WEB HOSTING AUTOMATION GUIDES

sary of Web Hosting Terminology
Have questions regarding web hosting terms used? Check out our glossary ..

About Web Hosting Automation Services
Automation and virtualization solutions have had a significant impact on the business of Web hosting ..

Introduction to Blade Servers
Distributed server architectures based upon "blades" are rapidly emerging in the data centers of corporations and Internet service providers.

Considering Control Panels
Control panels act an online interface that allows users to change and update their Web sites ..

Using Site Builders to Quickly Build and Host Web Sites
Web site builders are online tools that allow anyone to build a professional looking Web site and host it instantly ..

Statistical Packages Provide Estimates of Site Usage
Leveraging statistical packages enables Web site operators to obtain estimates of how many users have visited their Web sites ..

Flash Server Provides Added Interactivity
Macromedia Flash technology allows animations, forms, and other interactive features to be embedded in Web pages. The software is designed to provide rich Web experiences across multiple platforms.

Choosing the Right Web Control Panel
What is a web control panel? Why does it matter to me when signing up for a web hosting account?

Using Offsite Backup Service Providers
If a computer malfunctions, is lost or stolen, becomes infected with a virus, or if a file is mistakenly deleted, backup and restoration services allow for the easy retrieval of the lost or corrupted data with just a few mouse clicks ..

About Server Colocation?
Server co-location is an excellent option for only the most experienced webmaster. The co-location option allows webmasters ...

DEDICATED SERVER GUIDES

Glossary of Web Hosting Terminology
Have questions regarding web hosting terms used? Check out our glossary ..

What is Bandwidth?
What is bandwidth at all? Why does it matter when signing up for a web hosting account?

What is a Data Center?
As the name implies, a data center is usually maintained by an organization for the purpose of handling the data necessary for its operations.

About Virtual Private Servers (VPS)
A virtual private server (VPS) solution utilizes a software platform that permits a hosting vendor to multiplex a single dedicated server into multiple "virtual" machines.

Choosing a Host For Your Game Server
Hosting companies have begun to specialize in offering dedicated gaming servers to enthusiasts and businesses alike ..

Dedicated Solutions Drive Customer Retention
In order to avoid losing customers or revenue because of non-responsiveness, industry participants suggest that sites with ...

What Is Dedicated Web Hosting?
Dedicated hosting permits individuals and business to lease pre-configured, state-of-the-art equipment and connectivity from a hosting service provider ..

Choosing a Dedicated Web Server
A good dedicated Web host should provide should provide custom made servers devised for your specific use. You should be able to choose ..

About Managed Hosting
Managed services are dedicated servers equipped with extended support in the form of proprietary control panel technology that enables the inexperienced administrator to easily setup and maintain sites on a server.

How a Web Server Works
It's a good idea to know a little bit about the product or service you are searching for before you begin your quest.

Hardware Balancing Lightens Server Load
Load balancing is especially important for networks where it is difficult to predict the number of requests that will be issued to a server ..

Dual CPUs and Multithreading Help Server Deployments
Many end-users note that dual CPU systems trump single computer processors that can only handle one instruction from one application at any given point in time ..

Using Compression to Enhance Hosting Environments
Compression software uses complex mathematical equations to scan a file for repeating patterns in the data. It replaces the data with smaller codes that take up less room.

Introduction to Blade Servers
Distributed server architectures based upon "blades" are rapidly emerging in the data centers of corporations and Internet service providers.

Gaining Full Administrative Access to a Windows Dedicated Server
Terminal Server, a plug-in native to Windows 2003 Server deployments, lets consumers deliver Windows-based applications, or the Windows desktop itself, to virtually any computing device.

What is Ruby on Rails?
You may have seen Web hosts offering support for Ruby on Rails. But perhaps you're not yet familiar with what Ruby is, what Rails is, and how exactly one happens to be on the other.

Considering Control Panels
Control panels act an online interface that allows users to change and update their Web sites ..

Using Offsite Backup Service Providers
If a computer malfunctions, is lost or stolen, becomes infected with a virus, or if a file is mistakenly deleted, backup and restoration services allow for the easy retrieval of the lost or corrupted data with just a few mouse clicks ..

About Carrier Technology - A Chart
A chart outlining the various types of carrier technologies and what each is typically used for.

Introduction to Bandwidth
When choosing a host, the amount of bandwidth you choose to purchase can be crucial to the success of your site. Find out how to calculate your requirements and tips on protecting and saving bandwidth.

Inside the Network Operations Center
NOCs are considered major junctions on the information highway, physically routing major amounts of Internet traffic for telecom and broadband providers.

Small Business Web Hosting: Ecommerce Database and Windows Hosting
Many small businesses have Web hosting requirements that go beyond simply displaying corporate contact information.

Game Hosting: Finding a Game Server to Suit Your Needs
Some serious gamers have started to lease their own game servers from Web hosting companies. Recognizing a business opportunity when they see one, many Web hosting companies now offer game servers as part of their lines of Web hosting packages ..

Choosing a Green Web Host
If you're looking to set up a Web site and have been looking for a suitable Web hosting provider, there has recently emerged a new hosting component to consider along with cost, storage bandwidth and the other old measures.

How to Check the Disk Space on a Linux Server
Keeping an eye on disk space usage is critical to keeping a server healthy. One of the last things a system admin wants is a system to run out of disk space. So, how does a Linux System Administrator check his server for used and available disk space?

MANAGED WEB HOSTING GUIDES

Glossary of Web Hosting Terminology
Have questions regarding web hosting terms used? Check out our glossary ..

About Managed Hosting
Managed services are dedicated servers equipped with extended support in the form of proprietary control panel technology that enables the inexperienced administrator to easily setup and maintain sites on a server.

Hardware Balancing Lightens Server Load
Load balancing is especially important for networks where it is difficult to predict the number of requests that will be issued to a server ..

Dual CPUs and Multithreading Help Server Deployments
Many end-users note that dual CPU systems trump single computer processors that can only handle one instruction from one application at any given point in time ..

Using Compression to Enhance Hosting Environments
Compression software uses complex mathematical equations to scan a file for repeating patterns in the data. It replaces the data with smaller codes that take up less room.

Introduction to Blade Servers
Distributed server architectures based upon "blades" are rapidly emerging in the data centers of corporations and Internet service providers.

The Characteristics of a Good Managed Host
A good managed Web hosting provider should have the people, systems and resources that are required to control a complex server environment.

Considering Control Panels
Control panels act an online interface that allows users to change and update their Web sites ..

Using Site Builders to Quickly Build and Host Web Sites
Web site builders are online tools that allow anyone to build a professional looking Web site and host it instantly ..

Statistical Packages Provide Estimates of Site Usage
Leveraging statistical packages enables Web site operators to obtain estimates of how many users have visited their Web sites ..

Affordable, Effective Web Site Performance Tools for SMEs
Monitoring responsiveness is important if you want to ensure the accessibility and availability of your site, and many online tools are available to evaluate Web site performance.

Using Offsite Backup Service Providers
If a computer malfunctions, is lost or stolen, becomes infected with a virus, or if a file is mistakenly deleted, backup and restoration services allow for the easy retrieval of the lost or corrupted data with just a few mouse clicks ..

When to Choose an Application Service Provider
ASPs differ from conventional hosting firms since they specialize in electronic distribution of mission-critical business applications.

Inside the Network Operations Center
NOCs are considered major junctions on the information highway, physically routing major amounts of Internet traffic for telecom and broadband providers.

Complex Hosting: A Look at Managed, Enterprise and Application Web Hosts
Three of the most popular options for complex hosting implementations are managed Web hosting, enterprise hosting and application hosting. While each provides a different type of service, they all offer high levels of support and availability.

Small Business Web Hosting: Ecommerce Database and Windows Hosting
Many small businesses have Web hosting requirements that go beyond simply displaying corporate contact information.

Web Host Marketing Guides

his knowledge base contains articles and guides to help you establish and operate Web hosting reseller business. Learn about billing, marketing, customer relationships and other key components of a hosting operation.

More Reseller Hosting Guides

The Power of Search Engine Friendly URLs
I recently invested quite some time into generating search engine friendly URLs for several of my websites to increase my ranking and to have more pages indexed. (read more) (make a comment)

High Search Engine Rankings - A Long Term Strategy
Webmasters need to gear to up to stay ahead of the game. As changes cannot easily be reversed to re-establish search engine ranking a website could be dead in the water for 3-6 months before it eventually recovers. (read more) (make a comment)

Customer Loyalty for Web Hosts
Loyal customers are the foundation of almost every business. Going the extra mile to provide outstanding customer service is the first step to customer loyalty. But there is more. (read more) (make a comment)

Google Adwords Guide II - Why Use Negative Keywords
When you are running a Google AdWords campaign, it is important to include negative keywords. You should consider the use of negative keywords if some of the keywords or keyword phrases in your campaign are broad and generic. (read more) (make a comment)

Google Adwords Guide I
What do you need to know about Adwords? Adwords is a way to spend a lot of money on advertising very very fast. BUT - Adwords is also a way to spend marketing money very selective to a targeted audience. (read more) (make a comment)

11 Quick Tips To Drive More Return Traffic To Your Business Website
Sometimes you need a kick start to get of the ground when promoting your new business Web site. Use these 11 tips to get started. (read more) (make a comment)

Assembling Self-Branded Services On The Cheap
To bring a new dimension of value-added services to their clients, resellers can integrate a number of inexpensive software packages and online services into their core service offerings. (read more) (make a comment)

Catering to Niche Markets
By creating "communities of interest," hosting resellers can cater to niche markets by attracting consumers who are interested in their customers' products and services. (read more) (make a comment)

Trust Level Control: Showing Customers Some TLC
The hard truth about Service Level Agreements is that many service providers offer them with little or no consideration of whether their provisions can be met. Companies serious about establishing customer trust need to deliver on their promises. (read more) (make a comment)

Utilizing Affiliate Programs to Increase Revenues
Entering into affiliate co marketing agreements can be a great way to boost revenues and to provide complementary services to your customer base. (read more) (make a comment)

Leveraging private label hosting
Private label Web hosting allows resellers to offer a full suite of professional hosting services while maintaining their own corporate look and feel. Recent drops in price now make it an attractive option for even low-end resellers. (read more) (make a comment)

Making a reseller's service offering sticky
By attempting to build services that are extremely useful and captivating to the consumer, resellers can increase their customer retention rate. (read more) (make a comment)

Enhancing Web Design & Presentation
By paying attention to the basics of web site design, web hosting vendors can improve the over-all operations of their Web site, stimulating users to invest in their services. (read more) (make a comment)

Evaluating Your Marketing Results
One of the best methods that you can employ to qualitatively measure the effectiveness of your marketing campaign is the use of focus groups. (read more) (make a comment)

Gauging Customer Satisfaction
By utilizing tools such as online surveys and polls, resellers can determine whether their service offerings are robust enough to gratify their clientele. (read more) (make a comment)

Tips and Techniques to Bolster Your Sales
Once you've established your Web hosting business, the next step is to generate sales. Here are some low-cost yet highly effective ways to attract new business to your company, thereby generating recurring revenue. (read more) (make a comment)

Promoting The Benefits of Choosing A Reseller
Many Web hosting customers have come to wrongly believe that the term "reseller" is a bad word. As a reseller, it will be your job to inform customers that choosing a Web hosting reseller can actually be advantageous. (read more) (make a comment)

Implementing Customer Relationship Management
The best and most successful reason for developing a customer care program is because you feel it is the right thing to do for your customers. (read more) (make a comment)

Imparting Added Value As a Web Host Reseller
The key to succeeding as a reseller is offering value added services that bigger companies might not necessarily be able to make available. Offering value added services will help to expand and solidify your relationship with customers. (read more) (make a comment)

Developing Effective Search Engine Strategies
Search engines remain the number one way to attract visitors to your Web site, and in order to turn a solid profit you'll need to corral their power. Here's are some tips on how Web hosts can develop a winning strategy.. (read more) (make a comment)

Getting Listed in Major Search Engines and Directories
Establishing a strong presence in the Internet's major search engines and directories is absolutely crucial to building your Web hosting brand. Here's how to make sure your Web site is up to the task. (read more) (make a comment)

Marketing Through Domain Parking
Domain parking is the first step towards establishing an Internet presence. For this reason, it should be integral component of any large scale hosting reseller operation. (read more) (make a comment)

Writing Effective Press Releases
Authoring a good press release can assist your Web host operation increase brand awareness amongst consumers and the investment community alike. (read more) (make a comment)

Marketing Your Business Through Industry Channels
Marketing an online business is difficult so it is important to develop a diverse, targeted marketing strategy to ensure you get the most value for your marketing dollars. (read more) (make a comment)

Online Techniques for Marketing Your Business
Making your Web hosting business stand out in this competitive marketplace isn't easy. Contrary to popular belief, however, it won't take a lot of money to do it - all you need to do is give it some thought. (read more) (make a comment)

Building Your Web Hosting Brand
The most successful Web host resellers achieve a sense of professionalism and competence through their brand identity. (read more) (make a comment)

ADULT WEB HOSTING GUIDES

Lessons from the Trenches - Adult Host Interviews
Learn more about the online adult business by reading these in-depth interviews from leading adult web hosts and adult website owners ..

Glossary of Web Hosting Terminology
Have questions regarding web hosting terms used? Check out our glossary ..

Ensuring Your Host Offers Decent Technical Support
It's the role of any reliable hosting firm to take full responsibility for its hardware, software and operating environment so that webmasters can focus solely upon running their business ..

What is Bandwidth?
What is bandwidth at all? Why does it matter when signing up for a web hosting account?

Considering Security in Shared Hosting Environments
Security, especially in shared and virtual private server Web hosting environments, is of paramount importance ..

About Virtual Private Servers (VPS)
A virtual private server (VPS) solution utilizes a software platform that permits a hosting vendor to multiplex a single dedicated server into multiple "virtual" machines.

Adult Hosting for Non-Adult Sites
Selecting an adult host for your non-adult business is always an advantage, never a liability. This is because premium adult hosting firms specialize in providing the most secure, accessible and manageable hosting solutions ...

An Introduction to Photo Hosting Services
There has been a surge of both free and fee-based photo hosting services in recent years to meet the needs of the millions of Internet users who do not have personal Web space ..

Choosing a Dedicated Web Server
A good dedicated Web host should provide should provide custom made servers devised for your specific use. You should be able to choose ..

About Managed Hosting
Managed services are dedicated servers equipped with extended support in the form of proprietary control panel technology that enables the inexperienced administrator to easily setup and maintain sites on a server.

Using Compression to Enhance Hosting Environments
Compression software uses complex mathematical equations to scan a file for repeating patterns in the data. It replaces the data with smaller codes that take up less room.

Introduction to Blade Servers
Distributed server architectures based upon "blades" are rapidly emerging in the data centers of corporations and Internet service providers.

Five Tips to Increase Organic Search Rankings
To help you take advantage of the power of search engines, the hosting experts at Cheap Hosting Directory have gathered together a quick list of five ideas that can help to increase your search engine rankings. ..

Using Site Builders to Quickly Build and Host Web Sites
Web site builders are online tools that allow anyone to build a professional looking Web site and host it instantly ..

Statistical Packages Provide Estimates of Site Usage
Leveraging statistical packages enables Web site operators to obtain estimates of how many users have visited their Web sites ..

Affordable, Effective Web Site Performance Tools for SMEs
Monitoring responsiveness is important if you want to ensure the accessibility and availability of your site, and many online tools are available to evaluate Web site performance.

Flash Server Provides Added Interactivity
Macromedia Flash technology allows animations, forms, and other interactive features to be embedded in Web pages. The software is designed to provide rich Web experiences across multiple platforms.

Search Engine Optimization an Important Traffic Tool
Search engine optimization is the careful placement, wording, and analysis of keywords within a Web site, and even the restructuring of a site itself, in order to improve search engine ranking results.

Buying Marketing Tools from Web Hosts
Many customers take advantage of popular search engine submitter tools that enable them to submit their Web site locations to all the top search engines ..

Introduction to Streaming Media Services
By hosting streaming content with a service provider, businesses both large and small can greatly reduce multimedia investment costs such as hardware, software, and technical expertise ..

ABOUT WEB HOSTING

Glossary of Web Hosting Terminology
Have questions regarding web hosting terms used? Check out our glossary ..

What is Web Hosting?
Web hosting is a service that allows users to post Web pages to the Internet. A Web host, or hosting service provider (HSP), is a business that provides ..

How Do I Choose A Good Web Host?
Many times, a consumer will sign-up with the least expensive provider only to experience the inevitable and frustrating experience of changing Web hosts ..

Ensuring Your Host Offers Decent Technical Support
It's the role of any reliable hosting firm to take full responsibility for its hardware, software and operating environment so that webmasters can focus solely upon running their business ..

What is Bandwidth?
What is bandwidth at all? Why does it matter when signing up for a web hosting account?

What is a Data Center?
As the name implies, a data center is usually maintained by an organization for the purpose of handling the data necessary for its operations.

Changing Web Hosts
So, you've decided that your current host doesn't suit your needs and you need to choose a new one. Well, don't worry - it happens all the time. Here are a few tips to help make the move as easy and painless as possible ..

Evaluating Personal Web Site Hosting.
Web hosting for personal sites differs tremendously from hosting for mission-critical e-commerce in that it is not as complex or demanding ..

What is Virtual or Shared Web Hosting?
Virtual Web hosting is the business of housing and serving files for a Web site ..

How Do I Evaluate a Shared Web Host?
Finding a decent virtual or shared Web host can only be achieved by conducting in-depth consumer research and evaluation ..

Considering Security in Shared Hosting Environments
Security, especially in shared and virtual private server Web hosting environments, is of paramount importance ..

Where Can I Find Reputable Web Hosting?
Consumers can find an excellent shared hosting provider by utilizing host directories or by directly soliciting Web hosting firms for comments on their service packages.

What Operating System Should I Use?
Shared or virtual hosting is usually available in two varieties: UNIX and Windows. What is the difference between hosting on these operating systems?

About Virtual Private Servers (VPS)
A virtual private server (VPS) solution utilizes a software platform that permits a hosting vendor to multiplex a single dedicated server into multiple "virtual" machines.

An Introduction to Disk Space
When you buy a Web hosting account, you have to learn how to be a good Web hosting client. Once of the most important jargon keywords they will throw your way is disk space. So what is disk space?



Print this Page Email this Page Add to: | del.icio.us | digg


WHIR.com Sponsored Links

> Server Beach: $75 Dedicated Servers & 99.999% Uptime Guaranteed
> DataPipe: Managed Hosting Services
> Rackspace: Managed Servers-100% Network Uptime-Fanatical Support™
> Website Source: Powerful Website hosting starting at $6.85
> Limelight Networks is the high performance CDN for digital media
> SuperbHosting.Net: Dedicated Servers-$59m & Cheap Web Hosting-$2.50/m
> iWeb: Quality Servers. Up to 2000GB of traffic starting at $69
> GeoTrust: The Most Flexible SSL Partner Program
> The Planet: Dedicated servers and managed hosting solutions
> Reliable Servers & Shared Hosting! 2000GB traffic for only $3.95/mth
> Panama Offshore Hosting: 100% Privacy & Security guaranteed.

Hosting

osting can mean:

* Self-hosting - software distribution which provides all necessary source code to enable itself to be re-compiled from scratch
* Internet hosting service, including:
o Web hosting service
o Shared web hosting service
o Dedicated hosting service
o One-click hosting

Disambiguation notice This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the same title. If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article.

Shared web hosting service

A shared web hosting service or virtual hosting service refers to a web hosting service where many websites reside on one web server connected to the Internet. Each site "sits" on its own partition, or section/place on the server to keep it separate from other sites.[1] This is generally the most economical option for hosting as many people share the overall cost of server maintenance.
Contents
[hide]

* 1 Description
* 2 Implementation
o 2.1 Name-based
o 2.2 IP-based
* 3 Disadvantages
* 4 References
* 5 See Also

[edit] Description

The hosting service must include system administration since it is shared by many users; this is a benefit for users who do not want to deal with it, but a hindrance to power users who want more control. In general shared hosting will be inappropriate for users who require extensive software development outside what the hosting provider supports. But on the other hand, shared hosting is cheaper than other types of hosting such as dedicated server hosting.

Shared hosting typically uses a web-based control panel system, such as cPanel, DirectAdmin, Plesk, InterWorx, Helm, H-sphere, Ensim, Sphera or one of many other control panel products. Control panels and web interfaces have been causing some controversy lately as Web.com claims that it holds patent rights to the hosting technology with its 19 patents. Hostopia, a large wholesale host, recently purchased a license to use that technology from web.com for 10% of retail revenues.[2] Web.com recently sued abtinfo.net as well for similar patent infringement.[3]

In shared hosting, the provider is generally responsible for management of servers, installation of server software, security updates, Technical support and other aspects of the service. The majority of servers are based on the Linux operating system - LAMP (software bundle), which is driven by the low cost of open source software. But some providers do offer Microsoft Windows-based or FreeBSD-based solutions. For example, the Plesk and Ensim control panels are both available for two operating systems, Linux and Windows. Versions for either OS have very similar interfaces and functionality, with the exception of OS-specific differences (for example, ASP.NET or Microsoft SQL Server support under Windows, and typically greater security and stability under Linux).

There are thousands of shared hosting providers in the United States alone. They range from mom-and-pop shops and small design firms to multi-million-dollar providers with hundreds of thousands of customers. A large portion of the shared web hosting market is driven through Pay Per Click advertising (PPC) or Affiliate programs.

Shared web hosting can also be done privately by sharing the cost of running a server in a colocation centre; this is called cooperative hosting.

[edit] Implementation

Shared web hosting can be accomplished in two ways: name-based and IP-based, although some control panels allow a mix of name-based and IP-based on the one server.

[edit] Name-based

In name-based virtual hosting, also called shared IP hosting, the virtual hosts serve multiple hostnames on a single machine with a single IP address.

When a web browser requests a resource from a web server using HTTP/1.1 it includes the requested hostname as part of the request. The server uses this information to determine which web site to show the user.

[edit] IP-based

In IP-based virtual hosting, also called dedicated IP hosting, each virtual host has a different IP address. The web server is configured with multiple physical network interfaces, or virtual network interfaces on the same physical interface. The web server software uses the IP address the client connects to in order to determine which web site to show the user. The primary reason for a site to use a dedicated IP is to be able to use its own SSL certificate rather than a shared certificate.

[edit] Disadvantages

Name-based virtual hosts have some disadvantages:

* They will not work with browsers that do not send the hostname as part of requests. This is true for older HTTP/1.0 browsers that have not retrofitted the host field feature from the HTTP/1.1 protocol. (The "Host" header that distinguishes between various DNS names sharing a single IP address was optional in HTTP/1.0; it is mandatory in HTTP/1.1, issued in 1999 as RFC 2616.)
* They do not properly support secure websites (HTTPS). All name-based virtual hosts using the same IP address must share the same digital certificate. This is because the SSL/TLS handshake takes place before the hostname is sent to the server. Thus the server doesn't know which encryption key to use when the connection is made. An extension to the TLS protocol, part of RFC 3546 - Transport Layer Security (TLS) Extensions, specifies a way for the client to provide the requested host name as part of the handshake, but it is not yet widely implemented. Some of the shared hosting providers require their customers to get Unique IP in order to properly set up HTTPS.
* If the Domain Name System is malfunctioning, it is harder to use a name-based virtually-hosted website. Ordinarily, in this case, the user could fall back to using the IP address to contact the system, as in http://127.0.0.1/ (invalid IP for example only). However, the web browser doesn't know what hostname to send to the server, but a name-based virtual host requires it. In this case, the default web host is sent back to the browser for that IP address.

[edit] References

1. ^ Glossary of Terms. wilshirepr.com. Retrieved on 2007-10-05.
2. ^ Yahoo! Finance: Hostopia Licenses Web.com's Patents
3. ^ The Street: Go Daddy Gets Sued

[edit] See Also

* Hosting
* Web hosting service
* Dedicated hosting service
* Web server

web hosting solutions

Web hosting service
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
Types of Internet hosting service

* Full-featured hosting services
o Virtual private server
o Dedicated hosting
o Colocation centre
* Web hosting
o Free hosting
o Shared hosting
o Clustered hosting
o Reseller hosting
o Application-specific
+ Blog hosting
+ Guild hosting
+ Image hosting
+ Video hosting
+ Wiki farms
* File hosting
* Remote backup service
* Game server hosting
* DNS hosting
* E-mail hosting

An example of "rack mounted" servers.
An example of "rack mounted" servers.

A web hosting service is a type of Internet hosting service that allows individuals and organizations to provide their own websites accessible via the World Wide Web. Web hosts are companies that provide space on a server they own for use by their clients as well as providing Internet connectivity, typically in a data center. Webhosts can also provide data center space and connectivity to the Internet for servers they do not own to be located in their data center, called colocation.
Contents
[hide]

* 1 Service scope
* 2 Hosting reliability and uptime
* 3 Types of hosting
* 4 Obtaining hosting
* 5 References
* 6 See also

[edit] Service scope

The scopes of hosting services vary widely. The most basic is webpage and small-scale file hosting, where files can be uploaded via File Transfer Protocol (FTP) or a Web interface. The files are usually delivered to the Web "as is" or with little processing. Many Internet service providers (ISPs) offer this service for free to their subscribers. People can also obtain Web page hosting from other, alternative service providers. Personal web site hosting is typically free, advertisement-sponsored, or cheap. Business web site hosting often has a higher expense.

Single page hosting is generally sufficient only for personal web pages. A complex site calls for a more comprehensive package that provides database support and application development platforms (e.g. PHP, Java, and ASP.NET). These facilities allow the customers to write or install scripts for applications like forums and content management. For e-commerce, SSL is also required.

The host may also provide an interface control panel (e.g. cPanel, Plesk or others) for managing the Web server and installing scripts as well as other services like e-mail. Recently, Web.com holds many patents it claims cover broad methods for website building and web control panels. Hostopia, a large wholesale host, recently purchased a license to use that technology from web.com for 10% of retail revenues[1]. Web.com recently sued Go Daddy as well for similar patent infringement [2].

Some hosts specialize in certain software or services (e.g. e-commerce). They are commonly used by larger companies to outsource network infrastructure to a hosting company. To find a web hosting company, there are searchable directories that can be used. One must be extremely careful when searching for a new company because many of the people promoting service providers are actually affiliates and the reviews are biased.

[edit] Hosting reliability and uptime
Multiple racks of servers, and how a datacenter commonly looks.
Multiple racks of servers, and how a datacenter commonly looks.

Hosting uptime refers to the percentage of time the host is accessible via the internet. Many providers state that they aim for a 99.9% uptime, but there may be server restarts and planned (or unplanned) maintenance in any hosting environment.

A common claim from the popular hosting providers is '99% or 99.9% server uptime' but this often refers only to a server being powered on and doesn't account for network downtime. Real downtime can potentially be larger than the percentage guaranteed by the provider. Many providers tie uptime, and accessibility, into their own Service Level Agreement, or SLA. SLAs may or may not include refunds, or reduced costs if performance goals are not met.

[edit] Types of hosting
A typical server "cage," commonly seen in colocation centres.
A typical server "cage," commonly seen in colocation centres.

Internet hosting services can run Web servers; see Internet hosting services.

Hosting services limited to the Web:

* Free web hosting service: is free, (sometimes) advertisement-supported web hosting, and is often limited when compared to paid hosting.
* Shared web hosting service: one's Web site is placed on the same server as many other sites, ranging from a few to hundreds or thousands. Typically, all domains may share a common pool of server resources, such as RAM and the CPU. A shared website may be hosted with a reseller.
* Reseller web hosting: allows clients to become web hosts themselves. Resellers could function, for individual domains, under any combination of these listed types of hosting, depending on who they are affiliated with as a provider. Resellers' accounts may vary tremendously in size: they may have their own virtual dedicated server to a colocated server.
* Virtual Dedicated Server: dividing a server into virtual servers, where each user feels like they're on their own dedicated server, but they're actually sharing a server with many other users. The users may have root access to their own virtual space. This is also known as a virtual private server or VPS.
* Dedicated hosting service: the user gets his or her own Web server and gains full control over it (root access for Linux/administrator access for Windows); however, the user typically does not own the server. Another type of Dedicated hosting is Self-Managed or Unmanaged. This is usually the least expensive for Dedicated plans. The user has full administrative access to the box, which means the client is responsible for the security and maintenance of his own dedicated box.
* Managed hosting service: the user gets his or her own Web server but is not allowed full control over it (root access for Linux/administrator access for Windows); however, they are allowed to manage their data via FTP or other remote management tools. The user is disallowed full control so that the provider can guarantee quality of service by not allowing the user to modify the server or potentially create configuration problems. The user typically does not own the server. The server is leased to the client.
* Colocation web hosting service: similar to the dedicated web hosting service, but the user owns the colo server; the hosting company provides physical space that the server takes up and takes care of the server. This is the most powerful and expensive type of the web hosting service. In most cases, the colocation provider may provide little to no support directly for their client's machine, providing only the electrical, Internet access, and storage facilities for the server. In most cases for colo, the client would have his own administrator visit the data center on site to do any hardware upgrades or changes.
* Clustered hosting: having multiple servers hosting the same content for better resource utilization.
* Grid hosting : this form of distributed hosting is when a server cluster acts like a grid and is composed of multiple nodes.

Some specific types of hosting provided by web host service providers:

* File hosting service: hosts not web pages but files
* Image hosting service
* Video hosting service
* Blog hosting service
* One-click hosting
* Shopping cart software

[edit] Obtaining hosting

Web hosting is often provided as part of a general Internet access plan; there are many free and paid providers offering these services.

A customer needs to evaluate the requirements of the application to choose what kind of hosting to use. Such considerations include database server software, scripting software, and operating system. Most hosting providers provide Linux-based web hosting which offers a wide range of different software. A typical configuration for a Linux server is the LAMP platform: Linux, Apache, MySQL, and PHP/Perl/Python. The webhosting client may want to have other services, such as email for their business domain, databases or multi-media services for streaming media. A customer may also choose Windows for its hosting platform. The customer still can choose from PHP, Perl, and Python but may also use ASP .Net or Classic ASP.

Web hosting packages often include a Web Content Management System, so the end-user doesn't have to worry about the more technical aspects.

One may also search the Internet to find active webhosting message boards that may provide feedback on what type of webhosting company may suit his/her needs.

[edit] References

1. ^ Yahoo! Finance: Hostopia Licenses Web.com's Patents
2. ^ The Street: Go Daddy Gets Sued

[edit] See also

* Overselling
* Shared web hosting service
* Dedicated hosting service