# SwissOctet Insights: Practical Infrastructure Guides Canonical URL: https://swissoctet.com/insights/ SWISSOCTET / INSIGHTS & FIELD GUIDES ## Clarity for what comes next. Go deeper than the spec sheet. Practical knowledge for private infrastructure, sharper decisions and systems you can actually operate. Explore the library Find your starting point ENGINEERING PRINCIPLES. PRACTICAL DECISIONS. PRIMARY SOURCES. KNOWLEDGE / CONNECTED COMPUTE Understand the workload. PRIVACY Know the boundaries. OPERATIONS Build for day two. AN INTERCONNECTED WAY TO THINK 32 In-depth field guides 08 Connected disciplines 04 Learning paths 20 Terms, made clear THE STARTING POINT ## A better question. A better configuration. FEATURED GUIDE / CLOUD & VPS ### [How to choose a VPS without guessing](https://swissoctet.com/insights/choose-a-vps-by-workload/) Turn an application idea into a useful resource budget, then compare CPU, memory, storage and transfer together. Read the field guide 4 min read THE KNOWLEDGE LIBRARY ## Find your next clear answer. From a first VPS to a recovery drill. Explore the decisions that shape your infrastructure. Reading level 32 guides · All disciplines EXPLORE AT YOUR OWN DEPTH FIELD NOTE / 01 Cloud & VPS Foundation ### [How to choose a VPS without guessing](https://swissoctet.com/insights/choose-a-vps-by-workload/) Turn an application idea into a useful resource budget, then compare CPU, memory, storage and transfer together. 4 min read [Read the guide](https://swissoctet.com/insights/choose-a-vps-by-workload/) FIELD NOTE / 02 Dedicated & GPU Foundation ### [VPS or dedicated: choose the boundary that fits](https://swissoctet.com/insights/vps-or-dedicated-server/) Understand what a physical machine changes, what it does not change, and when it becomes a useful step for your workload. 4 min read [Read the guide](https://swissoctet.com/insights/vps-or-dedicated-server/) FIELD NOTE / 03 Storage & recovery Foundation ### [When NVMe makes a difference to your application](https://swissoctet.com/insights/nvme-storage-when-it-matters/) Distinguish capacity, latency and throughput so that a faster storage label answers a real application problem. 4 min read [Read the guide](https://swissoctet.com/insights/nvme-storage-when-it-matters/) FIELD NOTE / 04 Crypto payments Foundation ### [Crypto checkout and the limits of payment privacy](https://swissoctet.com/insights/crypto-checkout-and-operational-privacy/) Understand the asset, network and confirmation journey, and protect the information that connects your project to a payment. 4 min read [Read the guide](https://swissoctet.com/insights/crypto-checkout-and-operational-privacy/) FIELD NOTE / 05 Day-two operations Applied ### [Build a backup you can actually restore](https://swissoctet.com/insights/build-a-backup-you-can-restore/) Choose a recovery target, protect an independent copy and practise the restoration before an incident forces the issue. 4 min read [Read the guide](https://swissoctet.com/insights/build-a-backup-you-can-restore/) FIELD NOTE / 06 Network engineering Foundation ### [Bandwidth, port speed and transfer: read the full picture](https://swissoctet.com/insights/bandwidth-port-speed-and-transfer/) Estimate the data your project moves and understand why a larger port is only one part of network performance. 4 min read [Read the guide](https://swissoctet.com/insights/bandwidth-port-speed-and-transfer/) FIELD NOTE / 07 Privacy by design Foundation ### [Swiss data residency: map the whole service](https://swissoctet.com/insights/swiss-data-residency-map/) A Swiss server location is a starting point. Map application data, backups, support access and external services before making a residency commitment. 6 min read [Read the guide](https://swissoctet.com/insights/swiss-data-residency-map/) FIELD NOTE / 08 Privacy by design Foundation ### [No KYC and privacy: understand the difference](https://swissoctet.com/insights/no-kyc-is-not-anonymity/) Document-free onboarding addresses one collection point. Understand the other records, access paths and payment traces around a hosted project. 6 min read [Read the guide](https://swissoctet.com/insights/no-kyc-is-not-anonymity/) FIELD NOTE / 09 Day-two operations Applied ### [A practical threat model for your hosted project](https://swissoctet.com/insights/threat-model-a-hosted-project/) Map assets and trust boundaries, choose a few realistic failure scenarios and turn them into controls you can test. 6 min read [Read the guide](https://swissoctet.com/insights/threat-model-a-hosted-project/) FIELD NOTE / 10 Cloud & VPS Applied ### [Size VPS CPU and memory from a real workload](https://swissoctet.com/insights/size-vps-cpu-and-memory/) Build a memory budget, inspect contention and separate one busy thread from work that can use several virtual cores. 6 min read [Read the guide](https://swissoctet.com/insights/size-vps-cpu-and-memory/) FIELD NOTE / 11 Day-two operations Applied ### [Secure Windows RDP administration without losing access](https://swissoctet.com/insights/secure-windows-rdp-administration/) Separate network reachability, authentication and privilege, then verify a recovery route before tightening remote access. 6 min read [Read the guide](https://swissoctet.com/insights/secure-windows-rdp-administration/) FIELD NOTE / 12 Day-two operations Applied ### [A Linux VPS hardening baseline you can maintain](https://swissoctet.com/insights/linux-vps-hardening-baseline/) Secure administration, expose only required services and establish updates and recovery without locking yourself out. 6 min read [Read the guide](https://swissoctet.com/insights/linux-vps-hardening-baseline/) FIELD NOTE / 13 Storage & recovery Advanced ### [Measure NVMe performance without misleading yourself](https://swissoctet.com/insights/nvme-benchmark-methodology/) Define the I/O pattern, control cache effects and inspect latency distributions before drawing an application conclusion from a disk test. 6 min read [Read the guide](https://swissoctet.com/insights/nvme-benchmark-methodology/) FIELD NOTE / 14 Dedicated & GPU Advanced ### [Build a GPU VRAM budget before choosing hardware](https://swissoctet.com/insights/gpu-vram-budget-for-real-workloads/) Account for weights, activations, caches and temporary buffers, then test the peak workload rather than the model file alone. 6 min read [Read the guide](https://swissoctet.com/insights/gpu-vram-budget-for-real-workloads/) FIELD NOTE / 15 Dedicated & GPU Applied ### [A dedicated-server migration runbook that protects the data](https://swissoctet.com/insights/dedicated-server-migration-runbook/) Rehearse the move, establish a consistent data boundary and define what rollback means after the new system accepts writes. 6 min read [Read the guide](https://swissoctet.com/insights/dedicated-server-migration-runbook/) FIELD NOTE / 16 Web & onion Foundation ### [Web hosting or a VPS: choose the work you want to own](https://swissoctet.com/insights/web-hosting-or-your-own-vps/) Compare application requirements, control and maintenance responsibilities rather than treating a VPS as the automatic next step for every website. 6 min read [Read the guide](https://swissoctet.com/insights/web-hosting-or-your-own-vps/) FIELD NOTE / 17 Day-two operations Applied ### [Turn RPO and RTO into a recovery budget you can test](https://swissoctet.com/insights/rpo-rto-recovery-budget/) Translate acceptable data loss and interruption into a timed recovery plan, with dependencies, restore capacity and a measurable exercise. 4 min read [Read the guide](https://swissoctet.com/insights/rpo-rto-recovery-budget/) FIELD NOTE / 18 Storage & recovery Applied ### [Snapshots and backups: choose the failure you need to survive](https://swissoctet.com/insights/snapshots-backups-consistency/) Compare recovery points, failure boundaries and application consistency instead of assuming a snapshot and an independent backup provide the same protection. 4 min read [Read the guide](https://swissoctet.com/insights/snapshots-backups-consistency/) FIELD NOTE / 19 Storage & recovery Foundation ### [Object, file or block storage: choose the interface your application needs](https://swissoctet.com/insights/object-file-block-storage/) Distinguish storage interfaces, access semantics and operational responsibilities before turning a capacity requirement into an application architecture. 4 min read [Read the guide](https://swissoctet.com/insights/object-file-block-storage/) FIELD NOTE / 20 Network engineering Advanced ### [Size a transfer with latency, concurrency and throughput measurements](https://swissoctet.com/insights/size-throughput-with-bandwidth-delay/) Build a repeatable transfer model using payload volume, delivery windows and round-trip time, then test it without confusing a port label with useful throughput. 4 min read [Read the guide](https://swissoctet.com/insights/size-throughput-with-bandwidth-delay/) FIELD NOTE / 21 Network engineering Advanced ### [Plan a 40, 100 or 200 Gbps origin as a complete system](https://swissoctet.com/insights/plan-40-100-200-gbps/) Translate large port classes into storage, CPU, concurrency and operational questions before selecting a high-volume distribution configuration. 4 min read [Read the guide](https://swissoctet.com/insights/plan-40-100-200-gbps/) FIELD NOTE / 22 Web & onion Applied ### [A domain, DNS and TLS cutover runbook for a new server](https://swissoctet.com/insights/dns-tls-cutover-runbook/) Prepare hostname routing, certificates and rollback together so that a migration changes the server without breaking the site's identity or secure connections. 4 min read [Read the guide](https://swissoctet.com/insights/dns-tls-cutover-runbook/) FIELD NOTE / 23 Web & onion Applied ### [Publish an onion service without overlooking the application](https://swissoctet.com/insights/publish-onion-service-safely/) Plan a legitimate onion publication with controlled backend exposure, careful content review, service-key recovery and an explicit audience-access model. 4 min read [Read the guide](https://swissoctet.com/insights/publish-onion-service-safely/) FIELD NOTE / 24 Crypto payments Foundation ### [Choose the asset and network before preparing a crypto payment](https://swissoctet.com/insights/choose-crypto-asset-network/) Read a payment route as a complete asset-and-network pair, then verify invoice instructions, token identity and the amount delivered before authorising a transfer. 4 min read [Read the guide](https://swissoctet.com/insights/choose-crypto-asset-network/) FIELD NOTE / 25 Crypto payments Advanced ### [From detected transaction to reconciled order: confirmations and reorgs](https://swissoctet.com/insights/confirmations-reorgs-order-reconciliation/) Design payment states around verified chain evidence, explicit acceptance rules and unambiguous order association rather than a browser claim that funds were sent. 4 min read [Read the guide](https://swissoctet.com/insights/confirmations-reorgs-order-reconciliation/) FIELD NOTE / 26 Day-two operations Applied ### [Build monitoring that leads to a useful incident response](https://swissoctet.com/insights/monitoring-incident-response-playbook/) Connect application symptoms, actionable alerts and a small response playbook so that an operator can make clear decisions when a service degrades. 4 min read [Read the guide](https://swissoctet.com/insights/monitoring-incident-response-playbook/) FIELD NOTE / 27 Cloud & VPS Applied ### [Give your AI workers a bounded place to run](https://swissoctet.com/insights/give-ai-workers-a-bounded-runtime/) Separate model inference from orchestration, size the actual worker and limit what its tools can change before putting an AI workflow on a server. 4 min read [Read the guide](https://swissoctet.com/insights/give-ai-workers-a-bounded-runtime/) FIELD NOTE / 28 Web & onion Applied ### [Choose a hosting operating model before choosing a cloud](https://swissoctet.com/insights/choose-a-hosting-operating-model/) Compare shared hosting, a VPS, dedicated hardware and large cloud platforms through responsibility, recovery, dependencies and the complete operating budget. 4 min read [Read the guide](https://swissoctet.com/insights/choose-a-hosting-operating-model/) FIELD NOTE / 29 Network engineering Foundation ### [Choose a traffic path: server, tunnel or proxy](https://swissoctet.com/insights/choose-a-server-tunnel-or-proxy/) Understand what a VPS, VPN and proxy each change, then select routing, protocols and operating responsibilities from the connection you actually need. 4 min read [Read the guide](https://swissoctet.com/insights/choose-a-server-tunnel-or-proxy/) FIELD NOTE / 30 Cloud & VPS Foundation ### [Understand the machine boundary behind your VPS](https://swissoctet.com/insights/understand-the-vps-machine-boundary/) Read KVM, virtual hardware, containers and dedicated servers as operating boundaries, then maintain the shell and services inside the boundary you choose. 4 min read [Read the guide](https://swissoctet.com/insights/understand-the-vps-machine-boundary/) FIELD NOTE / 31 Network engineering Foundation ### [Plan addresses and DNS as parts of your deployment](https://swissoctet.com/insights/plan-addresses-and-dns-for-deployment/) Separate public, private, static and dedicated addresses, then map forward DNS, reverse DNS and TLS to the parties that can configure them. 4 min read [Read the guide](https://swissoctet.com/insights/plan-addresses-and-dns-for-deployment/) FIELD NOTE / 32 Web & onion Applied ### [Separate your public web edge from the application](https://swissoctet.com/insights/separate-the-web-edge-from-the-app/) Give the web server, reverse proxy and application distinct responsibilities, with deliberate origin access, TLS, request limits and an incident path. 4 min read [Read the guide](https://swissoctet.com/insights/separate-the-web-edge-from-the-app/) FOLLOW A THREAD ## Knowledge that builds on itself. A purposeful route through the library. Start with the foundations, then connect the operational details. LEARNING PATH / 01 ### Launch your first workload Choose resources, prepare the environment and put a site online. 1. [How to choose a VPS without guessing](https://swissoctet.com/insights/choose-a-vps-by-workload/) 2. [Build a backup you can actually restore](https://swissoctet.com/insights/build-a-backup-you-can-restore/) 3. [Web hosting or a VPS: choose the work you want to own](https://swissoctet.com/insights/web-hosting-or-your-own-vps/) 14 min · 3 connected guides LEARNING PATH / 02 ### Design for confidentiality Understand data location, exposure and the payment trail. 1. [Swiss data residency: map the whole service](https://swissoctet.com/insights/swiss-data-residency-map/) 2. [Crypto checkout and the limits of payment privacy](https://swissoctet.com/insights/crypto-checkout-and-operational-privacy/) 3. [Web hosting or a VPS: choose the work you want to own](https://swissoctet.com/insights/web-hosting-or-your-own-vps/) 16 min · 3 connected guides LEARNING PATH / 03 ### Scale without guessing Connect physical capacity, networking and storage behaviour. 1. [VPS or dedicated: choose the boundary that fits](https://swissoctet.com/insights/vps-or-dedicated-server/) 2. [Bandwidth, port speed and transfer: read the full picture](https://swissoctet.com/insights/bandwidth-port-speed-and-transfer/) 3. [When NVMe makes a difference to your application](https://swissoctet.com/insights/nvme-storage-when-it-matters/) 12 min · 3 connected guides LEARNING PATH / 04 ### Prepare for the unexpected Plan recovery, secure access and test the way back. 1. [When NVMe makes a difference to your application](https://swissoctet.com/insights/nvme-storage-when-it-matters/) 2. [Build a backup you can actually restore](https://swissoctet.com/insights/build-a-backup-you-can-restore/) 3. [How to choose a VPS without guessing](https://swissoctet.com/insights/choose-a-vps-by-workload/) 12 min · 3 connected guides THE DECISION WORKBENCH ## Turn assumptions into numbers. Two small planning tools. Calculations are illustrative, with their assumptions visible. PLAINLY EXPLAINED ## The language of infrastructure. No unexplained acronyms. A compact reference for the concepts you will encounter in these guides. ### vCPU+ A virtual processor allocated to a virtual machine. It describes a scheduling resource, not a guaranteed physical core. ### KVM+ Linux kernel virtualization used to run isolated virtual machines with their own operating systems. ### NVMe+ A storage protocol designed for flash devices over PCIe. Application performance still depends on the workload and configuration. ### VRAM+ Memory on a GPU. Model weights, activations, batch size and runtime overhead all consume it. ### RPO+ Recovery point objective: the maximum data age your recovery plan is designed to tolerate. ### RTO+ Recovery time objective: the time your recovery plan aims to take before a usable service returns. ### Snapshot+ A point-in-time view of a system or volume. A copy in the same failure domain does not replace an independent backup. ### Failure domain+ A shared dependency whose failure can affect several resources at once, such as one host or storage system. ### Gbps+ Gigabits per second. Divide by eight to get the theoretical decimal gigabytes per second before overhead. ### Throughput+ The useful rate actually achieved by an application. It can be much lower than a network port’s line rate. ### Latency+ Time spent waiting for an operation or response. Lower latency can matter more than peak bandwidth for interactive work. ### IOPS+ Input/output operations per second. It is meaningful only alongside block size, queue depth and latency. ### TLS+ Transport Layer Security protects data in transit between endpoints that successfully authenticate and negotiate encryption. ### Onion service+ A service reached through Tor using an onion address, with different reachability and exposure properties from a public website. ### No KYC+ An onboarding model that does not request identity-verification documents. It does not describe every data flow or guarantee anonymity. ### Data residency+ Where specified data is stored or processed. It should be mapped across the main system, backups and other service providers. ### Threat model+ A description of the assets, adversaries, entry points and failure scenarios a security design needs to address. ### Confirmation+ Evidence that a transaction has been included in a blockchain. Its operational meaning differs between networks. ### Finality+ The point at which a transaction is treated as irreversible under a network’s consensus rules and the recipient’s policy. ### Reorganisation+ A change in a blockchain’s accepted history that can affect transactions previously seen in a block. OUR EDITORIAL APPROACH ## Useful knowledge has a foundation. 01 ### Start with the decision. Each guide explains a concrete infrastructure choice, then gives you a checklist to turn it into a next step. 02 ### Show the source. Primary documentation sits beside the guidance. Follow it for implementation details and version-specific behaviour. 03 ### Keep the boundaries clear. Examples are labelled. Architecture advice is separated from service specifications, availability and contractual conditions. BEFORE YOU GO DEEPER ## A few useful answers. ### Where should I start?+ Choose a learning path for a connected introduction, or search for the exact decision you need to make. The sizing guide is a useful first step before comparing configurations. ### Are these guides specific to SwissOctet?+ The engineering principles apply broadly. Related infrastructure links connect each guide to SwissOctet’s Swiss catalogue; a guide is not a promise of availability or measured performance. ### How are the guides sourced?+ Each guide links to primary documentation and distinguishes engineering principles from product-specific conditions. Check the linked documentation before implementing version-dependent settings. ### Can I save or share an article?+ Save a guide to this browser, copy its direct link, or download its deployment checklist. Saved guides do not require an account and are not synchronised between devices. ### Does Swiss location guarantee anonymity?+ Location is one part of a privacy design. Identity documents, account data, payment records, service logs, backups and your application all need separate consideration. ### What should I verify before deploying?+ Check the actual configuration, network limits, backup and restore process, operating-system support, access controls and payment instructions. Use a guide’s checklist to turn assumptions into verification steps. MAKE KNOWLEDGE PRACTICAL ## Understand it. Then build it. Put the principles to work with infrastructure located in Switzerland. [Explore Swiss infrastructure](https://swissoctet.com/catalogue/)