It is obvious that there is a need for every company to have an online presence and the same can be said for those who like to impart information or have technical skills. The growth of web hosting can be seen because of internet savvy people who like to impart knowledge and market themselves whilst offering music, videos and pictures. The ability to do all of this is created by operating systems, the Web Hosting platforms. There have been recent breakthroughs in Web Hosting and the hosts are always looking to improve their services and provide cutting edge technology to clients.
Getting to grips with Web Hosting Platforms.
The Web Hosting platforms are actually the operating systems that support Web Hosting. The most traditional forms of Web Hosting Platforms used are Linux and Windows.
The first is Linux – Linux is definitely viewed as the Web Hosting Platform that the term traditional can be bestowed upon. Linux is commonly seen as the platform that is highly reliable and provides an efficient return of memory and disk space. Over 70% of web servers around the globe are users of Linux and Unix and this is because of the phenomenal power the platform is able to offer clients. Its popularity is also due to the low cost of the platform.
Windows is the response of Microsoft to provide to web hosting and is rising in popularity all the time with many web developers. This is because it utilizes ASP and ASP.NET. It is also true that the Window operating system works very well with other .NET sever systems like:
* SQL Server 2000
* SQL Server 2000
* BizTalk Server 2002
In days gone by, there may have only been basic functions for web host packages but there are more now and some of the most commonly found and essential ones are:
Disk Space – All the Web Hosting accounts come with a certain amount of disk space that the customer can use to store all his/her files. The space differs from package to package. A shared Web Hosting has less disk space than the customized one.
* Email Accounts – The price of the package can have an impact on how many email accounts are made available. These accounts are a feature provided by many hoists and sought after by many clients and some hosts allow their clients to have full control over their mail settings. Of course, some web hosts will do all of this for their client. How each client sets u their email accounts is down to their preference but there are a number of options including POP3, auto-responders, aliases and forwarders.
* FTP Access – A provision of FTP access is a feature that is found in many modern bought hosting accounts. Having access to FTP enables the user to load files, amend or erase content on the server at a faster rate than they could if they used an interface based on the web.
Progression in modern Web Hosting:
As technology surges onwards and more companies find a presence online, the needs and wants of individuals and companies are evolving rapidly. This means that Web Hosts also have to progress to be able to deliver the most modern technologies to their clients.
The technology up gradation of the Windows Server technology and the release of the Windows 2003 Server provides what is now arguably known as the highest performance server environment. It provides outstanding support for the web developers and has a single vendor (Microsoft) committed to its ongoing development.
The advances in operating systems in the recent years, especially in the areas of inter-operability, have brought the available feature sets of Windows and Linux based website hosting offerings much closer to each other. Earlier both these operating systems had cut and dry advantages to one over the other for particular applications. These differences have now diminished, thanks to the advancements!to the point where the choice of operating system a hosting service company makes is frequently not a concern to the client. Today, with a few exceptions, as mentioned above, you can often make your choice of hosting packages based on the available feature set and factors concerning the company themselves, rather than the operating system they have chosen.
Web hosting software
The entire web hosting industry has greatly benefited from advances in the development of software for Web Hosting. This new level of software has created a far greater level of effectiveness and efficiency for a huge number of sites. These positive changes have been able to benefit their clients in a number of ways:
* Enabling account setup to be done automatically
* Allowing users a better quality of management with regards their dedicated servers
* Automation of monotonous tasks that used to consume the time of system administrators
The company is aided by the software in a number of ways. Automation can reduce the time it takes to provide control and services from hours to minutes and the whole process becomes easier to control.
Some of the dedicated software packages for the Windows server include Plesk for Windows, Helm for Windows, Cold Fusion MC, Anti Virus & Security Software and Easy Admin Echange Control Panel amongst many others.
Linux also offers a number of dedicated server software packages including,the Linux dedicated server software are centOS Linux, Fantastico De Luxe, cPanel / Web Host Manager, Red Hat Enterprise, Plesk for Linux and Anti Virus Software and Security Software.
> Web Hosting and VOIP – Voice over Internet Protocol technology
Like any growing industry, Web Hosting is creating new technologies to provide a better service to their customers. Due to the competition in the market there is a need for firms to provide improved services and one of the areas of advancement is Voice over Internet Protocol and this technology has been widely used in the web hosting industry. Basically, this technology enables people with a broadband internet connection on their computer to communicate with other people around the world without having to pay the usually associated high costs.
The service providers have discovered that the VoIP can add a new, and often very appropriate, dimension to their services without much difficulty. The VOIP companies are coming up in great numbers in hopes of cashing in on the rather new industry.
Of course, the web hosting industry is always seeking ways to gain an advantage and they are developing an interest in VOIP. A number of the highest ranked hosts have looked into launching VOIP, a telephone service that utilizes VOIP technology and aim to offer this service across the globe.
The Launch of Virtual Rack:
One major Web Host provider has created the “virtual rack” solution and its aim to offer the much liked private rack solution to clients who can only run a limited number of servers. The ultimate goal of this product is to enable customers to have the full range of customization on their Web Hosting.
Having installed the virtual rack, the client is able to choose the servers they truly desire or need. There is also the provision for them to choose which type of network and security-based technologies they would like to have. These can range from loaded balances that are provided by server iron to the range of ASA firewalls from Cisco. If a customer ever wanted to tell their Web host exactly how they would like their web site to be configured or to demand what IP arrangements would be best for them, the Virtual Rack will allow them to do it all.
All of these modern changes and progressions will make Web Hosting far better value for money and efficient than it has ever been before. The recent advances and developments are sure to make Web Hosting more efficient and effective. With exceeding customer expectations a vital goal for every firm, the changes in technology will allow many Web Hosts to do just that.
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