---
title: "Managing server resources (CPU / RAM / Disk)"
url: https://phatdev.net/en/docs/sl-migrations/how-to-manage-server-resources-cpu-memory-disk
lang: en
updated: 2026-10-20
alternate:
  vi: https://phatdev.net/docs/sl-migrations/how-to-manage-server-resources-cpu-memory-disk
markdown: https://phatdev.net/en/docs/sl-migrations/how-to-manage-server-resources-cpu-memory-disk.md
---

# Managing server resources (CPU / RAM / Disk)

Part of the doc set: [SL Migrations](https://phatdev.net/en/docs/sl-migrations.md)

> Tune the server so builds and restores do not cause downtime.

## Managing server resources

A backup build is a heavy task - it uses CPU, RAM and disk I/O. On a server with limited resources, a build can slow the site down or cause downtime.

## CPU

Compressing files is CPU intensive. If the CPU stays above 80% for a long time → the site starts to slow down.

**Ways to reduce the load**:
- Switch the engine to **DupArchive** - chunked, with breaks between chunks
- Build during off-peak hours (late at night, early morning)
- On a VPS where you have root, you can `nice` the backup process so it has a lower priority than site requests

## RAM

Reference plugin memory usage:
- Scanner phase: 200-500 MB
- Database dump: 100-300 MB (per chunk)
- Archive phase: 500 MB - 1 GB

Recommended PHP memory_limit:
- Small sites (<2 GB): 512 MB
- Large sites (>5 GB): 1024 MB - 2 GB

## Disk

### Free space

You need free space >= **3× the site size**:
- The snapshot (archive file)
- The tmp folder during the build (uncompressed)
- A buffer for the database dump

Before building, verify that there is enough free disk.

### IOPS

An SSD is dozens of times faster than an HDD. On shared hosting you have no control over this - only move hosting if the problem keeps recurring.

### Tmp folder location

By default the plugin uses `wp-content/backups-slm/tmp/`. If the disk holding this folder is slow or full, you can override it (most hosting providers do not support this).

## Network bandwidth (uploading to the cloud)

Uploading a large archive to remote storage (SFTP/FTP) depends on the server's upload bandwidth.

The plugin uses multipart upload automatically (splitting the file into small parts). You can adjust the chunk size in **Storage settings** to suit your network speed.

## WooCommerce sites / high traffic

Recommended:
- Build locally and upload to storage **outside peak hours**
- Exclude dynamic cache folders (LiteSpeed Cache, WP Rocket cache, …) - the cache is regenerated after the restore
- Set a sensible retention policy - keep the 7-14 most recent backups, not too many

## See also

- [Zip engines](https://phatdev.net/en/docs/sl-migrations/how-to-work-with-the-different-zip-engines)
- [Timeouts](https://phatdev.net/en/docs/sl-migrations/how-to-handle-server-timeout-issues)