Creating VPS Instances

Learn how to create and configure Virtual Private Server (VPS) instances on Lineserve's platform.

Quick Start

Basic VPS Creation

Create your first VPS in just a few steps:

1. Navigate to VPS: Go to Compute > Virtual Servers
2. Click Create: Select "Create VPS" button
3. Choose Configuration: Select your preferred settings
4. Deploy: Click "Create VPS" to deploy

Your VPS will be ready in under 60 seconds!

Configuration Options

Region Selection

Choose the region closest to your users:

• 🇰🇪 Nairobi, Kenya: Primary region, lowest latency for East Africa
• 🇿🇦 Cape Town, South Africa: Best for Southern Africa
• 🇳🇬 Lagos, Nigeria: Optimal for West Africa

Operating System Images

Linux Distributions

• Ubuntu 22.04 LTS (Recommended)
• Ubuntu 20.04 LTS
• CentOS 8 Stream
• Debian 11
• Rocky Linux 9
• AlmaLinux 9

Windows Server

• Windows Server 2022
• Windows Server 2019
• Windows Server 2016

VPS Sizes

Starter Plans

Perfect for small websites and development:

Plan	vCPUs	RAM	Storage	Bandwidth	Price
Micro	1	1GB	25GB SSD	1TB	$5/mo
Small	1	2GB	50GB SSD	2TB	$10/mo
Medium	2	4GB	80GB SSD	3TB	$20/mo

Professional Plans

For production applications:

Plan	vCPUs	RAM	Storage	Bandwidth	Price
Standard	2	8GB	160GB SSD	4TB	$40/mo
Advanced	4	16GB	320GB SSD	5TB	$80/mo
Premium	8	32GB	640GB SSD	6TB	$160/mo

High-Performance Plans

For demanding workloads:

Plan	vCPUs	RAM	Storage	Bandwidth	Price
CPU Optimized	8	16GB	320GB NVMe	8TB	$200/mo
Memory Optimized	4	64GB	320GB SSD	6TB	$240/mo
Storage Optimized	4	16GB	1TB NVMe	8TB	$180/mo

Step-by-Step Creation

Using Web Console

Step 1: Basic Configuration

1. VPS Name: Enter a descriptive name (e.g., "web-server-prod")
2. Region: Select your preferred region
3. Image: Choose operating system
4. Size: Select appropriate plan

Step 2: Authentication

Choose how to access your VPS:

SSH Key (Recommended)

• Upload your public SSH key
• More secure than passwords
• Required for Linux instances

Password

• Set a strong root password
• Available for Windows instances
• Less secure than SSH keys

Step 3: Advanced Options (Optional)

• Private Networking: Enable VPC networking
• Backups: Enable automatic backups
• Monitoring: Enable enhanced monitoring
• User Data: Cloud-init script for automation

Step 4: Review & Deploy

• Review all configuration options
• Check estimated monthly cost
• Click "Create VPS" to deploy

Using API

Authentication

export LINESERVE_API_KEY="your-api-key"

Create VPS

curl -X POST https://api.lineserve.com/v1/vps \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $LINESERVE_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "name": "my-web-server",
    "region": "nairobi",
    "image": "ubuntu-22.04",
    "size": "starter",
    "ssh_keys": ["ssh-rsa AAAAB3NzaC1yc2E..."],
    "private_networking": true,
    "backups": true
  }'

Response

{
  "id": "vps_123456",
  "name": "my-web-server",
  "status": "creating",
  "region": "nairobi",
  "image": "ubuntu-22.04",
  "size": "starter",
  "ip_address": "192.168.1.100",
  "private_ip": "10.0.1.100",
  "created_at": "2024-01-15T10:30:00Z"
}

Using CLI

Install CLI

curl -sSL https://cli.lineserve.com/install.sh | bash

Create VPS

lineserve vps create \
  --name my-web-server \
  --region nairobi \
  --image ubuntu-22.04 \
  --size starter \
  --ssh-key ~/.ssh/id_rsa.pub \
  --private-networking \
  --backups

SSH Key Management

Generating SSH Keys

Linux/macOS

ssh-keygen -t rsa -b 4096 -C "your-email@example.com"

Windows (PowerShell)

ssh-keygen -t rsa -b 4096 -C "your-email@example.com"

Adding SSH Keys

Add SSH keys to your account for easy VPS access:

1. Account Settings: Go to Account > SSH Keys
2. Add Key: Click "Add SSH Key"
3. Paste Public Key: Copy and paste your public key
4. Name Key: Give it a descriptive name

Multiple SSH Keys

You can add multiple SSH keys:

• Personal Key: Your personal development key
• Team Keys: Keys for team members
• CI/CD Keys: Keys for automated deployments
• Backup Keys: Emergency access keys

Networking Configuration

Public IP Address

Every VPS gets a public IP address:

• IPv4: Standard public IPv4 address
• IPv6: Optional IPv6 address
• Static IP: IP address doesn't change
• Reverse DNS: Configurable PTR records

Private Networking

Enable private networking for secure communication:

• VPC: Virtual Private Cloud networking
• Private IPs: Internal IP addresses (10.x.x.x)
• Security Groups: Firewall rules
• Inter-VPS Communication: Secure internal communication

Firewall Configuration

Configure firewall rules for security:

• Default Rules: SSH (22), HTTP (80), HTTPS (443)
• Custom Rules: Add specific ports and protocols
• Source Restrictions: Limit access by IP address
• Security Groups: Reusable firewall templates

Storage Options

Root Storage

Every VPS includes root storage:

• SSD Storage: High-performance solid-state drives
• NVMe Storage: Ultra-fast NVMe drives (premium plans)
• Automatic Backups: Optional daily backups
• Snapshots: Point-in-time snapshots

Additional Storage

Attach additional storage volumes:

• Block Storage: Additional SSD volumes
• Object Storage: S3-compatible object storage
• Network Storage: Shared network storage
• Backup Storage: Dedicated backup storage

Post-Creation Setup

Initial Connection

Linux (SSH)

ssh root@your-vps-ip

Windows (RDP)

1. Open Remote Desktop Connection
2. Enter VPS IP address
3. Use Administrator username and password

Initial Configuration

Update System

# Ubuntu/Debian
sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y

# CentOS/RHEL
sudo yum update -y

Create User Account

# Create new user
sudo adduser username

# Add to sudo group
sudo usermod -aG sudo username

# Copy SSH keys
sudo cp -r /root/.ssh /home/username/
sudo chown -R username:username /home/username/.ssh

Configure Firewall

# Ubuntu (ufw)
sudo ufw enable
sudo ufw allow ssh
sudo ufw allow http
sudo ufw allow https

# CentOS (firewalld)
sudo systemctl enable firewalld
sudo firewall-cmd --permanent --add-service=ssh
sudo firewall-cmd --permanent --add-service=http
sudo firewall-cmd --permanent --add-service=https
sudo firewall-cmd --reload

Monitoring & Management

VPS Dashboard

Monitor your VPS through the web console:

• Resource Usage: CPU, memory, disk, network
• Performance Graphs: Historical usage data
• Alert Configuration: Set up usage alerts
• Action Buttons: Start, stop, restart, rebuild

Command Line Monitoring

# Check VPS status
lineserve vps show my-web-server

# View resource usage
lineserve vps metrics my-web-server

# List all VPS instances
lineserve vps list

API Monitoring

# Get VPS details
curl -H "Authorization: Bearer $LINESERVE_API_KEY" \
  https://api.lineserve.com/v1/vps/vps_123456

# Get metrics
curl -H "Authorization: Bearer $LINESERVE_API_KEY" \
  https://api.lineserve.com/v1/vps/vps_123456/metrics

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

Connection Problems

• SSH Connection Refused: Check firewall rules and SSH service
• Wrong SSH Key: Verify correct SSH key is being used
• Network Issues: Check VPS status and network configuration
• Password Authentication: Ensure password authentication is enabled

Performance Issues

• High CPU Usage: Check running processes and optimize applications
• Memory Issues: Monitor memory usage and consider upgrading
• Disk Space: Check disk usage and clean up unnecessary files
• Network Latency: Verify region selection and network configuration

Boot Issues

• VPS Won't Start: Check console logs for error messages
• Kernel Panic: May require rescue mode or rebuild
• File System Errors: Use rescue mode to repair file system
• Configuration Errors: Restore from backup or rebuild

Getting Help

• Documentation: Comprehensive VPS guides
• Support Tickets: Technical support team
• Live Chat: Real-time assistance
• Community Forum: User community support

Best Practices

Security

• Use SSH Keys: More secure than passwords
• Regular Updates: Keep OS and software updated
• Firewall Configuration: Restrict unnecessary ports
• Strong Passwords: Use complex passwords for all accounts

Performance

• Right-sizing: Choose appropriate VPS size for workload
• Monitoring: Set up monitoring and alerts
• Optimization: Optimize applications and services
• Scaling: Scale up or out as needed

Backup & Recovery

• Regular Backups: Enable automatic backups
• Snapshot Strategy: Create snapshots before major changes
• Disaster Recovery: Plan for disaster recovery scenarios
• Testing: Regularly test backup restoration

Next Steps

• OS Selection Guide
• Snapshots & Backups
• VPS Networking
• Security Best Practices