Running Laravel on Cloudways is a straightforward process. Here's a step-by-step guide to help you get started:
- Start by signing up for a Cloudways account. You can choose any of the available server configurations, such as DigitalOcean, Vultr, AWS, Google Cloud, or Linode.
- Once you've signed up and logged in, click on the "+ Launch" button to create a new server.
- Select your desired application name, project, and server size. You can also choose the data center location according to your target audience.
- Next, select Laravel as your application from the provided list of PHP frameworks.
- Choose the PHP version that your Laravel application requires. Cloudways supports multiple PHP versions, so make sure to select the one that matches your project's requirements.
- Select your desired database server (MySQL, MariaDB, or PostgreSQL) and the application server (Nginx or Apache) for optimal performance.
- Set up your application's public URL, database credentials, and server access details. Make sure to input secure credentials and store them in a safe place.
- Once you're done with the server configuration, click on "Launch Now" to create the server and deploy Laravel on Cloudways.
- Cloudways will automatically start the server provisioning process. You can monitor the progress on the server management page.
- After the server is provisioned, you will be provided with a server IP, username, and password. You can use these details to access your server via SSH or SFTP.
- To upload your Laravel project, you can either use the built-in SFTP manager in the Cloudways console or connect to your server using an FTP/SFTP client like FileZilla.
- Once your project files are uploaded to the server, navigate to the "Application Management" tab in the Cloudways console and click on the name of your application.
- From the application management page, click on the "Access Details" tab to view your Laravel application's admin and public URLs.
- You can now access your Laravel application by entering the public URL in a web browser. Ensure that your project's key environment variables, like database settings, are properly configured.
That's it! Your Laravel application is now up and running on Cloudways, allowing you to benefit from their managed hosting services and server infrastructure.
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What is the difference between Cloudways and other hosting platforms for running Laravel?
The main difference between Cloudways and other hosting platforms for running Laravel lies in the level of control and management they offer.
- Cloudways: Cloudways is a managed cloud hosting platform that allows you to easily deploy and manage Laravel applications on various cloud infrastructure providers such as Amazon Web Services (AWS), Google Cloud Platform (GCP), DigitalOcean, Vultr, and more. It provides a user-friendly interface and simplifies the process of server management. Cloudways also offers features like automated backups, scaling options, and server monitoring, making it suitable for both beginners and experienced developers.
- Traditional Hosting Providers: Traditional hosting providers often provide shared hosting solutions, where multiple websites are hosted on a single server. They may support Laravel applications, but the level of optimization and performance may not be as efficient as specialized hosting platforms. These providers offer control panels like cPanel or Plesk, with limited scalability options and customization possibilities.
- Self-Managed Cloud Hosting: Unlike Cloudways, self-managed cloud hosting requires you to perform more technical tasks like server setup, configuration, and maintenance. Providers like AWS or GCP give you greater control over the infrastructure, but this comes at the cost of complexity, as you need to have server administration knowledge to manage the servers effectively. Managing security, updates, and performance optimizations would be solely your responsibility.
Overall, Cloudways provides a balance between ease of use and control, specifically designed for running Laravel applications, while traditional hosting providers offer a more generic approach with limited Laravel-specific optimizations. Self-managed cloud hosting provides maximum control but requires more technical expertise.
How to install Composer for Laravel on Cloudways?
To install Composer for Laravel on Cloudways, you can follow these steps:
- Log in to your Cloudways account.
- Select the server where you want to install Laravel.
- Click on the "Manage Server" button to go to your server's management page.
- In the left sidebar, click on the "Applications" tab.
- Click on the name of your Laravel application to go to the application management page.
- In the top navigation bar, click on the "Access Details" button to view your server's access details.
- Copy the SSH details (IP address, username, and password or SSH key) to connect to your server via SSH.
- Open a terminal on your local machine or use a SSH client like PuTTY to connect to your server using the SSH details.
- Once connected to your server, run the following command to download and install Composer globally:
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curl -sS https://getcomposer.org/installer | php -- --install-dir=/usr/local/bin --filename=composer
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- Once Composer is installed, you can run the composer command to verify the installation.
- Navigate to your Laravel application's directory using the cd command. For example:
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cd /path/to/your/laravel/application
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- Run the following command to install the Laravel dependencies:
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composer install --no-dev
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- Composer will start downloading and installing the dependencies specified in the composer.json file of your Laravel application.
- After the installation is complete, your Laravel application will be ready to use.
That's it! Composer is now installed for your Laravel application on Cloudways.
How to enable and configure queue workers for Laravel on Cloudways?
To enable and configure queue workers for Laravel on Cloudways, follow these steps:
- Login to your Cloudways account and select the server where your Laravel application is hosted.
- Go to the "Application" tab and select your Laravel application.
- In the left menu, click on the "Queue" option under the "Services" section.
- Enable the queue worker by toggling the switch to "On". This will start the Laravel queue worker process on your server.
- Configure the number of queue workers you want to run by entering the desired value in the "Process Count" field. The recommended value is usually the number of CPU cores available on your server.
- Set the maximum timeout for each job by entering the desired value in the "Timeout" field. If a queued job exceeds this timeout, it will be terminated.
- If you want to use a specific queue connection driver or queue name, you can make the necessary changes in the "Queue Connection" and "Queue Name" fields, respectively. By default, Laravel uses the database driver and "default" queue.
- Click on the "Save and Clear Cache" button to save your changes and clear the configuration cache.
- Once saved, the queue workers will start processing jobs from the specified queue. You can monitor the queue worker process and the status of the queued jobs in the "Queue" section.
Note: It is recommended to SSH into your server and run the php artisan queue:work command manually at least once to ensure that the required dependencies are installed and the worker is functioning correctly.
What is the cost of running Laravel on Cloudways?
The cost of running Laravel on Cloudways can vary depending on multiple factors, such as the server size, storage, bandwidth, and additional features required. Cloudways offers various pricing plans starting from $10/month for their entry-level DigitalOcean server, going up to higher-tier plans with more resources and support for multiple cloud providers such as AWS, Google Cloud, and Vultr.
It's recommended to visit the Cloudways pricing page or contact their sales team directly to get an accurate and up-to-date cost estimate based on your specific requirements.
