Features of launching the Jelastic cloud platform on Infobox

    On September 12, we launched a new cloud service based on a Jelastic solution.

    The question arises: why does Infobox need another cloud? After all, less than a year has passed since the commissioning of the Parallels Automation for Cloud Infrastructure (PACI) cloud platform, which solves similar problems.

    And why in Russia is there another Jelastic installation? Prior to this, two other hosters Rusonyx and Reg.Ru have already launched a service based on Jelastic.
    What special will we offer on the Jelastic platform?

    All answers are under a cat.


    A few words about Jelastic


    Jelastic is a world-famous platform for launching Java and PHP applications. Jelastic gained popularity due to the ease of application deployment without the need to make complex settings for the server environment (which is especially important when working with Java applications that are moody about settings).

    The platform provides images that are already configured and ready to go. That is, you do not need to install Apache, NGINX, MySQL, PHP and other necessary services. Moreover, the platform’s functionality allows you to install popular CMS with an optimized web environment in one click.

    The second plus is the availability of auto-scaling, which allows you to optimize costs at the time of small loads and calmly survive the various effects. In this case, you can set the minimum and maximum resource limits that can be allocated to the application. Payment is made only for actually consumed resources, which, however, is characteristic of a cloud platform.
    Allocated resources are measured in cloudlets, which are containers (virtual servers). One cloudlet includes a 200 MHz processor and 128 MB of RAM. Disk space is charged separately upon use. Billing of all resources is hourly.

    That's all the basic information about Jelastic.

    Questions to ourselves


    Now back to the questions that we raised at the beginning of the post.
    Why does Infobox need another cloud? After all, we already have the Parallels Automation for Cloud Infrastructure cloud platform .
    And what makes our Jelastic installation more interesting than other hosters?
    We answer in order.

    PACI is mostly an IaaS platform focused on corporate Clients who need to place part of the IT infrastructure in the cloud. It is this target audience that uses our service at the moment. But since a significant part of Infobox Clients are developers, webmasters and website owners, it was necessary to offer a cloud solution for them.

    For several years we were familiar with the team of the Jelastic platform, but in the focus of Java solutions we saw a somewhat narrow segment. But as soon as the platform began to support PHP applications, we started negotiations on launch. And then he took place!
    Thus, adding a Jelastic-based solution to our line of services is a conscious, long-planned, logical and, sure, right step.

    Then we faced another important question: how to offer potential Clients something that could motivate them to choose our service, rather than the service of competitors who already sell Jelastic?

    By modernity and power, the servers of all providers are almost the same, it is difficult to stand out here. Although, in truth, we are conducting some kind of experiment with "iron" and if everything works out, then we will do something interesting here. But more about that another time.

    The functionality of Jelastic in terms of tools and service management for all hosters is also the same.

    We could only experiment with the automatic installation of applications in 1 click and try to surprise with interesting rates. Not the cheapest, but not like everyone else.

    Largest CMS Directory for Jelastic


    In addition to the CMS included in the Jelastic platform by default, we packaged another 12 of the most popular CMS, including Russian. At the same time, we optimized the web environment for each of them, achieving the maximum possible results. We also changed something in the packages available in Jelastic for installing WordPress, Joomla and Drupal, as the result of their work did not suit us completely.
    In addition to them, we prepared packages for installing Russian 1C-Bitrix in 3 editions, UMI.CMS, Amiro CMS, NetCat, DLE, HostCMS, as well as MODx, PrestaShop, osCommerce and LiveStreet CMS. Today we offer the world's largest CMS catalog for installation in 1 click on Jelastic.

    Of course, we chased to a greater extent not for quantity, but for quality. What does this mean for you?

    Suppose you want to order Jelastic from another hoster and install 1C-Bitrix in the Start edition on it. To do this, you will need to register, get access to the Jelastic control panel, create an environment, go to the MySQL node, create a database and user, upload the Bitrix installation files to the site directory, spend 10 minutes on the installation ... And in the end, going to the panel control Bitrix and launch the performance index, see approximately the following result.



    This is the average result of the built-in performance test after installing 1C-Bitrix Start on the environment without additional settings from different hosting providers that provide Jelastic.

    If you want to do the same with us, then you just need to select the 1C-Bitrix Start auto installation, enter an e-mail on our website and click the “Install CMS” button.



    After that, you will receive an email with a link, when you click on which you will see this window:



    Here you just need to enter the address at which you want to create a site, and click "Install."
    And in a few minutes you will receive an email with a link to the control panel of the created site and login / password for access. And here already the launch of the built-in performance test will show a completely different result. For example, such.



    In order to achieve such results, we worked for several months to create unique environments for each of the CMS, performed stress tests, consulted with vendors, vendors conducted their tests and gave us recommendations. We have done everything so that our Clients can start working with the site within a couple of minutes after registration. In addition, each CMS will show maximum results.

    If you want to see any other CMS on Jelastic, then offer options, and we will prepare the most popular packages.
    Representatives of CMS vendors are welcome to cooperate.

    About tariffs


    We were always confused by a rather large sheet with prices for cloudlets from other Jelastic providers. Usually these are eight gradations for the cost of cloudlets, depending on how many are used at a given time. On the one hand, it looks profitable: you use more - pay less. After all, the maximum discount from providers reaches 55% of the base price. But in reality this means a significantly higher price for a small number of cloudlets, which is most often needed by the Client. Judging by the comments on Habré, it is precisely such a pricing policy of providers (and, as a result, the high cost of resources) that caused the most criticism from users.

    We decided to simplify the tariff schedule as much as possible and offer only two types of prices - up to 100 cloudlets and from 100. At the same time, creating our tariffs, we decided not to enter into price wars - this is the way to nowhere. We offered a price for cloudlet, which, for example, for the entire range from 1 to 100 cloudlets, corresponds to a price from the range of 50-60 cloudlets from other providers.
    This means that closer to 100 cloudlets our price may even be slightly higher than others (or maybe not), but with a small number of cloudlets it is definitely more profitable. Much more profitable. This makes the entry bar for using the cloud platform much lower.

    In honor of the launch, we decided to offer another surprise to our Clients. Anyone who starts using our platform before 12/31/2013,we made the first three cloudlets free for the entire duration of using the service .
    And three cloudlets are as much as 600 MHz of the processor and 384 MB of RAM. You save at least 540 rubles per month.



    Thus, if your application needs a maximum of 5 cloudlets, then you will pay only two. And when the load is minimal, for example, at night or during application testing, you may not have to pay for resources at all! Such a bonus to all Infobox Customers.

    Free beta until October 15th


    Until October 15, we invite you to take part in the open testing Jelastic from Infobox. During testing, you can use the Jelastic cloud platform for free with us with the following limits:
    • The number of environments per account - 3
    • The number of cloudlets in the environment - 16
    • The amount of disk space per account - 15 GB
    • Maximum network load per account - 4000 Kbps


    And at the end of testing, we will remove the limits and give each Client 3 cloudlets for the entire time of using the service so that you don’t even have the thought that you can use Jelastic from someone else.

    Additional information and registration for the Jelastic beta on the Infobox website

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