Frequently Asked Questions

Choose a topic from the list below.

About The Rackspace Cloud

I've heard about Rackspace being involved with The Rackspace Cloud. What's the relationship between the two companies?

The Rackspace Cloud is the cloud hosting division of Rackspace, an industry leader that currently manages over 40,000 servers and devices for customers all over the world.

Cloud hosting is the next iteration of hosting. So, having the leader of managed hosting behind you is not such a bad thing. No doubt we benefit from tons of experience and knowledge, a great network, world-class data centers and the scale and backing of a company like Rackspace.

What does it mean to be a "division" of Rackspace?

Truth is we are wholly owned by Rackspace. However, we are structured as a separate team, totally focused on the technologies of the cloud. Rackspace has seeded the division with some of their top technical talent. Success in the cloud is a major priority of the Rackspace mission so we get a lot of attention and help when we need it.

Cloud Servers

What is Cloud Servers?

Imagine being able to provision a server in minutes or upgrade a server automatically. To bring servers up and down as needed. This is the idea behind Cloud Servers. Totally customizable, each Cloud Server gives you full root access to your Linux distribution of your choice. Your price depends on how large a server you buy.

Based on Xen Virtualization technology, Cloud Servers™ brings the power of the cloud to the traditional server hosting based model. Just like a dedicated server, your Cloud Server provides total flexibility for you to run anything you want from a Java website to a Ruby on Rails application.

Why do you bill hourly?

We bill hourly because it allows us to cater to both your usual 24x7 server customer and also to the developer who may only need a server for a couple of days. For those who need the server for a couple of days only, they pay for the time the server is deployed, based on number of hours.

If you bill hourly then why do you show a monthly charge? Do you charge both hourly and by the month?

We show the monthly charge just for the clients who keep their servers running for an entire month. This makes it easier for those to translate what the hourly cost would come out too in terms of a monthly equivalent.

If I am not using my server or do not have traffic to it, do I still have to pay for it?

Currently the server would either be running or you would have to delete it altogether. There is no "suspension" mode where you are not charged while not receiving traffic to the server.

What is the difference between Cloud Servers™ and a dedicated server?

With our Cloud Servers™ you can deploy one in a few minutes vs. waiting for a physical server deployment. You can also resize the plan and bring up multiple Cloud Servers™ quickly and easily for much less money. Dedicated servers usually involve contracts and setup fees while they take time to alter the RAM, etc.

Are Cloud Servers™ just a VPS?

Short answer, no. Cloud Servers™ can be resized to a different plan through our control panel, all the way up to 15.5 GB of RAM. Most common VPS offerings only offer the equivalent of 128MB up to 512MB RAM at most. With most VPS offerings, you are not guaranteed the resources that you are paying for, which means other customers could be infringing on your allotment. We not only guarantee you will have the resources you are paying for when you need them, but you can also burst while additional resources are available.

Is bandwidth free between Cloud Servers?

Yes, you will get a private IP for each Cloud Server that offers free bandwidth between them.

I want to scale my plan, what do I need to do?

You can login to the control panel and "resize" the server. It usually takes a few minutes, depending on the amount of data you have stored. If the resources you need are not available in that server, it will migrate all your data, including operating system and IP address, to another server in our environment.

How much CPU do I get?

Cloud Server host machines have dual quad core processors. Each Cloud Server is assigned four virtual cores and the amount of CPU cycles allocated to these cores is weighted based on the size of the Cloud Server. For example a 4G Cloud Server will have twice the weight of a 2G Cloud Server. In addition to these guaranteed minimum CPU cycles all Cloud Servers™ are capable of CPU bursting which allows them to utilize excess CPU cycles that are available on the host machine.

Can I upgrade my storage without upgrading the entire plan?

Cloud Files™ is not block level storage, so it cannot be mounted. Customers do use Cloud Files™ to offload static files, such as media files for example. Typically media files do not change and will not need to be written to as a database would. At this time, you would have to upgrade the RAM in order to get more storage and vice versa.

Can Cloud Files™ be mounted as storage?

Cloud Files™ is not block level storage, so it cannot be mounted. Customers do use Cloud Files™ to offload static files, such as media files for example. Typically media files do not change and will not need to be written to as a database would.

Can I import my own image or export an image of a server?

We are working on this, however, right now you would have to pick from our Linux distributions and would not be able to export an image.

Do you have Cloud Servers™ in the UK?

We currently have Cloud Servers™ in the US only, we are hoping to be in the UK in the second half of 2010.

What is the monthly pricing on Cloud Servers™ for Windows?

Cloud Servers™ for Windows is billed hourly and all pricing can be found here.

Cloud Sites

What does the Rackspace Cloud use for a storage system? Have you done anything there to make it redundant?

Nothing as important as your website should be served from a single hard drive, but you'd be surprised by how many web hosts have little more redundancy than a pair of crossed fingers. We're different and for good reason. The advanced architecture powering our hosting solution uses groups of high-performance, network attached storage devices to reliably serve every web page, and image. Inside each storage device, drives are mirrored to each other in a RAID configuration to create a first level of redundancy. And, as a final precautionary measure, all data on the system is automatically backed up on a repeating schedule.

How often does the Rackspace Cloud backup information?

The Rackspace Cloud makes backups of your data on a nightly basis. However, its purpose is for disaster recovery on the server side. If for any reason a storage node on our side were to crash, our backups are there to replace any lost data. That should give you peace of mind.

With that said, we recommend that you make periodic backups of your site and data to your local computer since we are unable to extract an individual site's data from the nightly backups. If you need a backup of your MySQL or MS SQL databases, they can be exported through our online utilities or by connecting directly to the servers using desktop software.

What version of Linux does Cloud Sites™ run? What about for Windows?

The Linux side of our platform is built on Red Hat Enterprise Server. On the other side of the fence, the Windows platform runs on Windows 2008 and IIS 7.

I've had shell access in the past. Why isn't it offered on Cloud Sites?

Shell access is not offered on Cloud Sites™ primarily for security reasons. We know that shell access has its benefits and we expect to have some level of access available for our customers at some point in the future.

Finally, if shell access is an immediate need, check out our Cloud Servers offering.

Cloud Sites™ Pricing and Scaling

What are compute cycles?

Compute Cycles are a measurement of the processing time your applications require, attained by calculating CPU processing time and accounting for the disk I/O consumed by your application's operations.

How many compute cycles will my applications use?

Since web applications vary so greatly, it's hard to make a perfect guess. Contact us to find out more information.

How do I track my compute cycle usage?

The compute cycles you use are presented in your control panel in near real time.

What goes in to calculating a compute cycle?

Mostly, CPU processing time. However, compute cycles also account for the disk I/O your application's operations consume. For example, a page with heavy database queries will consume more compute cycles in part due to the larger volume of disk I/O it requires.

Cloud Sites™ and PCI

How do I know if PCI applies to my business?

If your business accepts credit cards, whether over the internet or on paper, then PCI applies to your business. The general rule states that if you process, store or transmit cardholder data then you must adhere to the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard v1.2 (PCI DSS v1.2).

How do I prove to my bank or my customers that my business is PCI compliant?

Depending on the number of transactions performed annually, Merchants and Service Providers must conduct quarterly vulnerability scans and either fill out a Self Assessment Questionnaire or have a Qualified Security Assessor audit the business entity against the PCI DSS.

Visit Visa’s website below to learn more about the various Merchant and Service Provider levels.
https://usa.visa.com/merchants/risk_management/cisp_overview.html

Next, go to the PCI Security Standards Council website at: https://www.pcisecuritystandards.org/saq/instructions_dss.shtml#navigating

On this page you will find the self assessment questionnaires. There are five self assessment questionnaires on this page so make sure you determine which questionnaire applies to your business.

Can The Rackspace Cloud help me integrate my website with a payment processor or payment gateway?

Please see the PDF located at https://help.rackspacecloud.com/attachment.php?id=62 for additional information.

If I use a payment processor for all of my credit card processing and storage do I still have to comply with the PCI DSS?

Contact your acquiring bank or payment processor to determine their expectations for your business.

What can happen if I choose not to comply with the PCI DSS?

If you choose not to comply with the PCI DSS then you risk:

• Potentially being fined by your acquiring bank
• Potentially being restricted from accepting credit cards as a payment method
• A system compromise, potentially resulting in fines and/or restrictions

Control Panel

I don't recognize the control panel the Rackspace Cloud uses. Who makes it?

The Rackspace Cloud and client control panels were both developed by the Rackspace Cloud team to take advantage of all the performance features of Cloud Sites. This allows us a great deal of flexibility to make improvements in all pieces of the interface.

I'm familiar with other control panels like Plesk, Ensim and Cpanel. Can I use one of those control panels with the Rackspace Cloud?

The short answer is “No.” Switching control panel software can be a hassle. They all seem to do virtually the same thing, but in just different enough ways to leave you dazed and confused. The Rackspace Cloud's management software is different because it focuses on tasks like creating websites, databases and email accounts rather than server administration. If you want to use one of those control panels, check out our Cloud Servers™ offering which allows you to install any software you choose.

Will my clients have access to the same control panel that I do?

Although your control panel shares the same look and feel as your client's panel, there are several differences built around the additional features and functionality of your account. Your view is focused around managing your clients (for example, their account and billing information), while the client's view is focused on adding email addresses, databases, and domain name pointers. The client interface is built to empower clients to add and change functionality as it pertains to their website.

Can I buy just the control panel software and load it on my own dedicated server?

No. The beauty of our proprietary control panel software is that it's built in-house and designed specifically for managing applications deployed across The Rackspace Cloud's data centers and clustered servers.

DNS and IP's

How does The Hosting Cloud handle IP addresses? Do I have to request multiple IP's?

The Rackspace Cloud's all about making your life easier. One way we do that is handling all of the IP address hassles behind the scenes. Cloud Sites™ actually hosts your website on multiple IP addresses on multiple servers - so you don't have one unique IP address tied to your website. This logic is built right into our load balancing layer and ensures that if a server with a particular IP address fails, any one of the other servers is able to serve your website content.

Do you provide the IP addresses or do I have to provide them?

The Rackspace Cloud's got you covered! You bring the sites and we'll handle the IP space.

I'm used to running my own DNS. Can I do it on Cloud Sites?

That's another great thing about Cloud Sites... You have the flexibility to do most things you would do on a dedicated server. If you'd like to run your own DNS, go right ahead. But know that it is recommended to use the built-in DNS on your the Rackspace Cloud account. If you decide to go it alone you'll be missing out on the unlimited access to Cloud Sites' clustered, geographically redundant domain name system, which is all included in your account. Plus, DNS is easy to configure on The Rackspace Cloud using our intuitive web interface.

What name servers do you offer? Can I select “private” name servers?

Our name servers are dns1.stabletransit.com and dns2.stabletransit.com. They are intentionally "white label" so your clients don't have to know that you're outsourcing their hosting, unless you want them to. We also offer private label name servers.

Software Applications and other Features

Are there any applications installed by default onto my account?

Nope. We prefer to think of your account as a blank canvas for you and your customers to install the scripts and programs you need. We do have some cool new features in the works — which can't be made public just yet — that will make setting up some of the more popular web applications quick and easy.

Can most programs be loaded onto Cloud Sites?

Cloud Sites™ is a great platform for blogs running Wordpress, Drupal, Joomla, DotNetNuke, etc. Sites running OSCommerce, ZenCart, ASP.NET Store Front, brochure, static HTML sites, marketing, and promotional campaign sites to name a few. Contact us to find out if we are the right Cloud Solution for you.

Do you offer any tools to aid in the creation of my websites?

Any sort of web creation tool is outside our sweet spot — so the Rackspace Cloud will leave that to the talented professionals who do web design for a living.

I see that the Rackspace Cloud supports .NET. Which versions do you support?

The Rackspace Cloud now supports .NET 2.0, .NET 3, and .NET 3.5 frameworks.

What about other add-ons like shopping carts, e-commerce applications, or SSL certificates?

You are welcome to install any shopping carts or other web applications you'd like to your hosting account. SSL services are now available. For a small additional monthly fee, you can enable SSL on as many of your sites as you'd like.

I'd really like to add streaming video to my site. Does the Rackspace Cloud offer anything to make it easy for me?

Although we currently do not offer streaming video to our customers, this is one of the major development projects we're working to roll out. Stay in touch and we'll let you know when our streaming media offering is ready for prime time.

Support

What's the Rackspace Cloud's support like?

Unlike most discount hosting offerings, The Rackspace Cloud's support team is instantly available 24x7 through online chat and by phone. And our unique team approach means that our support technicians sit right next to the admins who manage the hosting clusters and the developers who write the applications. That means they can always get you the urgent help you need and make sure your suggestions are heard.

How can I contact support? Am I limited to a certain number of incidents or credits? And what does all of this cost?

As a customer of The Rackspace Cloud, you have our full attention. You can call or chat with a member of our support team 24x7 and you have full access to our account management team who work with you until your issue is resolved. You are not limited to the amount of time you can spend with the support team and you have a host of different ways to contact us. We're here via live chat, phone, user forums, and an ever-growing knowledge base — all of which are included in the price of your account!

What level of support should I expect?

The Rackspace Cloud's support team will assist you with all aspects of the control panel, general connectivity issues (i.e. web, mail, webmail, ftp, and database) and basic website troubleshooting concerns. The support team members, however, will be unable to assist you in the installation of paid, open source, or custom code (PHP, ASP, .NET, etc.). With that said, if you contact our support team they will do everything they can to point you in the right direction if you need help installing a particular script.

What hours is support available?

We're staffed 24x7, so no matter when you're in jam, there will be a friendly the Rackspace Cloud support representative ready to assist you.

Do you offer member forums?

Yes, The Rackspace Cloud was created by industry veterans specifically for web designers and developers. We're all about building the designer and developer community — and what better way to spread the love than to offer some very active member forums. New users are always encouraged to post comments, questions, and feedback. What's more, we take your feedback so seriously that your feature requests help guide our development path.

Billing

How does the Rackspace Cloud bill me?

The Rackspace Cloud bills you every 30 days based on the day you sign up for the service. Your credit card will be charged for your monthly hosting fee on the first day your account becomes active. After 30 days have gone by you will be billed again for the next month of service. The exact charge will be based on recurring charges in addition to whatever additional fees you have incurred during that previous month.

What will appear on my credit card invoice?

You will see “The Hosting System” on your credit card statement.

What forms of payment does the Rackspace Cloud accept?

At this time, The Rackspace Cloud only accepts credit card payments. We allow payment by Visa, MasterCard, or American Express.

Is there a partner/referral program available?

Yes. The Rackspace Cloud now offers a program well beyond its Cloud services with the option for both Affiliates and Resellers. Affiliates will earn 5%-7% of their referrals monthly spend with the Cloud for up to 3 years. Resellers will get a tiered discount on a monthly basis to use at their discretion based on volume. Either way, there is no limit to how much you can earn!

For more details, simply call into 1.877.934.0409 or email affiliates@rackspacecloud.com.

Will there be a discount if I prepay for a full year?

We currently offer only month-to-month billing terms. We earn your business every month.

Cloud Files

What is Cloud Files?

Cloud Files™ is a cost-effective, internet-based, infinite-sized, redundant storage offering from The Rackspace Cloud. Cloud Files™ allows users to store/retrieve files via a simple Web Service (ReST: Representational State Transfer). Files can range in size from a few bytes up to 5 gigabytes and your storage grows or shrinks based on your usage. Add as much or as little as you want without worrying about over-buying/under-utilizing or running out of space. With Cloud Files, you pay for what you use and how much you use is up to you.

Who was Cloud Files™ built for?

Developers interested in using Cloud Files™ should be familiar with any of the following: ReSTful web-services, Python, PHP, Java, Ruby, or C#/.NET.

Cloud Files™ is a great fit for most hosting applications.

Cloud Files™ can be an excellent storage solution for a number of reasons and is well suited for a number of applications:

• Backups/archives of your data
• Serving images/videos (streaming data to the user's browser)
• Secondary/tertiary, web-accessible storage for your data
• Developer friendly for application integration
• Well suited when amount of storage is difficult to predict
• Simple point-and-click interface via the Rackspace Cloud Control Panel

Cloud Files™ is not a perfect fit for all types of applications.

There are some applications for which Cloud Files™ is not an ideal solution, these include:

• Native support within your Operating System. It is not possible to "mount" or "map" the Cloud Files™ storage system as a virtual hard-disk on your computer.
• Disk mirroring or backup solutions that require byte/block level differences. There are no concepts of "append" or "file locking" operations within Cloud Files.
• Data can be organized into storage compartments called "Containers," but they cannot be nested. Since there is only one top-level of Containers, you will not be able to upload a nested directory/folder structure into Cloud Files™ unless a transformation is performed to flatten the structure.

How much does Cloud Files™ cost to use?

Pricing for Cloud Files™ is broken down to storage usage, data transfer, and requests.

Storage:

• $0.15/GB

Data Transfer:

• Data Transfer In
• • $0.08/GB
• Data Transfer Out
• • $0.22/GB

Requests:

• $0.01 per 500 PUT, POST, or LIST requests < 250KB
• FREE PUT, POST or LIST request for files > 250KB
• FREE GET, HEAD or DEL Request

Other CDN costs:

• No request/operation charges
• No bandwidth charge from Cloud Files™ to CDN

Is there an SLA that's specific to Cloud Files?

There sure is an SLA. Click here to read the Cloud Files™ SLA.

How can I purchase a Cloud Files™ account?

You can create a new account simply by visiting www.rackspacecloud.com and selecting the "Cloud Files" product. If you are a Cloud Sites customer, you will automatically have access to Cloud Files.