VPS Instances Overview

Virtual Private Servers (VPS) on DanubeData provide flexible, scalable compute resources for your applications.

What are VPS Instances?

VPS instances (also called "Pods" in the DanubeData interface) are virtual machines that give you:

• Full root access via SSH
• Choice of Linux distributions
• Customizable resource profiles
• Persistent storage
• Public and private networking

Key Features

🖥️ Multiple OS Options

• Ubuntu 26.04, 24.04, 22.04 LTS
• Debian 13, 12, 11
• AlmaLinux 9, 8
• Rocky Linux 9, 8
• Fedora 42, 41
• Alpine 3.22, 3.21, 3.20
• Windows Server 2025 (BYOL)

⚡ High Performance

• NVMe storage for fast I/O
• Dedicated vCPUs
• ECC RAM
• 1 Gbps network

📊 Monitoring & Metrics

• Real-time CPU usage
• Memory utilization
• Disk I/O
• Network traffic

🔒 Security

• Firewall integration
• SSH key or password authentication
• Private networking
• Automatic DDoS protection & network-layer threat blocking
• Automatic security updates

Use Cases

• Web Hosting: Host websites and web applications
• Application Servers: Run backend services and APIs
• Development: Create isolated development environments
• CI/CD: Build and deployment servers
• Microservices: Deploy containerized applications

Getting Started

1. Create a VPS Instance

1. Navigate to Pods in the main menu
2. Click Create Pod
3. Configure your instance:
   • Choose an operating system
   • Select a resource profile
   • Add your SSH key
   • Configure networking
4. Click Create Pod

Your VPS will be ready in 3-5 minutes.

2. Connect via SSH

Once your VPS is running:

ssh root@your-vps-ip

3. Install Software

Use your OS package manager to install software:

# Ubuntu/Debian
apt update && apt install nginx

# AlmaLinux/Rocky/Fedora
yum install nginx

Resource Profiles

Choose a profile based on your needs:

Shared CPU (Best Value - 4:1 overcommit)

Dedicated CPU (Guaranteed Resources)

Networking

Public IP (IPv4 & IPv6)

Every VPS is dual-stack by default, receiving both a public IPv4 and a public IPv6 address. At create time you can choose the network stack:

• Dual Stack (recommended) — IPv4 + IPv6 for maximum compatibility
• IPv4 Only
• IPv6 Only — for modern IPv6-native networks

IPv6 can also be added to an existing VPS later — new and existing instances both support it. IPv4 and IPv6 addresses are shown with copy buttons on the instance page and in the Pods list.

Private Networking

Connect your VPS to other instances via private networks:

• No internet exposure
• Free internal traffic
• Low latency

Firewalls

Attach firewalls to control traffic:

• Inbound rules
• Outbound rules
• IP whitelisting

Automatic DDoS Protection

Every VPS is protected by always-on DDoS detection and mitigation at the network level — no configuration required. Public IPs also receive automated network-layer threat protection that blocks traffic from known malicious sources. When a VPS is deleted, its IP is cleaned before reuse so a new instance never inherits an old block.

Storage

Root Volume

• NVMe storage for OS and applications
• Size based on resource profile
• Included in instance pricing

Additional Volumes

• Attach additional storage volumes
• Expand storage independently
• Snapshot and restore

Snapshots

Create point-in-time snapshots:

1. Go to your VPS instance page
2. Click Snapshots tab
3. Click Create Snapshot
4. Enter a name and description
5. Click Create

Snapshots can be used to:

• Backup before major changes
• Clone a snapshot into a brand-new instance
• Restore after a failed change

Automated daily snapshots run for every running instance and are kept for a rolling retention window, so you always have a recent recovery point without any setup. Snapshots are also copied offsite for 3-2-1-compliant backups. See VPS Snapshots for the full guide.

Operations

Start/Stop

Control your instance state:

• Stop: Shut down the instance (still billed at full rate — delete to stop billing)
• Start: Boot the instance
• Force Stop: Force-kill an instance that is stuck in a transitional state

Reboot

Restart your instance from the dashboard.

Reinstall OS

Wipe and reinstall the operating system on the same instance — this re-runs your cloud-init script and erases all data on the disk.

Redeploy

Re-run deployment for an instance stuck in an error or pending state, with detailed logs.

Resize

Change your resource profile — or fine-tune CPU, memory, and disk — from the instance's Edit page, with a live price estimate. See Resource Profiles. Disk can be grown but not shrunk.

VNC Console

Open a full graphical console to your VPS directly in the browser — no SSH required. Useful for emergency access, boot troubleshooting, or when SSH is unavailable.

Monitoring

Track your VPS performance. Every instance keeps 7 days of historical metrics, and CPU/memory reporting inside the VM reflects your instance's real limits (not the host's).

CPU Usage

Monitor CPU utilization and identify bottlenecks.

Memory Usage

Track RAM usage and swap activity.

Disk I/O

Measure read/write operations and IOPS.

Network Traffic

Monitor bandwidth usage (inbound/outbound), with up to 7 days of history. A traffic visualizer breaks connections down by flow, and inbound traffic is enriched with source-reputation data so you can spot suspicious sources at a glance.

You can also set metric alerts on CPU, memory, and disk, and the platform continuously health-monitors your instances and emails your team if one runs into trouble.

Best Practices

Security

1. Use SSH keys (disable password auth)
2. Keep software updated
3. Configure firewall rules
4. Use fail2ban for brute-force protection
5. Enable automatic security updates

Performance

1. Monitor resource usage regularly
2. Optimize applications for your profile
3. Use caching where possible
4. Implement CDN for static content

Reliability

1. Take regular snapshots
2. Use automation for deployments
3. Monitor with external services
4. Implement health checks

Cost Optimization

1. Delete instances you no longer need (stopped instances are still billed at the full rate)
2. Right-size your resources — resize down if you're consistently under-utilized
3. Pool traffic across instances; only public egress counts toward your included quota

Troubleshooting

Can't Connect via SSH

1. Check firewall rules
2. Verify SSH key is correct
3. Use web console for access
4. Check SSH service status

High CPU Usage

1. Identify process with top or htop
2. Check for runaway processes
3. Consider upgrading to larger profile

Out of Disk Space

1. Check usage with df -h
2. Clean up logs: /var/log/
3. Remove old packages
4. Consider adding storage volume

Next Steps

• Creating VPS Instances
• Managing VPS
• SSH Key Setup
• VPS Snapshots

Need help? Contact our support team through the dashboard.