Basic definitions of web hosting world

[Michael Guilfoyle-m6.net]

Hi guys,
The following information is for all of the novices in web hosting world. It's adapted from some website which i don't remember.

1.Difference between shared hosting and dedicated hosting-The primary difference between dedicated and shared hosting is how the web server is used. With Shared web hosting, the web server is shared between many different websites. With dedicated web hosting, the web server is dedicated to your web site. Both services have their advantages and disadvantages.
Dedicated hosting is any day expensive than shared hosting.

2.What is disk space and bandwidth transfer?
The disk space that you contract for from your web hosting company is the disk space that you will use for your web site (and website logs if you have logging enabled). You can determine how much disk space you will need by looking at the amount of space that your website is using on your own machine.

If you got lots of pictures or other image files there will be a need of more disk space.

Bandwidth or data transfer, refers to the amount of data that has been transmitted by your web server to visitors of your website. For example, if you have one page on your web site that is 10kb large, and that page has one image on it that is 90kb large you will transfer 100kb of data for every user that views that website. So, 10 users would mean that you used 1,000KB of bandwidth.

Bandwidth and disk space needs vary tremendously based on the type of web site that you are hosting and the volume of visitors to your web site. Largely text web sites do just fine with several hundred megabytes of diskspace and bandwidth. We suggest that you speak with your web hosting company and have them help you select the right plan for you.

[Allin1Joe]

Great information.  Thanks for posting!

I just want to add that database information and e-mails left on the server also count toward hard drive space allocation.

[SensoVision]

Thanks for post M6!
Joe, what about database? Previously I thought that it depends on how server is setted up, as although it take disk space it doesn't add to Disk Quota your bought from hosting company(but I could be wrong as it was long time ago when I've check this things).

[Allin1Joe]

Most, if not all, hosts count database space toward the disk quota of the user.  Especially now with database driven sites becoming more and more popular.  What would keep someone from signing up for a plan with 300MB of hosting, and putting the entire Library of Congress on their site (other then MySQL crashing of course )? 

[SensoVision]

What would keep someone from signing up for a plan with 300MB of hosting, and putting the entire Library of Congress on their site (other then MySQL crashing of course )?

yeah, couldn't disagree with you on this

[Andy]

I have to disagree with the quote:

Largely text web sites do just fine with several hundred megabytes of diskspace

because text takes up so little space, at least if you don't use bloatware that stuffs every line with styling code. Each character of text uses 1 byte of space so my usual hosts will let me host millions of characters on the most basic package.

Aspects of web hosting such as databases and log files can be hidden sources of bandwidth/webspace consumption. If you get too many links to content on your site like pictures (without correct permission settings), you can get this sort of problem.

[Michael Guilfoyle-m6.net]

What's the difference between Managed hosting and colocation hosting?
A new trend, appearing in the Web Hosting industry, is the concept of Managed Web Hosting.  Web hosts have been offering dedicated servers for a while now, however, because dedicated servers can be difficult to operate technically, there has been a demand for web hosts to provide extra services such as: reporting and monitoring; managed load balancing; managed security; managed storage; and, managed databases.  These extra services are referred to as ‘managed hosting’. 


Colocation is a form of dedicated hosting. If you collocate a server, you provide the hardware and the colocation provider installs it for you in their data center. They take care of making sure that you have a consistent Internet connection and ensure that you have power to your server. You handle everything else with the server. You usually pay for the rack space (the space that your server takes up) and the bandwidth that your server consumes. Colocation is a service that is generally used by more sophisticated users.

[Michael Guilfoyle-m6.net]

Do you need Managed Hosting?

Before you think about managed hosting you will first need to decide whether or not you need a dedicated server.  You will need a dedicated server if you have a high-traffic web site.  If you only have a small web site with low traffic levels then a shared hosting arrangement should be fine.  A dedicated server is more expensive to rent and more difficult to operate than a shared hosting solution but if your business depends on a steady service then you should seriously consider renting a dedicated server.   

The only disadvantage with dedicated web hosting is that you will have to do a lot of the server administration yourself, and to do this you will need to possess some technical skills; hence the demand for managed hosting.  If you fall into this category of needing a dedicated server but you need your host to provide system administration services such as security, firewalls, monitoring and reporting services, and data backup then most likely you will need managed hosting. 

[Michael Guilfoyle-m6.net]

How do you find Managed hosting packages? 

Many web hosts who once provided only shared and dedicated web hosting are now beginning to offer managed services too.  A good place to start looking for managed hosting is through web hosting directories and search engines, by doing a search for managed hosting you should receive a good list of managed hosting providers.  Another key place to start is by contacting hosts who are offering dedicated hosting and ask them if they can provide a managed hosting arrangement as well.   

Companies providing managed hosting will either offer managed hosting per item or in a pre-configured plan.  Per-item managed hosting gives you the freedom to pick and choose what services you need or do not need; on the other hand, a pre-configured plan will include the dedicated server and the managed hosting services at a monthly fee.   

[Michael Guilfoyle-m6.net]

What should I look for in a managed hosting provider? 

When choosing a managed hosting provider it is a good idea that your host provides the following qualities: 

Reliable and fast support – a good way to find out the response rate and the quality of the services offered by a web host is to send them an email before you sign up with them.  If you receive a good response from your web host then this should give you a good indication of the services they are offering.

Freedom – its important to have as much freedom as possible and having the ability to choose from a wide range of services is essential.  With managed hosting you might decide that you don’t require firewall support, its important that your web host will provide you with the option of selecting exactly what you need and what you don’t need. Also having the ability to pay monthly is a huge advantage.  It will be less of a drain on your budget and you can avoid any expensive yearly contracts.

Fast and reliable connection – You should find out exactly what sort of connection the web host has to the Internet.  By asking the web host they should be able to send you their network and connectivity details, you might even be able to find this out on their web site.  Also find out where the web hosts Network Operations Center (NOC) is located, it is an advantage for the web host to have its NOC located in the USA as the USA has the fastest and most reliable internet connection in the world.

Competitiveness – When searching for a managed hosting provider it is important to do your research.  Each web host will be offering different managed hosting services all at different rates, you might find that one web host may offer one attractive managed hosting service while another doesn’t.  However, as many more web hosts are beginning to offer managed hosting, a new competitive market is developing and the prices for managed hosting are becoming much more affordable with many more services being offered

Managed hosting is ideal for the new online businesses person, looking to build a large online business, and wanting to avoid the extra time and resources spent in-house on managing their dedicated servers.  In-turn, managed web hosting has provided a profitable outcome to many online businesses by preventing a waste of valuable resources spent on high skilled employees; months of staff training; and, costs of hardware and software.

[Michael Guilfoyle-m6.net]

Shared Hosting- is also known as "Virtual Hosting".In this multiple websites share the system resources of a single server.In other words, it provides a customer with a limited amount of server space to create their web site. Bandwidth and storage space is distributed among many clients, who all "share" the same physical server.Hosting companies provide this service by maintaining several large servers, and on those large servers they maintain a number of virtual web hosts.
Shared hosting is generally aimed at beginners and intermediate users .

Dedicated Hosting-Shared web hosting, no matter how well managed, cannot be 100% reliable and stable. However if you have your own dedicated server you can manage to avoid most of the variables affecting the reliability and stability of a server, commonly experienced by shared hosting accounts; variables such as: overload, bad codes and scripts from other users (especially beginners); and, too many applications and components uploaded, and so on.
Advantages
On a dedicated server you will install only software and applications you want to use, while on a shared hosting server you will find a host of other software and applications installed for other users.

With dedicated server hosting you can provide instant support to your own clients whenever required, which is not possible if you are on a shared server.


Virtual private Hosting- To overcome the bridge between shared hosting and dedicated hosting, comes the concepty of virtual private hosting. It still shares a machine or disk, but the web server software and indeed the entire operating system enviroment is usually isolated for each site in a virtual hosting enviroment. So, you might have a computer or disk with 20 sites on it, 20 different web servers for those sites, and 20 isolated operating enviroments.
Advantages-1. There is a better control of resource allocation and more enforceable distribution.

2.you usually have robust CGI and database accessibility and if you have a CGI that accidentally runs an infinite loop, it won't suck up your neighbors CPU bandwidth allocations since the operating system enviroment is isolated,Which is just opposite in the shared hosting.

[Michael Guilfoyle-m6.net]

What is a domain name?
A domain name is the address that users will enter in their web browser (like Internet Explorer or Netscape) to access your web site.

Why You Need A Domain Name?


On the World Wide Web your domain name is your own unique identity. No two parties can ever hold the same domain name simultaneously; therefore your Internet identity is totally unique. If you have a business site on the Internet your domain name is your own online brand and in a sense you can use your domain name as your online business card. With your own domain name your web site, and e-mail addresses for example will have that professional look, being unique to your business. Many people often miss the importance of having and then keeping their domain name until they lose it. Once this happens they soon realize that they have lost their whole online identity. source:M6.net/articles

[Michael Guilfoyle-m6.net]

How does a domain name work?

To understand why you need a domain name you first need to know how a domain name works.

A domain name is an addressing construct, used for finding and identifying computers on the Internet. Computers use Internet Protocol (IP) Addresses, which are a series of numbers used to identify each other on the Internet; however, many people find it hard to remember IP Addresses. Because of this, domain names were developed so that easily remembered names and phrases could be used to identify entities in the Internet instead of using an IP Address.

For example, the domain name weblamp.net identifies the company weblamp. When a user types the domain name weblamp.net in their browser or sends an email to weblamp.net, the Domain Name System (DNS) will translate the domain name into IP numbers. These are then used by the Internet to connect the user to weblamp.net's web presence.

[Michael Guilfoyle-m6.net]

What should I use as a domain name?

You can use a word or phrase as a domain name. When thinking of a domain name, think of catchy words or phrases that are easy to remember and that will bring more traffic to your site. Try to use a domain name that is relevant to your web site. If your web site is a business site, it is a good idea to use the companies name as the domain name or if your site is a personal site try to think of a domain name that is related to the topic of your web site.

Also try to keep your domain name as short as possible, around 5 to 20 characters is fine. The shorter the domain name the easier it will be to remember.

One thing to keep in mind is assumed spelling issues; if you think up a ‘clever’ domain name such as 1luv4u.com – One Love For You (dating service), people may type in oneloveforyou.com believing this is the domain name; or oneluv4u.com, or 1love4you.com etc. This leads to brand problems. In this case the “oneloveforyou.com” name would be best. Another unfortunate example: Flo Office Supplies – flooffice.com?

[Michael Guilfoyle-m6.net]

How do I acquire a domain name?

There are two main ways you can get a domain name. You can either register your domain name yourself or you can get your web host or ISP (Internet Service Provider) to register it for you.

To register a domain name yourself you will need to choose a Registrar. A Registrar is an ICANN accredited domain registration company. There are hundreds of Registrars on the Internet nowadays. The market is becoming increasingly competitive; which means that you can purchase domains names for a low yearly fee.

Most web hosting companies will offer domain registration services to their clients. When you register a domain name through a web host they will register your domain name for you through their own approved registrar. An advantage to having your web host register your domain name for you is that, they have probably done this process many times before; they have all the necessary information ready at hand. This process will save you time and, as long as you give the ‘correct’ domain name desired, there will be no unfamiliar dealings with Registrars.