA even better.
Start Guide & Demo Video
Over the last few months we committed to improvement of the UNA Documentation and development of the UNA Start Guide and the demo video, describing general aspects of UNA framework:
We highly recommend watching the video and reviewing the Start Guide even if you are familiar with the system. So many times we hear the phrase - "I didn't know I could do that" 😏.
What's Next
Why, UNA 10 of course! Yes, now that we have the 9 released, we are out of the feature-development lockout and can get back to making new awesome toys. Note, that the plan for v10 is to make it a (much) smaller update, adding some features and focusing primarily on streamlining UX (User-eXperience) of all pages. While UNA 9 gives a massive array of features, we should now make everything look and work sleek and clear. We estimate from 3 to 6 months for the 10.
Along with the new features and modules planned for v10, we plan to finally introduce first working version of JOT as well as native mobile apps (iOS and Android) based on ReactNative for UNA.
Naturally, service updates like 9.1, 9.2 may be released as required in the meantime, addressing any urgent fixes or security issues.
Another consideration for us is the commitment to the old Dolphin 7.x updates for Boonex. An update is long overdue and the Boonex community has been suffering without an update for quite a while now. Even though Dolphin will eventually be fully transitioned to UNA-based solution, we still plan to maintain and update the 7.x until we can provide a seamless migration path. So, this will take some time, but we have ideas on how to make both platforms benefit from each other's development.
Let's give them names!
Look, UNA 8 was pretty much just a "first look" version, while UNA 9 is what you could refer to as the "base". Now, UNA 10 will be about making everything "neat". Then, UNA 11 will be "fast". Then, perhaps "safe", "cool", you name it...
Actually, I mean it - you name it. What do you think would be a good set of names for UNA updates to distinguish between releases? Names of animals from same genus, some fictional characters from books or movies, or perhaps mythical heroes? What do you think would fit?
Mass Mailer brings HTML email capabilities right into your UNA site.
- Create professionally styled emails using the WYSWIG editor or paste in your own styles.
- Include management Dashboard with Reports
- Create segments based on UNA user groups.
- Save time on syncing email lists with external email providers
- Save money of expensive subscription fees
Channels is a context module that utilising the power of 'Hashtags' for sorting, following and discovering content. Channels module gives users the ability to subscribe to a hashtag, users will get a notification when a post with a specified hashtag is added, and content from those hashtags can be added to their feed.
Essentially every time that a new hashtag is specified, a new channel is created. Admins can configure whether hashtags/channels can be generated by users, or predetermined by admins.
For every hashtag/channel a separate page (based on groups) with Timeline and other features is added. Users can browse to these pages to view historical content sorted under this Hashtag.
Launch your UNA community automatically within 15 minutes on designated UNA #Cloud #hosting #server. Cloud4 is the entry-level server, recommended for small group, families, small businesses and niche, local communities.
Cloud Server Details
| 4 | GB RAM |
| 2 | CPU Cores |
| 80 | GB SSD Storage |
| 4 | TB Transfer |
Every UNA instance is residing on an isolated cloud server, with strictly allocated resources. No multi-tenanted SaaS hosting.
Font Awesome Pro integration. Font Awesome Pro brings a burgeoning collection 2000+ icons to your fingertips that will freshen up the look of your site and is easily updated from within UNA Studio.
There are icons for every style and every occasion, with light and solid options available for most icons. You can see the full list of Icons at https://fontawesome.com
The Charts Module places dynamic realtime reporting within your UNA site. With the visual displays ability to customise the look and content of the charts, you can see at a glance how your site is performing.
Chart Module can display growth figures on every aspect of your site, you can see how your new signups are going, what content is performing and which of your users are the most active and popular.
Within UNA Studio you can customize what data is displayed and where. You can embed Charts module into any page and control permissions for who has access to view it.
Chart Module places at your finger tips all the data you need to truly understand your UNA site, and make the fine tweaks to keep your community humming.
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