What is the difference between shared and dedicated Linode

If you have no server infrastructure to install self-hosted Virola messenger, we recommend trying Linode Shared or Dedicated CPU. After choosing your plan, you will be able to install Virola server application on a Linux virtual machine. It's quite a cost-effective and convenient way to host your corporate messenger. Shared Linode plans start from 5 USD per month. In this post we will explain what the difference between Shared and Dedicated Linode is and when it is worth purchasing Dedicated CPU.

Virola server application does not require much resource. However, you need to take into account the amount of conversations and attachments shared in the Virola messenger. Technical requirements for Virola server are:

  • RAM: 32 MB for installation + 1 МB additionally for each Virola user
  • Disk space: 2 MB for each Virola user + the total volume of all attachments

This means that the CPU package you choose in Linode will depend on your load.

Shared CPU means that the resources are shared with other Compute Instances and a small amount of resource contention is possible. Shared plans are ideal for development servers, staging servers, low traffic websites, personal blogs, and production applications that may not be affected by resource contention. This way, if you do not have many users and do not use Virola as files storage and sharing tool, then Linode Shared CPU package will satisfy your needs.

On the other side, if you have many users, who constantly communicate, share files and run video and audio meetings, you may consider going with Dedicated CPU package – a powerful infrastructure solution for CPU-intensive applications such as video encoding, machine learning, and data analytics processing.

The main difference between Shared and Dedicated CPU is that with Shared CPU plans, your Linode is sharing its CPU resources with other users on the same host. Since most users do not consume 100% of their CPU, this allows CPU resources to be "shared" where and when they are most needed.

However, such sharing can result in "CPU steal" when other users on the same host use CPU that you aren't currently using. As a result, this may affect your application performance.

The disadvantage of this is that if your application is sensitive to things like latency or fluctuations in a host's load (e.g. - VOIP servers, video / audio streaming), you may experience poorer performance than you'd like with a shared instance.

While deciding on Linode CPU package you need to consider the following:

  • The number of Virola users you are going to create
  • The amount of meetings, both video and audio
  • The amount of shared and stored in Virola files

In any case, you can start with Shared CPU package Linode 2 GB and then upgrade if necessary to the one with higher RAM or even to a dedicated CPU package.

Creating a Linode is quite simple. You need to:

  1. Register Akamai account
  2. Log into it and follow Linodes page
  3. Select Linux Distribution
  4. Select best region for your current location
  5. Choose Shared or Dedicated CPU plan
  6. At the very bottom of the page click "Create Linode" button.
Linode creation settings example

To install Virola server, you need to select installation guide for your Linux and follow instructions. In case you need to transfer Virola from one server to another, it is enough to copy your database and attachments.