How to Choose a Server That Will Last for Years

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  1. How to Choose a Server That Will Last for Years

This article is designed to help newcomers to MediaWiki deployments understand the crucial aspects of selecting a server that will not only run your wiki effectively *now* but also scale and remain stable for years to come. Choosing the right server is a foundational decision, and this guide will cover hardware, operating systems, and essential software considerations. We will focus on a setup capable of handling a medium-to-large wiki with potentially growing traffic. For smaller wikis, the requirements will be less demanding, but planning for future growth is always recommended.

Understanding Your Needs

Before diving into specific hardware, you need to assess your wiki's likely usage. Consider these factors:

  • Traffic Volume: How many users do you anticipate concurrently?
  • Content Size: How much text, images, and other media will your wiki store? Consider future growth.
  • Complexity: Will you be using many extensions? Complex extensions (like Semantic MediaWiki or VisualEditor) require more resources.
  • Backup Strategy: Regular backups are essential. Your server choice needs to accommodate a robust backup solution. See Manual:Backups for more details on MediaWiki backups.
  • Budget: Server costs vary significantly depending on specifications. A realistic budget is crucial.

Hardware Considerations

The core of your wiki's performance lies in the hardware. Here's a breakdown of key components and recommended specifications. These are *minimum* recommendations; more is always better, especially for long-term stability.

Component Minimum Specification Recommended Specification Explanation
CPU 2 Cores / 2.0 GHz 4+ Cores / 3.0 GHz+ MediaWiki is CPU-intensive, especially during parsing and search operations. More cores offer better parallel processing.
RAM 4 GB 8 GB+ MediaWiki heavily utilizes RAM for caching. Insufficient RAM leads to disk I/O and significantly slows down performance. Consider 16GB+ for large wikis.
Storage (SSD) 100 GB 500 GB+ Solid State Drives (SSDs) are *essential* for performance. MediaWiki benefits immensely from fast disk access. HDD's should be avoided.
Network 100 Mbps 1 Gbps+ A fast and reliable network connection is critical for users accessing your wiki.
Bandwidth 10 GB/month 50 GB+/month Consider the amount of data transferred, especially if you have many images or videos.

Operating System Choices

Linux is the overwhelmingly preferred operating system for MediaWiki servers due to its stability, security, and performance. Here are some popular distributions:

  • Ubuntu Server: User-friendly, well-documented, and widely supported. A good choice for beginners. See Help:Ubuntu_installation for guidance.
  • Debian: Highly stable and reliable, often preferred for production environments.
  • CentOS/Rocky Linux: Enterprise-grade stability, but requires more technical expertise.
  • AlmaLinux: A community enterprise OS, similar to CentOS/Rocky Linux.

Avoid Windows Server unless you have a specific reason to use it. Linux generally offers better performance and lower costs for MediaWiki.

Software Stack

The software stack consists of the operating system, web server, database server, and PHP.

Software Recommended Version Notes
Web Server Apache 2.4+ or Nginx 1.18+ Apache is more traditional, Nginx is known for its performance and efficiency. See Manual:Configuration_issues for web server configuration tips.
Database Server MariaDB 10.4+ or MySQL 8.0+ MariaDB is a drop-in replacement for MySQL and is often preferred for its open-source nature. See Manual:Database_setup for database configuration.
PHP PHP 8.1+ Ensure PHP is configured correctly for MediaWiki. Enable necessary extensions (e.g., `php-mysql`, `php-gd`, `php-mbstring`). See Manual:PHP_configuration for details.
MediaWiki 1.40+ (Latest Stable) Always use the latest stable version of MediaWiki for security and bug fixes.

Virtualization vs. Dedicated Server

You have two main options for server deployment:

  • Virtual Private Server (VPS): A virtualized server environment. More affordable and scalable, but performance can be affected by other users on the same physical server. Providers like DigitalOcean, Linode, and Vultr offer VPS solutions.
  • Dedicated Server: A physical server dedicated solely to your wiki. Offers the best performance and control, but is more expensive.

For a growing wiki, a VPS is a good starting point. You can always migrate to a dedicated server later if needed. Consider using a containerization technology like Docker for easier deployment and management – see Help:Docker_installation

Long-Term Considerations

  • Regular Updates: Keep your operating system, web server, database server, and PHP updated with the latest security patches.
  • Monitoring: Implement server monitoring to track CPU usage, RAM usage, disk I/O, and network traffic. Tools like Nagios or Zabbix can help.
  • Scaling: Plan for future growth. Can your server be easily scaled up (e.g., adding more RAM or CPU cores)?
  • Security: Implement security best practices, including firewalls, intrusion detection systems, and regular security audits. See Manual:Security_issues for more information.
  • Caching: Utilize caching mechanisms (e.g., Memcached or Redis) to improve performance. See Help:Caching for details.

Conclusion

Choosing the right server for your MediaWiki deployment is a critical decision. By carefully considering your needs, hardware requirements, operating system choices, and software stack, you can select a server that will provide a stable and performant platform for years to come. Remember to prioritize scalability, security, and regular maintenance.


Manual:Installation guide Manual:Configuration_issues Manual:Backups Manual:Database_setup Manual:PHP_configuration Manual:Security_issues Help:Caching Help:Ubuntu_installation Help:Docker_installation Extension:Semantic MediaWiki Extension:VisualEditor Help:Performance_tuning Help:Scaling_up Manual:Command_line Help:Site_configuration Help:Maintenance


Intel-Based Server Configurations

Configuration Specifications Benchmark
Core i7-6700K/7700 Server 64 GB DDR4, NVMe SSD 2 x 512 GB CPU Benchmark: 8046
Core i7-8700 Server 64 GB DDR4, NVMe SSD 2x1 TB CPU Benchmark: 13124
Core i9-9900K Server 128 GB DDR4, NVMe SSD 2 x 1 TB CPU Benchmark: 49969
Core i9-13900 Server (64GB) 64 GB RAM, 2x2 TB NVMe SSD
Core i9-13900 Server (128GB) 128 GB RAM, 2x2 TB NVMe SSD
Core i5-13500 Server (64GB) 64 GB RAM, 2x500 GB NVMe SSD
Core i5-13500 Server (128GB) 128 GB RAM, 2x500 GB NVMe SSD
Core i5-13500 Workstation 64 GB DDR5 RAM, 2 NVMe SSD, NVIDIA RTX 4000

AMD-Based Server Configurations

Configuration Specifications Benchmark
Ryzen 5 3600 Server 64 GB RAM, 2x480 GB NVMe CPU Benchmark: 17849
Ryzen 7 7700 Server 64 GB DDR5 RAM, 2x1 TB NVMe CPU Benchmark: 35224
Ryzen 9 5950X Server 128 GB RAM, 2x4 TB NVMe CPU Benchmark: 46045
Ryzen 9 7950X Server 128 GB DDR5 ECC, 2x2 TB NVMe CPU Benchmark: 63561
EPYC 7502P Server (128GB/1TB) 128 GB RAM, 1 TB NVMe CPU Benchmark: 48021
EPYC 7502P Server (128GB/2TB) 128 GB RAM, 2 TB NVMe CPU Benchmark: 48021
EPYC 7502P Server (128GB/4TB) 128 GB RAM, 2x2 TB NVMe CPU Benchmark: 48021
EPYC 7502P Server (256GB/1TB) 256 GB RAM, 1 TB NVMe CPU Benchmark: 48021
EPYC 7502P Server (256GB/4TB) 256 GB RAM, 2x2 TB NVMe CPU Benchmark: 48021
EPYC 9454P Server 256 GB RAM, 2x2 TB NVMe

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⚠️ *Note: All benchmark scores are approximate and may vary based on configuration. Server availability subject to stock.* ⚠️

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