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$15 Dedicated servers from OVH

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Re: $15 Dedicated servers from OVH

#71

Post by tptacek »

WayneDB wrote: post #69
hosay123 wrote: post #60

Earlier quoted context omitted.

1. > One way would be to publish a HTTP/JSON API for fetching a specific set of stats from a server > given an authorization key 2. > provide a reference implementation, and allow customers to build their own if they're not comfortable with that. Implies 3: entire point of the implementation is to read sensors, which requires root, or further messing with the security properties of the base system (e.g. sudo), and ex…

I do agree with your larger point that building your own here is undesirable, however the web server wouldn't have to have root by using IPC or other kinds of tricks. In any case, wouldn't it be even more secure if the server just pushed stats outwards (syslog anyone?) instead of needing to accept any kind of commands via SSH/HTTP/S or otherwise?

I am at a total loss for how any of this would require root access. I'm not sure any component of the system online or offline would need root; I'm absolutely certain the web app wouldn't. You don't need IPC tricks.

I'd be less comfortable with the contraption that pushes stats out from the hosts. I don't agree that it would be more secure.

Virtually any system you could imagine to solve this probably would almost by mathematical necessity be more secure than giving out a root SSH login, which is the funny thing about this thread.

Re: $15 Dedicated servers from OVH

#72

Post by devicenull »

not_that_noob wrote: post #23

On a related note, what's a good place to host a high-bandwidth server? We want to host a backend for gaming, with video interspersed.

We do a lot of game/video hosting. http://www.constant.com

One thing to check is that some of the budget hosts will oversell their networking in such a way where your port links at one speed, but you're unlikely to ever see that speed for long periods of time.

Re: $15 Dedicated servers from OVH

#73

Post by phillijw »

tptacek wrote: post #66
hosay123 wrote: post #64

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's OK, we all give bad advice sometimes. You clearly just advocated replacing SSH with a custom HTTP server that effectively always requires root, and furthermore to advocate users mess with this root-running code. I don't understand why you can't see this.

Hey, 'nknight, you appear to be hellbanned (starting 3 posts back). It seems to happen randomly to some people; you should just ping 'pg about it. Edit Don't blame you. The hellbanning system Does Not Seem To Work.

I got hellbanned a few years ago and it's pretty lonely out here. I sent an email to PG and was basically told to f-off

Re: $15 Dedicated servers from OVH

#74

Post by dllthomas »

tptacek wrote: post #71
WayneDB wrote: post #69

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I do agree with your larger point that building your own here is undesirable, however the web server wouldn't have to have root by using IPC or other kinds of tricks. In any case, wouldn't it be even more secure if the server just pushed stats outwards (syslog anyone?) instead of needing to accept any kind of commands via SSH/HTTP/S or otherwise?

I am at a total loss for how any of this would require root access. I'm not sure any component of the system online or offline would need root; I'm absolutely certain the web app wouldn't. You don't need IPC tricks. I'd be less comfortable with the contraption that pushes stats out from the hosts. I don't agree that it would be more secure. Virtually any system you could imagine to solve this probably would almost by…

Mathematically, giving root login to person X is never more secure against person X than any other interaction with person X. I think the idea was regarding other people. With SSH, what you are exposing to those who lack the key is SSH, which is well hardened.

If you set up a web service naively and run it as root, you have a weaker surface more exposed in exchange for more security against a mostly trusted party (who already has physical access).

Of course, I'm not sure what kind of statistics can't be gathered by anyone but root; even if there are some (and there probably are in some configurations), I don't see why they couldn't be polled by root in a cronjob and dumped in a log file that's readable by a (specific, if you care) non-root user and fetched over SSH by that non-root user, &c. So, on the whole, I agree that there's no reason to give out root; but it's not a crazy notion that there are things worse than giving root to person A, with respect to your security against person B.

Re: $15 Dedicated servers from OVH

#75

Post by tptacek »

dllthomas wrote: post #74
tptacek wrote: post #71

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I am at a total loss for how any of this would require root access. I'm not sure any component of the system online or offline would need root; I'm absolutely certain the web app wouldn't. You don't need IPC tricks. I'd be less comfortable with the contraption that pushes stats out from the hosts. I don't agree that it would be more secure. Virtually any system you could imagine to solve this probably would almost by…

Mathematically, giving root login to person X is never more secure against person X than any other interaction with person X. I think the idea was regarding other people. With SSH, what you are exposing to those who lack the key is SSH, which is well hardened. If you set up a web service naively and run it as root, you have a weaker surface more exposed in exchange for more security against a mostly trusted party (wh…

Accidentally revealing server stats because of a bug handling a trivial authentication token is less of a big deal than giving a third party root shell access to your server, is my point.

Re: $15 Dedicated servers from OVH

#76

Post by dbuxton »

rb2k_ wrote: post #10

And just in case somebody isn't comfortable using the french website, the irish one has the same offers: http://www.ovh.ie/dedicated_servers/kimsufi.xml (the german one is strangely enough more expensive)

Their prices do seem to bounce around a bit, even for countries that use the same currency.

There's an issue in that (as I understand it) in Germany you have a quote VAT inclusive prices but in Ireland you can leave off VAT for goods aimed at businesses. (The same is true in the UK).

Even taking that into account there's about a 20% price bump from Ireland to Germany, though!

Re: $15 Dedicated servers from OVH

#77

Post by thegyppo »

azrealus wrote: post #2

Do you guys know of any other alternatives? I'm curious what's available these days. I'm asking about dedicated server options.

Been using DataShack lately: https://www.datashack.net/dedicated/

I pay roughly $78 a month for this: http://serverbear.com/benchmark/2012/09/28/NkHEVWXUAKwf4USF

Re: $15 Dedicated servers from OVH

#78

Post by chsonnu »

staunch wrote: post #3
azrealus wrote: post #2

Do you guys know of any other alternatives? I'm curious what's available these days. I'm asking about dedicated server options.

Shameless plug time! My own company, Uptano, is doing something kind of neat with dedicated servers. We're letting you rent dedicated hardware and then launch multiple virtual servers on them. https://uptano.com We're not trying to be the absolute cheapest, just trying to be the company we wished to exist.

Hi, what is the benefit of your offerings vs installing openvz on a managed host?

Re: $15 Dedicated servers from OVH

#79

Post by jonemo »

OVH have similar offers in many countries as mentioned by others here already, e.g. on their Irish site or their Polish site. I signed up through their German www.isgenug.de brand (which now simply redirects to their main web page) about six months ago and got a EUR12/mo deal which isn't available anymore. The server is fine, but administrating the account is a pain.

I thought I'd be able to get access to a server within a day or so of registering and paying. Oh was I wrong. Before even charging my credit card they requested an officially stamped/signed proof of address (issued by the town I reside in in Germany), a scan of my credit card (!), and a scan of my German national ID card. They were friendly enough to let me substitute my passport since I don't have an ID card. I was travelling at that time and had to have the proof of address mailed to me, so it took over a week. Ironically, all that jazz was required because I was travelling - apparently signing up for a server with a German credit card from a non-German IP is "suspicious".

Two weeks after signing up I finally had access to the server. Stupid me thought they would make it easy to stay their customer. Instead, I have to enter my credit card details into their Web0.9 backend system once every month (or once every year if paying annually). To make sure I don' forget I receive a reminder email once every day for the last 14 days of every month. The only alternative is to set up a recurrent wire transfer to them and then cross you fingers that it always gets booked correctly on their end.

I see that many others here report on having an account with them. Am I the only one who finds it so difficult to give them my money? I'm really happy with the server (I use it to compute meshes from worldwide elevation data sets for our geographical iPhone case creator on http://www.printablegeography.com/creator) but giving them money is just waaay too hard.

edit: typo

Re: $15 Dedicated servers from OVH

#80

Post by ck2 »

I hope 2013 brings $99 dedicated with hardware raid (you can pay that for software raid now).

But atom for a server? Yuck. I'd rather have a real server cpu under virtual xen instead.

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