Frequently Asked Questions

Please review our answers to some of the most common questions about our cloud servers. If you do not find the information you need, please e-mail us at support@simplyhosting.cloud or call us at 0345 259 1234 Monday through Friday between 8am - 6pm GMT.

What is a Simply Cloud server?

Cloud servers are virtual servers that operate in a cloud computing environment. They run as software independent units and can be automatically scaled up or scaled down to meet current demands.

Simply Cloud servers have a variety of features that makes them operate just like a virtual data centre. Firewalls, port monitoring, and load balancing are just a few of the options available that make them a complete hosting solution.

Our cloud servers are installed on our SSD platform for maximum speed, which makes installation and performance much faster than ordinary disks. Our platform is easily expandable since storage is kept separate and offers greater flexibility when choosing server configurations.

What are the benefits of a Simply Cloud server?

One of the most attractive benefits of a cloud server is the ability to scale its capacity to current demands. Since it may not be needed all the time, you can power it down and simply turn it back on at a later time. No data will be lost. It's akin to a heating bill where you access what you need, when you need it, and only pay for the power you've used. When more demand is placed on the server, you can easily increase its capacity. Below are additional key benefits of cloud servers:

• Flexibility - Easily add upgrades (CPU, Memory, disk space, etc.) and use as much or as little of a service as you want at any given time
• Cost-effectiveness - Services sold on demand make cloud servers more economical and efficient than standard dedicated servers
• Quality of Service - Guarantees I/O performance
• Ease of set up - Minimal set up means cloud servers can be operational in less than 30 minutes
• Reliability – No single point of failure

Can I change the specifications of the server after I have purchased it?

Yes, you can. One of the main advantages of a Simply Cloud server is its customisation. For example, if you need more RAM for a brief period, you can increase it and then decrease it when you no longer need it. You can also allocate extra CPU cores and then revert back. The only exception is the disk space. It is possible to increase it, but not reduce it as doing so would result in data loss. Resizing a server usually requires a reboot, so be sure to plan for a brief period when the server will be temporarily down.

What is the maximum capacity of a Simply Cloud server?

A Simply Cloud server supports up to 16 virtual CPU cores, 64GB RAM and 2TB disk space.

What are data disks?

A data disk is an additional storage unit you can add to a specific server or VLAN to store data. This disk will be separate from the main system disk where the operating system and pre-installed software are stored. The disk is initially added to an existing server, but is detachable and can be attached to any other server as long as the operating systems are the same.

If I'm already a Simply Cloud customer, can I convert an existing server to a cloud product?

Differences in technology do not make it possible to convert an existing dedicated or virtual server to a cloud product. While a new cloud server will need to be ordered, you may be able to transfer data from the old server to the new one depending on the type of server(s). Please contact us at support@simplyhosting.cloud or 0345 259 1234 before purchasing a cloud server, so we can determine whether a transfer is possible

How does billing work?

When you first register for a Simply Cloud product, you will be asked to ‘top-up’ your account with a small amount of credit. How long this money lasts will depend on the type of server, the number of services you have selected and how often you use them. This balance is per account and not per server.

Billing does not occur monthly, but is instead based on an automated top-up system. The minimum default threshold is one day’s worth of usage and the minimum default top-up amount is five days of usage to ensure you have an adequate balance.

You can set your own top-up threshold and amount in the control panel; however, you will not be able to go lower than the default settings. You can also make a one-off payment for an amount of your choice. This may be useful if you want to maintain sufficient credit at a critical time or use a different card than the one currently linked to the account.

What happens if you cannot top-up my account?

If we cannot receive payment, your account will be suspended once it falls into debt and your server powered down. However, you will be notified by email immediately following the decline in payment and will be given seven days to make your account current before your server is shut down. Please note that since your balance is per account and not per server, all servers associated with a suspended account will be affected. If your services are suspended, you can quickly rectify the situation by topping up online. Upon confirmation of your payment, your account will become active again within 30 minutes.

How much does your cloud service cost?

The pricing for our cloud offering is as follows:

• £4.17268 per GB RAM per month
• £0.09507 per GB SSD per month
• 1 free CPU per GB RAM
• £3.50 per CPU per month extra
• £1 per IP per month (after initial /29, consisting of 5 usable IP’s per server)
• £0.13 per GB per month for data disks
• Back-ups are 30% of the price of the disk being backed up
• Bandwidth is free for the first 50G per VLAN and £0.02p per GB thereafter

Example
A Linux server with 1GB RAM, 1CPU and 35GB disk space would cost £7.50 per month; a Windows server with the same specifications would be £5.00 more per month due to the operating system licensing costs.

We also offer granular billing where services are charged by the minute when changes are made. For instance, if a customer upgrades the CPU from 2 cores to 4 cores and then lowers it back to 2 cores five minutes later, they would only pay the higher fee for those five minutes.

If I switch off the server for a period of time, will I incur any charges?

While you will not pay for CPU or RAM when the server is turned off, charges for disk storage and some software licenses (e.g., Plesk, etc.) will continue.

What is a guest account?

A Simply Cloud guest account gives you the opportunity to see our user interface, review costs based on selected specifications and assess features we offer in our cloud offering such as load balancing, firewalls and port monitoring. It is a great way to tour our system and see how easy it is to use before committing to a purchase. While you will not have the ability to use a live server, opening a guest account will give you quite a bit of buying information without having to enter any personal information or credit card details.

How do I receive my £10 credit when purchasing a cloud server?

Once you register for a new cloud account and enter your credit card details, you will immediately see £10 posted as a credit. After configuring your cloud server, go to the “Billing” section to review your available balance and see when your next payment is scheduled based on your usage rate.