When a LiteSpeed server is slow or returning errors, two places tell you most of what you need: the LiteSpeed logs and the Real-Time Stats page in the WebAdmin console.
MdmHost monitors this on its hosting plans. This guide is for administrators of their own LiteSpeed cPanel server.
Before you start
- LiteSpeed Enterprise on cPanel (see installing LiteSpeed).
- Root SSH access and the WebAdmin password.
Log files
| File | What it contains |
|---|---|
/usr/local/lsws/logs/error.log | Server errors, throttling, bans, config problems, restarts |
/usr/local/lsws/logs/stderr.log | Output from external apps such as lsphp crashes |
/usr/local/apache/domlogs/ (or /etc/apache2/logs/domlogs/) | Per-domain access logs; cPanel keeps using these paths with LiteSpeed |
/usr/local/lsws/logs/access.log | Server-level access log, if enabled |
Follow errors live:
tail -f /usr/local/lsws/logs/error.logUseful patterns
[ERROR]lines after a restart point to configuration errors.bannedorthrottlelines show per-client limits in action (see anti-DDoS settings).lsphpandChild processmessages show PHP problems, often linked to 503 errors.
Real-Time Stats
- Open WebAdmin at
https://your-hostname:7080. - Go to Actions → Real-Time Stats.
- Review the server summary: throughput, connections, requests per second and cache hits.
- Scroll to Virtual Hosts and sort by Req/Sec or Processing to find the busiest sites.
- Check External Applications for lsphp pools with long wait queues, a sign of slow PHP or limits.
Tip: A high number of requests in "Processing" for one virtual host usually means slow PHP or database queries for that site. Trace it with X-Ray or check its CloudLinux faults.
Combine with CloudLinux data
LiteSpeed shows which site is busy; CloudLinux shows whether that account hits its limits. Use lvetop and lveinfo together with Real-Time Stats (see lveinfo and lvetop).
Log rotation
LiteSpeed rotates its own logs by size; cPanel rotates domain logs. If /usr/local/lsws/logs grows large, check the Log settings under Configuration → Server → Log for rolling size and retention.
Troubleshooting
Real-Time Stats shows nothing
The server was just restarted or WebAdmin is connected to the wrong instance; wait a minute and refresh.
Frequently asked questions
Can users read these logs?
Users see their own domain errors in cPanel → Metrics → Errors and raw access logs in cPanel; server logs are root-only.
What cache hit rate is good?
For WordPress-heavy servers with LSCache, a majority of HTML requests served from cache is a healthy sign.
How do I report a LiteSpeed bug?
Collect the error log lines and version (lshttpd -v) and contact LiteSpeed support with your licence details.
How do I find the top IPs hitting a site?
Run awk '{print $1}' on the domain's access log, then sort | uniq -c | sort -n | tail. Bots and attackers stand out quickly.
Does logging slow LiteSpeed down?
Normal access and error logging has negligible overhead. Keep debug logging off except while troubleshooting.
Can I export Real-Time Stats?
LiteSpeed writes the same counters to report files under /tmp/lshttpd/ which monitoring tools can read.