Open Letter about Litespeed vs. Apache
Let me open by explaining the reason we use Litespeed. First off, Eleven2 runs its entire infrastructure on top of cPanel, and it works great. We haven’t had any major problems with it, and it seems really stable. Although, cPanel has (up until a few months ago) only supported the web server software, Apache version 1. This was a problem. As new technology, like Ruby on Rails, came out, the technology demanded more resources that Apache version 1 could not fulfill. And as a result, using cPanel started to become a problem. We’ve always wanted to stay on top of current technology trends, but cPanel, although it was becoming more of a hindrance than a blessing. So in order to meet the demand of new technology we had to make a change in order to accommodate these technologies. And the solution we came up with was moving to a new web server software platform called Litespeed. And by moving to Litespeed, we would immediately positioned ourselves as one of the fastest hosts in the market. So we went for it, and we were very proud of that move!
Now, jump ahead almost a year. We feel like we are again faced with the same problem. New technology demands, and our solution isn’t allowing us to meet those demands. cPanel now fully supports Apache 2.2, Ruby on Rails and all the other numerous features we want, but we are running Litespeed. The new cPanel would provide a better environment for our clients, and for us to work within. And like last time, we are starting to run into some issues in terms of being able to configure the server the way our customers are demanding they be configured. So, we are stuck. We feel like we just upgraded our servers to a new web server, and we don’t want to just keep changing the software you guys are running on. However, if we did make this change, it would be 100% transparent, and most of you wouldn’t notice any difference in your service. But even though that is true, we still want to hear what you guys think.
So we are simply asking: Do you, the customer, care if you use Apache or Litespeed?
This is not a letter stating we are moving to Apache. Rather, I am just trying to get a conversation started. We want to know if it makes any difference to you what server software we are running.
I just wanted to give everyone an opportunity to share their thoughts and ideas about this. We really do want to hear what you think before we make any major decisions.
If you want to be heard, please leave a comment below!
Thanks,
Rodney Giles | CEO & Co-Founder
eleven2.com: World-Class Hosting, Done Right
To simply reply to your question: No, I do not care at all. Just chose the once you want to go with.
Best - G.
// note to admin, please correct my spelling mistakes of my previous comment: chose -> choose; once -> one;
Either is fine with me.
I really don’t mind, as long as it stays fast!
I’m all for Apache. I honestly am not well versed on the differences between Apache and Litespeed, but anything that would improve performance and integrate putting new, easy-to-use tech at our fingertips I’m a fan of
I vote for Apache2!!
I feel we need to keep up to date whenever possible to keep up with technology because that is what we all thrive for. New technology. This seems like it will be better in the long run which matters. You guys have seemed to do your research as well as I, and im with you all the way.
As always, offering us your client the best option for us to then offer our clients the best option is a win-win situation. I have seen the Litespeed issue a lot in trying to develop, but I’m guessing that’s because I’m new to Web-server Administration. I would say go for it if it will be a fairly transparent move!
My big concern is support, because I am new, I have a lot of questions and knowing support is readily available would be a big help.
If you guys can keep similar performance with Apache over litespeed, then I wouldn’t care. But if switching to Apache is going to cause a performance hit, then I’d rather see performance.
I feel we need to keep up to date whenever possible to keep up with technology because that is what we all thrive for. New technology. This seems like it will be better in the long run which matters. You guys have seemed to do your research as well as I, and im with you all the way.
It wouldnt make much a difference for me which server software you guys are running. Your customer service is awesome and that’s all that matters. If I do run into any snags, knowing you guys are always there to help is all we need.
As long it’s fast and relaible, I don’t care which one it really is. If you guys think Apache gives you more perspective, go for it. You have my support.
Z.
My thought is, if its good for you, its good for me. If the change is meeting the new demands, make the changes!! All in all, I don’t care what software you are using, I barely touch into what I have available now.
If it makes life easier, do it…..if it gives the customer more options…DO IT!!
I’d prefer Apache.
Well i am pretty sure i am one of your small customers, i just use a shared account and i have had many shared accounts on various hosting sites i run a lot of websites which use a diverse amount of technologies and i have not faced a problem of any kind till now, i have rather come across problems and dead ends on other hosts so for a guy who hosts different kind of sites it seems sweet using your hosting as litespeed definitely translates to a faster performance for my websites but if the new cPanel is better as you say i wouldn’t mind having a better off backend and not having to resort to many changes in the the process
I’m for whichever system will allow you to keep up with new technology demands.
I’m not running anything that would rely on one system or another. I really don’t know what the difference is…but I am more familiar with Apache, and it’s on my Mac by default. So if I test any sites on my system, I’ll be more confident in how it will run on your servers as well.
If you’re sure it will be transparent transition, do whatever allows you to keep looking forward.
My concern is not for the stability of the system; that responsibility lies with Eleven2 and you guys do a wonderful job. I am, however, completely unfamiliar with Litespeed. I am a user that likes to work from a shell to fix problems or to tweak things, and my knowledge of Apache makes some of the tasks go more quickly. If there is a consensus from the community that we switch to to Litespeed than I am wiling to learn. My second concern is whether or not it will work (or work as well) with Drupal, a PHP-based CMS. I am absolutely against sacrificing usability of the site if Drupal and Litespeed don’t play well together.
Three cheers for the Eleven2 team for requesting community feedback :=)
Go for it!
I don’t have any preference, so long as the move is transparent. I’ve had two problems within the last week based on your latest litespeed updates, where the directory structure of my site was displayed instead of my main photoblog image page, and these problems are aggravating and frustrating and I can certainly do without them.
It does not matter to me, but thanks for asking!
I opt in for what works. I think that meeting the needs of the future is generally a good way to go. If switching back to accommodate customers is what will help your business and the businesses of others than I don’t see a problem with switching.
While I am a new customer and fairly new to hosting, it sounds good to me. As long as I am able to host a variety of sites with no (few) customer complaints, it’s all good.
I will be the first to say that I appreciate your ability to stay on top of technology.
With that said, I think that cPanel might be the way to go. If the support everything, and the people running it care enough to update their technology, then it would be safe to go back to them. Personally, I do not have advanced knowledge with backend coding or anything server/hardware/software related, so I might not have the most valid opinion, but from the looks of it, I think you would be making the right choice the change the software to the new cPanel.
I’m curious how others feel though. I don’t know much about Litespeed other than the fact that the name implies that its super-fast.
While I certainly understand the hesitation to make another switch, I would support a move back to Apache for two reasons: 1.
Apache has been around a long time and is extremely reputable and stable, and 2. it seems that since the switch to Litespeed, there has been an irreparable problem with PHP5. For my purposes, this PHP5 issue makes my hosting package at Eleven2 (as much as I love this company) almost worthless.
Is it possible that a solution exists where both systems could be offered: Litespeed to most customers and Apache to those of us with special requirements?
Praying all this malarkey is resolved ASAP!
I just want my site (based on PixelPost) to work with my having to do anything not related to adding content. It works now. So please don’t break it. That’s all I ask.
For what it’s worth - i would rather you guys went with whichever solution caused you guys less hassle. At the end of the day i’ll sleep safer knowing my hosts are skilled and prepared to work on the platform my sites sit on. Any problems it causes to my development are just challenges to overcome, and challenges are the reason i’m a developer!
I’m very happy with your hosting at Eleven2. I like it’s speed and I like being able to go into the Cpanel and check my stats. I don’t have that feature with the deluxe hosting I have at Godaddy for my website http://digitalscenic.com and unfortunately I have my hosting with them paid until 20016, or I would jump ship in a heartbeat with GoDaddy, and do all of my business with you folks.
Whatever you decide to do, I’m sure it would be in the best interest of all us customers, and with what I’ve seen so far for Eleven2, the the final product would be very satisfactory for us all. So whatever you decide is fine with me.
Thanks
Tom Sheehan
When I was searching for a hosting company, one of my requirements was that the server offer Litespeed. I am developing a pure PHP site and wanted the performance boosts of Litespeed.
In short, it matters to me; I want Litespeed.
Thanks,
Justin
I am technology neutral. My requirements are for security and reliability. Whizbang extra features and having the newest ultraviolet chrome plated options are not high priority for me, and always come after security and reliability.
So, Apache or Litespeed, whatever, as long as it’s secure and reliable.
Thanks.
-Jay
I’m all for you guys staying current with the latest and greatest… provided I don’t have much downtime on my website or email… and provided ftp/email/control panel/etc stays mac-friendly. If there’s anything I need to do on my end to ensure a smooth transition, I’ll be happy to help in any way you might need.
I like Litespeed. I like it’s speed and configuration options. And one of the reasons I have an account with E2 is because it runs on Litespeed.
We just moved to eleven2 recently and part of our decision to go with you guys was the fact that you like to keep up on technology. With that said, we are up for running off any environment - Litespeed or Apache, whichever is going to provide us the most options, flexibility, and speed. If the changeover is 100% transparent then it’s a win-win.
Makes no difference to me!
Good luck!
For us (Windworld.org) it’s not a problem, we are very satisfied by Eleven2 and we trust you, so feel free to do what you think it’s better for both you and us.
As long as we wont experience any problems with our site, and it will only improve the server…we are on!!
Nicholas
I would say that you should use Apache if it is now the faster technology and more of an industry standard. I like the fact that the new cPanel would provide a better environment for client use. Thanks!
Does litespeed not support the new cpanel? Just keep the servers up and speedy and I am happy. Of course a newer cpanel is always appreciated.
I think it would be great. I’m all in for making things better, faster and improved overall.
But then again, I’m not running anything that would be Litespeed dependent.
-Phillystax
And apache is used more widely, so that is never a bad thing
Hi Guys,
Nice to be asked. As far as I’m concerned, the more configurable options for me, the better. So in that sense, I’m happier if the move back to Apache ultimately results in a better cPanel.
I trust that you guys will run the servers as hard and as fast as humanly possible, as you always seem to have done. So, for me, rock on to Apache.
Paul
I want Apache 2.2.. But more to the point….i hate cPanel its not that great.
I signed up with eleven2 for Litespeed hosting specifically, if you use apache I would revert back to my current hosting provider that servers up my other sites (mediatemple)
It doesn’t matter to me!
You guys are great.
Thanks.
Does NOT matter which one as long as the performance does not degrade, and the transition is transparent to me.
Thanks!
I like what you like! How’s that for a reply… oh, and i will take one of those iphones too!
For me personally, the switch back to apache would be awesome. Litespeed claims that it has full apache support in terms of .htaccess and the like, but i haven’t seen it. Maybe I’m doing something wrong, but all my other apache servers seem to accept the .htaccess files just fine.
While I’d prefer apache, I’d be willing to go with whatever works best, be it apache or litespeed.
Hello
I dont care if u use apache or Litespeed. Two reasons:
1.- i want to be one of the fastest web hosting provider
2.- most of my customers uses email and website, and some aplications with php and mysql. All of this was provided by cpanel easely.
So go ahead with the migration
Carlos Olivares
Ciudad de México
Do I care? Not really. However, as someone who manages a few websites run on Eleven2 servers, I can say that I would certainly appreciate the upgraded cPanel. I’ve always appreciated good design and the current version of cPanel is a little better designed than the previous version. If that meant moving to a new web server, whatever. Regardless of the flavor of web server you choose, the really important part is offering the customers the most efficient, elegant and easy to use system is paramount.
I guess I’m all for the upgrade(s).
Doesn’t worry me as I long as I get the best service, best speed with a small amount of disruption, if any. I guess I signed on with your company because I trust you so go for it!
Litespeed is the only reason why I signed up. Apache however is a big turn off and I say this because it doesn’t play well with ruby on rails and it eats resources (especially when it comes to people that have forums) and its slllllloooowwww. It would be sweet if hosts said “to hell with cpanel, we’ll create our own control panel”.
since it is transparent to me, i do not care which one is used.
I don’t care one wit. If you guys are better able to do your job, then I’m better able to do mine. I trust you to make the best decision… which is why I’ve hired you guys.
Thanks for the heads-up on your thought process!
-Tyler
As long as my web hosting works properly and without any problems, I’m up for the change if you feel it is needed.
I vote Apache - thanks for asking…
I don’t really care about Apache or Litespeed, but I would like to host a subversion with trac on top of it on my website as well as current version of the mediawiki engine.
If you can keep the same speed or faster, I don’t care either way. It would be nice to upgrade to a system that provides for a more vast array of technological capabilities, however.
I have faith in your decision, whatever it may be.
Ok, if going back to apache will support svn and trac way better! so I vote for Apache
I would like to still using Litespeed as I do at my work just because this hosting show me than Litespeed is 100% “trustable”.
thank you, Rodney
First off, I really appreciate you guys wanting your customer to participate in this conversation. For some of us, the transition to Litespeed from Apache 1 was rough in regards to ROR. At least on my account it was simply not working for over a month and I had to temporarily move several sites to another host. In the end the pain was worth the simple (and fast) setup that is ROR under Litespeed. If the switch back to Apache is going to provide benefit in your ability to better support new technologies like ROR (or even django) I’m all for it. I know you’ll do everything you can to make the move fairly transparent. That said, as much as you can keep us informed, that would be very helpful. Even just a heads up with a target date for the switchover so we can keep an eye on our sites and make sure it does go seamlessly. Thanks for your work!
I fully trust your decision making skills, and I figure whatever I end up with will be better than what I had with other hosts. This is one of the main reasons I switched.
You guys rock, and I’ve not been let down by eleven2, ever. So as long as it works do whatever you feel is best!!!
A simple answer from me:
Just go with the option that will make our websites go faster. For the money we pay, we get a fantastic service anyway, but if one is going to be better, and the transition will be seamless, then why should I personally care?
I’d be happy with whatever decision you make. I’ve been very impressed with your service to date.
you guys are the server guys i am a photo guy. do what you think is best.
thanks for asking though.
cheers,
dane
ditch the old tech. go with whatever is fastest and most up to date, and don’t look back.
also, i wish for once you guys would offer one of these coupon discounts for new packages to existing customers. you run so many of them that i don’t think it’d hurt you to offer folks with one of the older eleven2 hosting packages a discount on upgrading to the new packages. pretty please?
I like what ever you like ROD…YOUR MY HERO!
To be honest, I don’t really care as long as we get what we pay for in terms of stability, speed, customer care et cetera. You’ve done a good job so far, but whether or not Apache2 would be better, I leave for you to decide. You said yourself that a switch would be 100% transparent and that we wouldn’t notice the difference, so really, it’s all the same to me. If newer’s better, as it usually is in the world of technology, then by all means, go for it. As long as I get my service, I’m a happy man =)
Apache if I was going to choose. But really it doesn’t matter - I so rarely have to change anything and both are intuitive enough to figure out.
Apache rocks, I have always preferred it and I would welcome the change! Go for it!
I have no idea. As long as Pixelpost continues to work ok I’m happy for you to go with whatever you think is best.
I have read many responses and I agree with 90%. I also appreciate your candor in this situation. I know that running any business is difficult and many decisions made with keeping the customer informed is the best practice. Keep up the good work.
LiteSpeed is great and all yet all I’ve ever been on is Apache, 1 & 2 so it’s easy for me to go with them.
I’m all for a new and/or improved cPanel.
Us clients care about stability and features while keeping the price right. Whatever decision you make is fine by us, as long as the server remains as stable as it is, and you are able to implement the features your customers are asking about.
You’ve always got to push stuff and stay current; there’s too much that’s changing that people need *tomorrow*. Without knowing the details of issues are the change (few things are 100% transparent)… I think you look at the options to move and leave a tiny legacy environment behind. Users that have intricate setups can stay behind and maybe it’s only a few groups that need some time to make the jump.
What’s super hard is being pressing to deal with software migration and testing when you really don’t have time. So you need a *gentle* way to help users in that boat, but speed everything else along.
tim
hi there,
as long as you can ensure the same stunning fast service, we don’t care at all…choose what fits best
I don’t have a preference one way or the other, since I don’t know much about the differences in the two platforms, so I’d say it’s whatever you guys think is best. I will say thought that Eleven2 has been wonderful to work with, has awesome customer service, is incredibly reliable, and I’d say as long as that remains the same, AND as long as my PixelPost-based website still works with no problems, go for it. I appreciate you folks giving us users the opportunity to give feedback on this. Keep up the nice work!
Either way works for me. If the new cPanel would be a better environment for the clients and Eleven2, then go with Apache 2.2.
Upgrading is good…just keep that quality of service you offer that keeps us all so happy.
Whichever is going to be fastest.. speed is my primary concern. Thanks a lot for asking.
While I don’t run anything that requires one or the other, a new cPanel and the ability to run newer technology would be awesome. So transparent integration, new cpanel and new technology, I say go for it.
My two cents.
Please please switch to apache. I’ve have trouble with litespeed lately seeing 408 and 503 errors that other litespeed users complain about. Not to mention some issues in php5 as others have mentioned.
I want speed, reliability and security. Do whatever gets all 3 of those. Speed is VERY important
No preference as long as service levels remain high. I’m a big fan of running the latest and greatest software.
I would love to see you move back to Apache. I have been forced to run some of my sites on other hosts because I couldn’t get them working with Litespeed, but I would much rather use your service because your servers are so much faster and the overall service can’t be beat!
I must have spoken to soon about your good service in my last entry here. My site hasn’t been able to open for anyone for the last 6 hours. (11:00PM- and it’s now 4:40AM and my site is still down). Are you using my site for testing now??? Please put me back to wherever you had me when the site worked.
Thanks
If the change is transparent for me, and the server run faster, go ahead, no problems for me.
I’d say so far no engineered websites are affected. Then why not, lets stay on top of it. keep us abreast the internal changes thats all. It will help us help eleven2 counter any potential security risks.
Eleven2 is by far the best hosting company I have ever worked with, but could someone just plug in whichever platform you decided on…? I have been working on the content for a new site for the past two months, and just when I am finally ready to upload the final content, site back with a cold one and relax a little………….pffffffffffffffft off goes the juice.
My timing is always terrible…
Ciao
-K
My vote is for Apache, it’s generally more popular and also supports more web frameworks such as Django.
I think you guy’s have your best interest in making eleven2 the best, witch would in return make customer’s happy. I do not think you would make a bad decision. Im with whatever you think is best. I know end the end I am alway’s taken care of here! Thank’s for everything fellas. Keep up the outstanding work. Rick-
[...] If you have still not left your word about our possible switch to Apache instead of Litespeed (which would have alone avoided this issue), please leave your comments here! [...]
I does not matter for me, if you believe apache will serve better.
I’ve hosted my Ruby on Rails application on your servers and I like its speed. litespeed is really speedy but what piss me off about it is that text file I should edit every time I want to add a rails application or restart another one.
if the new cpanel have a better support for RoR like a UI for managing rails applications I would be happy to accept the hassle and reconfigure my app for apache and cpnael.
I’m AGAINST LiteSpeed. It’s proprietary. Apache works well.
We only made the decision to go with LiteSpeed to gain a better Rails environment, and even then it was lacking.
LiteSpeed is the suck.
What happens when Litespeed lvl’s up it’s support skll ? And apache isnt grinding to meet that lvl ? We change again ?
There’s nothing wrong with being proprietary, that doesn’t bother me. I’m not put off by Litespeed either, but in an industry that goes in 1000 different directions, I prefer to stay where I’m most familiar in cases where I don’t see that much actual difference. So I’d vote Apache, plus Apache is so widely supported and documented … but I’ve also seen reports above Apache 2 being slow. I run a dedicated server with Apache 2 and I’m happy with it.
I actually didn’t know you guys ran Litespeed until after I actually signed up, but it’s serving quickly so no complaints.
Bottom line, my code is going to work with either.
Since you are already using Lightspeed, and i havent had any issues with it. I think going ahead with Lightspeed is a good option.
as a new ruby on rails dev, i say do whatever makes it easier to get a rails app up and running (not that it’s an especially simple task on any shared host). so if apache/cpanel2 makes it any easier to set up and manage rails apps, then go for it! and thanks for asking.
Speed and security are important, but reliability trumps everything. After all, what good are security and speed if the server is down or throwing a tantrum?
Apache all the way! Thanks.
As far i think we are cool with apache.
at the end of the day we prefer uninterrupted, fast and reliable services with more control over our package
and of course more additional features
I had a few issues when E2 migrated to Lightspeed. It broke quite a few things on some of my sites and every once in a while I run into pages that still don’t work due to Lightspeed. (And probably my lack of knowledge in working w/ lightspeed.)
That being said, I have truly enjoyed it’s speed. I have definitely seen an nice boost there over Apache 1 and so have my clients.
Overall I think I would prefer working w/ Apache 2 over lightspeed as I am more familiar with it and am using it on my onsite dev server.
I’m skeptical about the 100% transparent statement and that would be my biggest concern w/ the switch. That was the same thing I was told w/ the switch to lightspeed after my site went down. If you decide to switch to Apache please let us know when it’s going to happen so we can be prepared just in case something happens.
Thanks for all you do. You guys have been really great to work with and I appreciate your desire for feedback on this topic.
I signed up because you guys had litespeed.
I would strongly support a move to Apache 2.2
There has been a lot of work on this very stable platform - and if it has advantages for me in my offerings to my clients (ruby on rails, PHP5 applications, and a stable well supported web server).
That’s assuming that if the move to Apache 2.2 and the upgrade of CPanel also includes the upgrade/installation of php5.
I support the move to Apache 2.2
i don’t mind
the only thing matters to me is SPEED.
Either suits me .. though switchover transparency is important! - thanks for allowing me and all of us our voice ..
Litespeed is the reason I’m hosting with you.
I run a few Drupal sites. Drupal can be a resource hog (it’ll query your kitchen sink if you let it) so if Litespeed does as promised it’s a great platform for dealing with Drupal. And since I’ve been with eleven2 I’ve had zero issues with my sites or the server.
As for the control panel, it really doesn’t matter to me. I just need something where I set up databases, email, check logs, and manage files.
Please make the choice already - either roll back to a stable version of Litespeed or go to Apache. I am getting pretty fed up with all the downtime over the last few days.
Whatever makes your life easier and gives us (the customers) the best quality service
As long as I get the same level of speed that I’ve grown accustomed to, then it works for me. That is, after all, the reason that I left GoDaddy for eleven2.
Here’s another vote for apache.
I would have said stay with Litespeed, since that’s why I signed in the first place, but doesn’t matter to me anymore, as I am moving to another host when my contract ends. Eleven2 can’t be even bothered to enforce their acceptable use policy. No wonder their email server was blocked by my isp.
I’m all for Apache, it’s the default for many scripts.
I need Apache to run a required module for SEO. I’ll have to switch providers if you don’t switch back to Apache. Apache is the standard and programmers write for it.
I appreciate that you care what your customers think. That’s why I just switched to you TODAY, though I’ve been eyeing your service for about 6 months. The way I see it, I’m paying you guys to make the world-class hosting decisions, no matter what they are, as long as my service is staying up to date and fast. So, you could tell me that eating a package of “grapples” a day would keep me up and running with the best possible features….I’d trust you!
Just don’t change the personality and vibe that constantly comes off of your company - seriously! Oh and don’t outsource work to a company in another country! We’ll be cool!
Bart
I just signed up for your hosting. I don’t really know that much about servers outside of Apache. Practically, for me, all I would worry about is if it stays fast and if Litespeed supports something akin to mod_rewrite. But really I think the question is, “What will bring us into the future?” Is the way that Apache is moving what will likely become the future or is it just some fancy features to bring over more users? Is he a good dancer or that just flashy footwork? I would assume that this probably isn’t an issue. You guys seem to know how to do this thing.
It’s just important to know where you are going and to make sure that the steps you take will not distract from that (at least too much). But maybe I’m making this bigger than it is.
I was out and about looking for other hosts, and to see what they had to offer, and found one that is doing something differently. They are using litespeed with apache side by side, so you get all the speeds from litespeed with apache functionality. Don’t know how they did it but this might be cool for eleven2 to do, as I am contemplating on if I am going to switch to another host, as I did get good and fast support service from eleven2, and their server uptime was also great.
Great that your giving us a voice!
I don’t mind, and don’t know the differences between apache and lightspeed. As long as it’s fast I’m super happy.
I am a new client to Eleven2. So far their support has been great. However I must say that many of my PHP scripts are running into issues and don’t really want to trouble shoot all of my scripts for lightspeed. Apache2 seems to be the standard and such remains the most portable for scripting. My vote is of course for Apache2.
Any idea as to when the final decision on this issue might be made?
Decision about this was allready made, and eleven2 has chosen Apache. This is weird how eleven2 did it, but they posted their decision over at their forum, and there is was no announcement, by eleven2, that the forums are back up and working, so not many people have seen this. Anyone that has a opinion about this should go to their forum, direct link here http://www.eleven2.com/forums/topic/apache-migration, and voice their opinion.
Personally, I found my site’s speed to increase when you switched to Litespeed and as stable as things have been running recently, I am definitely a Litespeed fan.
Hi,
I do care-I need Apache. I am using Joomla and a commercial component called jreviews. It is rather finicky about SEF components and only works with two; one which is open source and is no longer being developed (open SEF) and Advanced SEF. So, my choice is advanced SEF for support, etc. Well, Advanced SEF is Apache only-needless to say, I’m watching my numbers fall as I wait for eleven 2 to switch to Apache so I can be SEF again.
One of the reasons I signed up for Eleven2 was for Litespeed. I’ve hosted websites on servers using Apache and even the best of them couldn’t match the speed and uptime that I’ve gotten with the E2 server I’m on. I’ve watched server loads climb above 10 here at times and the Litespeed server didn’t even blink. Do that on a server with Apache and the server is struggling to display even the simplest of web pages.
I was ready to purchase a reseller account here at E2 to move my clients from another host that uses Apache, as I’m having nothing but problems over there. They upgraded to Apache2, and ended up having to downgrade all of the servers back to Apache1, as the server loads were just unbearable under Apache2 and it was creating a lot of downtime.
With E2’s announcement to switch to Apache, I’m taking a “wait and see” stance until I’m sure that everything is working right under the new Apache server configuration.
Although I am new to Litespeed, other Rails developers I know have told me that it is extremely fast. That is one of the main reasons I came to Eleven2. Please keep Litespeed!
litespeed.
satisfied eleven2 customer.