Knowledge Base

HOME: Hosting Account Issues - Misc

Misc issues related to hosting accounts that are not covered by the standard categories.

---

4. Account disk space issues

One of the more common problems is a hosting account that exceeds it's disk space allocation. All hosting accounts have a set amount of disk space available to them. That is usually one of the key parameters used when selecting a hosting plan, but after the account is created many people disregard the disk usage of their account until it becomes a problem.

*** What causes disk usage at my hosting account?
The obvious...
- Files that you upload, like web page documents.
The not-so-obvious...
- Email. Any email in your mailboxes that hasn't been retrieved from the server will remain at your hosting account taking up space. A common problem is setting up mailboxes that no one ever checks. These mail files will grow in size until all the free disk space at your account is used up. You can check for such problem files by looking at the mail files in your [yourdomain]-mail directory. If you find a problem mail file, simply retrieve the messages from that mailbox using your mail software or WebMail.
- Stats. Look at the files in the [yourdomain]-www/stats directory. These files are used by the "Stats" section of your Account Manager. These stats files will grow in size and number as time goes on. See http://support.metapros.net/faq/18.4.html.

*** How do I see how much disk space is being used?
The numbers are shown on main page of your Account Manager.

*** How do I see what is taking up space?
Log in to your account via FTP or use the File Manager section of your Account Manager and traverse the directories noting the file names and sizes.

*** What happens if I ignore the disk usage?
If your stats are enabled or you are accumulating unretrieved email, eventually your disk space will hit the account's limit. When that happens, no more data will be written to your account. This means that: incoming email may be rejected, you may not be able to upload files, Frontpage extensions may not work properly, scripts that you have installed may not work properly, etc, etc, etc.

*** What should I do?
The best solution is to keep an eye on your usage and if it becomes excessive, take action. This is a key responsibility of any webmaster. MetaPros provides many tools for monitoring and managing your disk space:
- Any time that you visit your Account Manager, check the usage numbers on the mail page.
- The "Resource Meter" gives more detailed and historical info on your account's usage.
- Make use of the "Alarm Limit" feature. This is found at the bottom of "Account Management". It is used to have an email automatically sent to your account owner email address when the usage hits a limit that you set.
- Keep an eye on the files that are at your site using FTP or the File Manager. Delete any that are not needed (do not delete the system files and directories!!). Use compression for graphics or multimedia files.

If you find that you actually need more space than is available, then you can simply upgrade to another hosting plan that provides the needed space. Check the "Upgrade CP" section of your Account Manager to see what upgrades are available. Upgrades are done automatically and hosting fees are prorated. There are no setup fees to upgrade.




Updated: April 5, 2004

---