Host Moodle on a dedicated server for your online courses
Deploy Moodle on a Kimsufi dedicated server and give your learners responsive online courses. Processor, RAM and storage are reserved for you, and root access lets you control every element: database, plugins, backups.
Why self-host Moodle on a dedicated server?
Moodle is an open source learning management system (LMS), one of the most widely used in the world. Schools, universities, training organizations and companies use it to publish courses, manage enrollments and organize assessments.
Shared hosting quickly reaches its limits, because the application needs a precise configuration: a cron job every minute, a data folder outside the web root, disk space that grows with every uploaded file. VPS hosting offers more freedom, but on a shared machine. A dedicated machine belongs entirely to you. It is the right choice when:
- many users log in at the same time, during an exam or at the start of the school year;
- your course materials include many videos and documents;
- you want to select your plugins, their integration with your tools and the update schedule yourself;
- you want to keep your learners' data in the country of your choice.
The Kimsufi offer is unmanaged: you control the machine and administer the application yourself.
Why choose a Kimsufi dedicated server for Moodle?
Reserved resources
CPU, RAM and storage are not shared with anyone. The application's loading time stays stable, even when all your learners submit their assignments at the same time.
Full control
With root access, you select the system, Apache or Nginx, the PHP version and the database, then add the plugins, the theme and the integration with your tools.
Built-in security
Anti-DDoS protection is included with all offers, and our datacenters are ISO 27001 certified. You add your own rules: firewall, HTTPS, strong authentication.
Controlled costs
Moodle is free, with no per-user license, and unmetered traffic is included. A single machine can host both your production and a test environment.
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How do you choose the right configuration for Moodle?
It all depends on the number of users logged in at the same time, the activities you offer and the volume of files. Our guidelines for selecting your model:
- Processor: each page runs PHP and several database queries. More cores let you serve more simultaneous users, especially during timed quizzes.
- Memory: RAM is used by the application's processes, the cache (Redis, for example) and the database. Leave headroom for peaks.
- Storage: an SSD or NVMe drive speeds up the database and page display. The moodledata folder mostly needs disk space: course materials, submitted assignments, backups. If your courses rely on video, select a high-capacity model.
- Network and location: select a datacenter close to your learners: France, Germany, United Kingdom, Poland, Canada, India, Singapore or Australia. Connection from 100 Mbps to 1 Gbps depending on the model, unmetered traffic.
To start small or to test, the KS range is a good starting point. For an institution with many active courses, the SYS and RISE ranges offer more resources.
Installing Moodle: the typical architecture
After you order, your machine is ready in a few minutes. From the control panel, simply select the operating system (Debian or Ubuntu, for example) to install it in one click, then log in over SSH. A typical setup relies on these elements:
- Apache or Nginx, with PHP-FPM and the extensions required by your version and your plugins;
- a PostgreSQL, MySQL or MariaDB database;
- the moodledata folder, placed outside the web root;
- a cron job that runs every minute, essential for notifications and automatic course backups;
- a Redis cache and an SSL certificate to serve the application over HTTPS.
Prefer containers? Docker is a good way to separate the LMS, its database and its cache. For a large campus, then move the database to a second machine and distribute visitors with load balancing; private networking between machines depends on the range.
What does "Moodle" stand for?
It is the acronym of Modular Object-Oriented Dynamic Learning Environment: a learning environment that is dynamic, modular and object-oriented.
Is Moodle free or paid?
Free. It is free software under the GNU GPL license, and the plugins in the official directory are also under free licenses. Your costs cover hosting, administration time and, if needed, help from a specialized provider.
How do you install Moodle on a Kimsufi dedicated server?
Start by deploying Linux from the control panel, then Apache or Nginx, PHP and the database. Download the official archive, create the moodledata folder, run the installation wizard in your browser and configure the cron job.
VPS or dedicated server: which should you choose for Moodle?
A VPS is a good way to test or launch a small platform. As the number of users, courses and files grows, a dedicated machine gives you non-shared resources, more disk space and consistent performance during peaks.
How do you access Moodle?
With a browser, at your site's address, or with the official mobile app if you enable mobile services. Each account is created by an administrator, through an import or by self-registration, depending on the enrollment methods enabled.
Does Kimsufi manage Moodle for me?
No. The Kimsufi offer is unmanaged: you deploy and maintain the LMS, its plugins and your backups. Our technical support remains available 24/7 for the hardware, and the Moodle community offers valuable help on its forums.