Bill Clementson's Blog

 Bits and pieces (mostly Lisp-related) that I collect from the ether.

January 2006
Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
8 9 10 11 12 13 14
15 16 17 18 19 20 21
22 23 24 25 26 27 28
29 30 31
Dec  Feb

Lisp-Friendly Web Hosting/Development

Thursday, January 12, 2006

First of all, I better put in a caveat here: I work for the Tech Coop and this post will be about some of the different services that the Tech Coop offers. However, people do ask me about the Tech Coop (since they know that I work there) and about Lisp-friendly web hosting and Lisp development services, so I think it's a good topic for a blog posting.

So, what is "Lisp-friendly web hosting"? The ALU Wiki has a wiki page that provides a definition and lists a number of different companies that offer the service. Basically, they define the genre as:

"companies or organizations providing services or online tools that make it possible -- or easier -- to deploy web-based Lisp applications"
I think the Tech Coop has some particularly compelling offerings in this space, so I thought I'd list them out so that people are aware of what is possible.

First of all, the Tech Coop offers two main hosting alternatives (with a number of different options within each of these alternatives):
  1. Lisp Virtual Hosting Package: This package costs about CAD$17.50 (about USD$15 or EUR12.40) a month (Note: It can be as low as CAD$10/month if you just want SBCL and nothing else, but the usual package runs $17.50/month). With this, you get a port number behind Pound (or mod_lisp) and space on a virtual server. The server is shared with other users, and is limited to smaller applications, as there is a low ulimit on that platform. That being said, it is being used to host a number of personal Lisp projects and people are generally quite happy with it.

    By default, there is SBCL and a few of the more commonly used CL libraries, but you are free to install whatever you want in your $HOME. Also included in the Lisp VH package is access to a Postgres database; however, the Tech Coop will install just about anything you ask for.

  2. Xen VPS Package: The Xen server is what is recommended if you want to run a 'real' application (i.e. - more than a toy/personal site). The disadvantage is that you have to support and maintain a full server (there are administrative support packages available where the Tech Coop will do this for you), the big advantage being, of course, is that you get root access, a real IP address and it's like having your own server. Xen VPS starts at CAD$35 (about USD$30.20 or EUR24.90) for 128m VPS with 3GB HDD and unlimited transfer (you can go smaller/cheaper if needed, but that is the standard "base" offering) and goes up from there.
One point to note about the hosting offerings is that the Tech Coop is a not-for-profit that can afford to price based on the needs of its members (rather than returns to shareholders), so pricing/packages are never set in stone. If you have a particular requirement or configuration that does not match one of the standard offerings, you should feel free to talk to the Tech Coop to see what alternative offerings might be possible.

Separately from the above packaged hosting offerings, the Tech Coop can provide a full range of services - from development through deployment. These are normally based on the Xen VPS Package + admin support + access to a technician and are priced on a per-case basis. Often, when getting a Xen VPS setup, a client will grab a few hours of support time, just to be safe (if they are not confident with configuring a server themselves). That is normally charged out at CAD$50/hr.

Normal Lisp programming support (development, proposals, etc.) is charged out at CAD$80 per hour to Tech Coop members (customers who are using Tech Coop hosting services). For longer term contracts or projects on retainer, the hourly rate drops significantly. The Tech Coop will also do fixed-price work given the right conditions.

One of the more popular Lisp services is 'Lisp Developer Services' where the Tech Coop offers programming support for Lisp web developers. This service is priced at a discount from the normal rates (CAD$50 rather than CAD$80 per hour), and is generally used by newer Lisp developers who just want some help/insurance that someone can help them out when they need it.

In addition to normal Tech Coop development work, the Tech Coop will take on Lisp development work as subcontracted development efforts. This helps other Lisp developers who are trying to get Lisp contracts solve the 'but there are no Lisp developers' mantra (which is a concern that potential customers often express when they are considering hiring an independent contractor to do some work). The Tech Coop has an experienced development team (which includes Drew Crampsie, Bill Clementson and Alastair Bridgewater), so the 'what do I do if my developer gets hit by a bus' type of problem doesn't have to be an issue. :-) This is one of the faster growing services, as clients often need assurance that they can turn to another party if they need support. It also gives independent consultants the opportunity to subcontract out Lisp support work to the Tech Coop when they are either overloaded or planning to be away.
Lisp Tech support : CAD$50-CAD$80/hr
Peace of mind : Priceless :-)
In addition to hosting and Lisp development services, the Tech Coop also offers normal web hosting, email hosting, on-site networking and technical support (help-desk) services (currently Greater Vancouver only), and a secure off-site backup. Additional information and contact details are available on the Tech Coop site. The web site needs an update, but everyone's too busy working with and supporting Common Lisp to spend time tidying up the website. Now, what's that old saying about the "cobbler's children" again? :-)

emacs Copyright © 2006 by Bill Clementson