What role hosting, PHP and the cache play
Your website runs at a host, on a PHP version and behind several caches.You choose the host, we keep the foundation current.
- PHP versionWhen we switch the PHP version
- CacheWhy a change gets stuck in the cache
- Changing hostsChanging hosts and outages
What the host handles and what we take on
The host provides the server, PHP runs WordPress, the cache speeds up delivery.We take care of PHP and cache as part of maintenance.
- Server, storage, database
- The PHP versions to choose from
- Certificate for the encrypted connection
- Often the mailboxes as well
- Its own cache in front of the website
- Check plugins before a PHP switch
- Switch in staging, live with a backup first
- No later than six months after end of support
- Clear all cache layers after every change
- Exclude cart and checkout from the cache
What goes wrong in practice
Three cases, each with its consequence and the rule that came out of it.None involves WordPress itself.
Theme update tested, cache not cleared
The developer saw a flawless page because his browser already had the new version. The customer saw a broken layout.
No notice during a host outage
There was nothing for us to fix. The customer learned of the outage late, and only by asking.
Database move without checking the character set
All umlauts broken, a day of repairs. Fixable only because the backup at the old host still existed.
Cases from our own work, treated confidentially.
How a host change works and what happens during an outage
Changing hosts is a project with a fixed process and a way back. If the host goes down, you hear from us first.
- Copy at the new host
- Pages, forms, checkout, login
- Address record (DNS) prepared
- Address points to the new server
- Way back stays open
- Certificate set up and checked
- Forms and mailboxes checked
- Reachable for search engines
- Old host runs two more weeks
- Confirm the outage, false alarms happen
- Check the host’s status page
- Open a ticket with the host
- Inform you, then at fixed intervals
- Then check home page, forms, login
- No move during an outageThat usually does more damage than the outage itself.
- Backups independent of the hostIf the website comes back damaged, we restore a backup.
- No separate notice for brief glitchesProvided they resolve on their own.
Questions customers ask about hosting
Do we have to switch to a particular host?
We work with your host, and our backups run independently of it. If it slows the website down, we name an alternative from our own experience. The contract and the decision stay with you.
How long is the website offline during a move?
Until the new address record has reached everywhere, the old server keeps serving the site. To be safe, we allow up to 48 hours for the switchover. Mailboxes at the same host are planned separately.
Why does my website not run on the very latest PHP version?
In the first months of a new version, bugs are still being found. We switch as soon as your plugins are ready for it, no later than six months after support for the old version ends.
The website is slow. Is it the host?
More often it is large images, a heavy plugin or a badly configured cache. We measure first. A single bottleneck is covered by the flat fee; the whole website is a project with a fixed-price quote.