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The platform

Every SuperSpace site is more than a single server. Behind the scenes, each site runs as a small group of isolated containers — one for WordPress, one for the database, and (on plans that include it) one for the object cache. File access runs in its own separate container as well. You don't manage any of this directly, but understanding the pieces makes it clearer where your files live, how your database is reached, and why some actions (like changing the PHP version) briefly restart your site.

The short version

  • Your WordPress site (Nginx + PHP) runs in one container.
  • Your database (MariaDB) runs in its own container.
  • On plans that include it, an object cache (Redis) runs in a third container.
  • SFTP/SSH access runs in a separate access container that shares your site's files.
  • You manage all of it from the dashboard — phpMyAdmin, a web file manager, a web terminal, and the PHP version are all a few clicks away.

What makes up a site

When you create a site, SuperSpace provisions several containers that work together as one unit. Each has a single job, and they're isolated from one another so a problem in one doesn't take down the rest.

Container What it does
WordPress (Nginx + PHP) Runs WordPress itself — Nginx serves your pages and PHP-FPM executes your themes and plugins.
MariaDB Your site's database. MariaDB is fully MySQL-compatible, so anything that expects MySQL works against it.
Redis (plan-dependent) An in-memory object cache that stores the results of frequent database queries so they don't have to be re-run. Included only on plans that offer it.

Redis depends on your plan

The object cache is available only on plans that include it. If your plan doesn't, your site simply runs without it — everything else works the same. You can see and toggle the cache layers your plan supports under Cache Management in the site's sidebar.

Because each site gets its own containers, your site's resources aren't shared with other customers' sites. Your database, your PHP processes, and your cache are all yours.

File access runs in its own container

File access — SFTP and SSH — does not run inside your WordPress container. Instead, SuperSpace runs a separate access container that mounts the very same storage volume as your WordPress container. When you connect over SFTP or SSH, you connect to that access container, and you see the exact same files WordPress sees.

Why a separate access container?

Keeping SFTP/SSH out of the WordPress container means shell access can't interfere with the running site, and the site can be restarted, resized, or moved without disturbing your connection setup. Both containers share one volume, so changes you make over SFTP/SSH show up on your live site immediately.

Your connection details live on the site's Overview page, in the File Access card. That card shows the Host, Port, and Username (sftpuser) along with the Password and a ready-to-copy SSH Command. Over SSH you also get a command line where wp-cli is available for managing WordPress from the terminal.

For step-by-step connection instructions — including the web-based File Manager and the in-browser Cloud Shell terminal — see Accessing your files.

Managing your database

You don't need a separate database tool to inspect or edit your data. phpMyAdmin, the standard web-based MySQL/MariaDB administration interface, is built in. You open it from the phpMyAdmin button on the site's Overview page, in the same File Access card.

Tip

phpMyAdmin opens already connected to your site's database — there's no host, username, or password to enter. Use it to browse tables, run SQL, and export or import data.

If you'd rather use phpMyAdmin or connect another way, see Accessing your database for the supported options.

Choosing the PHP version

Each site runs on a specific version of PHP, and you can change it whenever you need to — for example, to move up to a newer release, or to stay on an older one while you confirm a plugin or theme is compatible.

The current version is shown on the site's Overview page, on the PHP VERSION card. To change it, open Settings in the site's sidebar, pick a version from the PHP Version dropdown, and choose Update.

Changing PHP restarts your site's runtime

Applying a new PHP version runs in the background and restarts the WordPress runtime, so there's a brief interruption while it takes effect. Your files and database are untouched. Test major version jumps (for example, PHP 7.x to PHP 8.x) against your plugins and themes first, and ideally take a backup before you switch.

For the full walkthrough, see Changing the PHP version.

How the pieces fit together

The diagram below shows a single site. WordPress and the access container share one storage volume; the database and (when present) the cache run in their own containers alongside.

flowchart TB
    visitor([Visitor])
    you([You])
    subgraph site["Your site"]
        direction TB
        wp["WordPress<br/>Nginx + PHP"]
        access["Access container<br/>SFTP / SSH"]
        vol[("Shared site volume")]
        db[("MariaDB<br/>database")]
        redis[("Redis<br/>object cache, optional")]
    end
    visitor -->|HTTP / HTTPS| wp
    you -->|SFTP / SSH| access
    wp --- vol
    access --- vol
    wp -->|queries| db
    wp -->|object cache| redis