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Server Requirements & Configuration ​ ​

Introduction ​ ​

Fluent Community is built with performance in mind. This guide covers the recommended server configuration and requirements to ensure your community runs fast and efficiently.

Why Fluent Community is Fast ​ ​

Fluent Community was designed from the ground up for performance:

Architecture Optimizations ​ ​

Single-Page Application (SPA)

  • Built with VueJS for a fast, responsive interface
  • No page reloads when navigating between sections
  • Instant transitions and smooth user experience

Custom Database Schema

  • Optimized custom database tables (fcom_* prefix)
  • Efficient indexing for fast queries
  • View Database Schema

Query Optimization

  • All database queries are optimized for performance
  • Efficient use of indexes and relationships
  • Minimal database round trips

Smart Caching

  • Object caching for frequently used data (settings, configurations)
  • Reduces database queries significantly
  • Compatible with Redis, Memcached, and other object cache systems

Lazy Loading

  • Images and assets load on demand
  • Reduces initial page load time
  • Improves perceived performance

Background Job Processing

  • Long-running tasks (email notifications, etc.) run in background
  • Users don't wait for jobs to complete
  • Scheduled actions for efficient processing

Optimized Media Handling

  • Automatic image resizing
  • WebP conversion for smaller file sizes
  • Significant bandwidth savings

PHP Version ​ ​

Minimum: PHP 7.4
Recommended: PHP 8.1 or higher

TIP

PHP 8.1+ provides significant performance improvements over PHP 7.x. We highly recommend upgrading to PHP 8.1 or 8.2 for the best performance.

Database ​ ​

MySQL: Version 8.0 or greater
MariaDB: Version 10.5 or greater

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MySQL 8.0 and MariaDB 10.5+ include performance improvements and better support for modern SQL features used by Fluent Community.

Web Server ​ ​

Recommended: Nginx

Alternative: Apache with mod_rewrite enabled

Why Nginx?

Nginx is more efficient at handling concurrent connections and static file serving, making it ideal for community platforms with many simultaneous users.

Object Cache ​ ​

Highly Recommended: Redis

Alternatives:

  • Memcached
  • APCu (for single-server setups)

TIP

You don't need the Pro version of object caching plugins. The free version of Redis Object Cache plugin works perfectly with Fluent Community.

Installation:

bash
# Install Redis (Ubuntu/Debian)
sudo apt-get install redis-server

# Install Redis PHP extension
sudo apt-get install php-redis

# Restart PHP-FPM
sudo service php8.1-fpm restart

Server-Side CRON ​ ​

Fluent Community processes notification emails and scheduled actions using WordPress CRON. For optimal performance, you should set up a server-side CRON job.

Why Server-Side CRON? ​ ​

  • Reliability: Runs on schedule, not dependent on site traffic
  • Performance: Doesn't slow down page loads
  • Efficiency: Processes jobs at optimal times

Setup Instructions ​ ​

1. Disable WordPress CRON in wp-config.php:

php
define('DISABLE_WP_CRON', true);

2. Add server-side CRON job:

bash
# Edit crontab
crontab -e

# Add this line (runs every minute)
* * * * * wget -q -O - https://yourdomain.com/wp-cron.php?doing_wp_cron >/dev/null 2>&1

# Alternative using curl
* * * * * curl -s https://yourdomain.com/wp-cron.php?doing_wp_cron >/dev/null 2>&1

TIP

If you're using xCloud.host or similar modern hosting panels, server-side CRON is enabled by default.

Related Documentation:

Media Storage ​ ​

For active communities with lots of media files, we recommend using cloud storage.

Benefits:

  • More cost-effective than Amazon S3
  • Faster global delivery
  • No egress fees
  • S3-compatible API

Configure Cloudflare R2

Alternative: Amazon S3 ​ ​

Benefits:

  • Reliable and proven
  • Global infrastructure
  • Extensive integration options

Configure Amazon S3

Alternative: BunnyCDN ​ ​

Benefits:

  • Affordable pricing
  • Fast global CDN
  • Easy setup

Configure BunnyCDN

Avoid Shared Hosting

We strongly recommend using a VPS or Cloud server. Shared hosting is not suitable for Fluent Community or any modern WordPress site.

Minimum Requirements ​ ​

  • CPU: 2 Cores
  • RAM: 4GB
  • Storage: 50GB SSD
  • Bandwidth: 1TB/month
  • CPU: 4 Cores
  • RAM: 8GB
  • Storage: 128GB NVMe SSD
  • Bandwidth: 3TB/month
  • CPU: 8+ Cores
  • RAM: 16GB+
  • Storage: 256GB+ NVMe SSD
  • Bandwidth: 5TB+/month

Storage Type

Always use SSD storage, preferably NVMe SSD for the best performance. Traditional HDD storage is too slow for modern web applications.

We run our own community on xCloud.host and highly recommend them.

Why xCloud?

  • Fast and reliable
  • Great support
  • Competitive pricing
  • Redis enabled by default
  • Object cache enabled by default
  • Server-side CRON enabled by default
  • Servers optimized for WordPress

Pricing: Starting at $30/month for Growing plan

  • 4GB RAM
  • 2 vCPU
  • 128GB SSD
  • 3TB Bandwidth

GridPane

  • Managed WordPress hosting
  • Built for agencies and developers
  • Advanced performance features

RunCloud

  • Server management panel
  • Great for developers
  • Flexible configuration

Cloudways

  • Managed cloud hosting
  • Multiple cloud providers (AWS, Google Cloud, DigitalOcean)
  • Easy to use

Performance Checklist ​ ​

Before launching your community, ensure:

  • [ ] PHP 8.1+ is installed
  • [ ] MySQL 8.0+ or MariaDB 10.5+ is configured
  • [ ] Redis object cache is enabled
  • [ ] Server-side CRON is configured
  • [ ] NVMe SSD storage is used
  • [ ] Cloud storage is configured (for media-heavy communities)
  • [ ] SSL certificate is installed
  • [ ] Gzip/Brotli compression is enabled
  • [ ] HTTP/2 or HTTP/3 is enabled

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