Web Hosting Articles & Tutorials

Linux vs. Windows Hosting - What to consider

Contrary to popular belief, it does not matter what operating system you have on your computer when choosing where to host your site. If your computer runs Linux, you can choose a Windows hosting platform and vice versa. Of course, it would be ideal to have matching operating systems, but you can still enjoy many of the same benefits. Both servers support FTP (File Transfer Protocol) and other technologies which allow you to publish content from your hard drive to the web. Both offer encryption features such as SSL to encrypt your online communications along with compatible email accounts, databases and more.

Knowing the similarities, it is also important to make yourself familiar with the vast differences as well. For instance, if you intend to use Microsoft branded technologies such as ASP, FrontPage, MSSQL or Windows Streaming Media, your website would be much better suited for Windows-based hosting. Trying to operate server-specific scripts and programs on a different platform is often difficult and costly, though it can be done. Fortunately, the most prevalent web technologies such as PHP, POP3 and MySQL are supported by both systems.

In the way of stability, Linux is regarded as being more stable than Windows. This dates back to prior Windows systems such as 95 and 98 that were infamous for the “blue screen” of death. Though annoying, the most severe impact of this common error called for users to restart their machines. Later editions such as 2000 and XP were designed more with servers in mind, adding stability to the Windows brand.

You may enjoy better performance with Linux hosting as well as their servers are rather efficient. There is not a huge difference, but the application processes of Windows have been known to run somewhat slower. Experts believe this is because Windows loads a variety of features into single packages while the implementation of Linux is more simple yet flexible.

Another major benefit of Linux is its open source nature. This allows vendors to use several Linux components for no cost and offers a cheaper web hosting service. Both platforms have had their share of bugs, yet Linux tends to receive fixes quicker because of its large community of designers and users. Windows has to analyze these issues through the entire Microsoft bureaucracy which tends to take longer.

Regardless of what platform you choose, security is always a major concern. Many times this involves the security implemented by a host as well as the website administrator. While Windows has made notable strides with their security, Linux is better known for it’s security-first approach to development.

The Winner Is …

When money becomes an issue, most people tend go with Linux hosting as their first option. The system has established a solid reputation for its reliability and security. The choice of which platform is the best all depends on the needs of your site. In the end, you want a web host that is best suited for the goals you plan to achieve. With that said, the operating system being used should be one of the last things you consider for web hosting - Linux and Windows both provide exceptional service.

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Jul 02, 2008 : Linux Web Hosting No responses yet

Warnings to Consider About Shared Hosts

“Unlimited” has become a prevalent term in the web hosting industry. It seems as if every other provider is offering some type of unlimited service, whether it’s storage space and bandwidth or domain names. So does this mean that there is no limit to the scalability of your business? Not exactly, especially in a shared hosting environment. Even if a web host is genuine about their claims of providing unlimited space, bandwidth and domains, there are other factors that need to be considered, factors that are unworthy of the unlimited title.

Before you are able to enjoy the benefits of unlimited bandwidth, you are likely to experience issues such as exceeding associated resources. Resource usage is a major factor that limits the capability of a shared host. It generally covers three areas: CPU usage, RAM usage and database usage.

CPU

CPU (central processing unit) is responsible for the functionality of a website and delivering content to visitors. If your website is built with dynamic content, with applications such as blogs and message boards, it would naturally require more CPU usage. This is because the CPU has to process web content and recreate it every time a user requests it.

If you are building on a shared server that is hosting a number of other sites, the performance of your site may eventually endure issues and thus function much slower. This is because the server uses CPU to compensate for each individual site on the server. Shared hosts with limited resources typically monitor CPU usage and restrict those use too much.

RAM

RAM (random access memory) is temporary memory used to store the programs, scripts and related data of your website as they are running. While many web hosting providers openly advertise their amount of bandwidth and storage, rarely will they disclose the capacity of RAM and how much you are allowed to use.

RAM usage also determines how fast your website runs a script or process. Keep in mind that every script and application requires RAM usage. The more you install on to the server, the higher amount of RAM you’ll need.

Database Connection

The database is a very critical feature in web hosting. With more than 10 million installations throughout the globe, MySQL is the most widely used database management system available. Your database is what stores the content of your website such as user names and passwords, customer addresses and credit card numbers, etc. However, when there are too many requests or connection to a database, the server may easily become overloaded, especially when a number of users are constantly making simultaneous adjustments.

In Closing

Before purchasing service with any web host, you should ask the provider about resource usage and how they handle accounts that have exceeded server limits. Shared servers are popular but at the same time they are limited. Hopefully this article helped you to become familiar with this type of hosting. This environment tends to be more suited for personal sites and small businesses opposed to large e-commerce sites.

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Jun 30, 2008 : Shared Hosting No responses yet

Linux Hosting: A Fine Point Overview

In your mission to find a website provider, you will notice that many companies offer what is know as Linux-based hosting. This article will detail the finer points of this option and how it can be used to create and maintain dynamic web sites. We will also shed a bit of light on the Linux operating system in general and why it is the preferred choice by many users.

History

Linux is essentially a variation of the Unix operating system. It was created in 1991 at Finland’s University of Helsinki by a student named Linus Torvalds. Torvalds came to develop Linux while working on a non-commercial replacement version for Minux, a smaller Unix-like system. Linux was originally intended for academic use but evolved into something much more useful.

Since it was developed under the GNU Project’s General Public License, the source code of Linux is freely available. While the goal of the GNU Project was to develop and distribute free Unix compatible software, the Linux operating system itself is not free, only the source code for the kernel and most of it’s software. Linux developers and third-party vendors can charge a fee for it as long as the source code is freely available.

Web Hosting

Just as with any provider, before choosing a Linux host, you should first determine the needs of your website. Many ISPs (Internet Service Providers) will offer a Linux-based hosting plan for a very reasonable price. This option presents you with a wide range of software applications that can be used to enhance the presentation and functionality of your site. The most common configuration of this type of hosting is known as a LAMP platform, consisting of a Linux operating system, an Apache web server, a MySQL database and PHP, Perl or Python scripts.

The LAMP configuration offers a number of components that can be used to support and run a website or a server. When put into action, it defines server infrastructures and a paradigm for developing software. LAMP is so widely used because the Linux system itself is so affordable.

The Apache server is what provides access to websites on the internet and is available for both Linux and Unix systems. It is currently the most widely used server today. MySQL is the database management system that adds ease to building a website. It actually functions as a server and is a multithreaded, multi-user system that grants users with access to their databases. MySQL is the most popular database management system and is said to have more than 10 million installations. The programming languages used in LAMP are typically either PHP, Perl or Python. These scripts are used to create object-orientated web pages and can also be used on Windows-based platforms as well.

The Linux system itself is capable of many things such as networking, software development and functioning as an end-user platform. It works with almost any kind of hardware from the basic AMD and Intel products to more obscure names such as Digital Alpha, PowerPC and Silicon Graphics. Due to its low cost and high-level of functionality, Linux has become one of the most popular operating systems and web hosting platforms outside of Windows.

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Jun 26, 2008 : Linux Web Hosting No responses yet

MySQL Database - cPanel Tutorial Ch.8

MySQL is a multi-function, multi-user database management system.  With well over 10 million installations it is without doubt the most widely used system of its kind.  Its basis is to operate as a server and provide access to databases for a number of simultaneous users, the reason it has been so popular for web hosting companies.  

MySQL has been used as a very reliable component for Linux, Mac, Windows and Apache servers.  It’s benefits towards web applications relates closely with the language of PHP.  We previously learned how PHPMyAdmin can enhance the MySQL database.  MySQL works with powerful content management systems such as Joomla and Mambo and blogging platforms such Drupal and WordPress.  It also manages the databases of several other web applications written in PHP scripts. 

ANOTHER BENEFIT OF MYSQL 

Since we already learned how to create a database and configure it for PHPMyAdmin we will now further discuss other benefits of a MySQL database.  

Automatic MySQL Backups

Blogs, message forums and other online communities have never been easier to create.  As more web hosting servers implement Fantastico in their cPanel, other applications are able to be attached with enhanced overall features.  Everything seems clear on the surface until the term “backup” is mentioned.

The uniformed user will not think much of this, firmly believing that their web host will handle the procedures of backing up information.  Though this is mostly fact, some hosting servers will clearly explain that they cannot give a one hundred percent guarantee when it comes to the limit of corruption or the quality of their back system.

Users who are lucky enough to have a cPanel with their web hosting have it a bit easier.  MySQL allows you to manage your database from A to Z, giving you the power to backup your information in case of technical difficulty.  

Here is a simple way to back up your database with MySQL:

- Navigate to “Cron Jobs” from the main page of your cPanel and click the icon.  You will be then be prompted with these options: 

Minutes: This explains how many minutes a script will run
Hour: This represents what time of day the script will run
Day: This details how many days per week the script will run
Month: This determines if a script is to run on a particular month

Next should be a command option.  After filling in the fields, the text inside the box should read something like this.  

mysqldump –opt -Q -u dbusername –password=dbpassword dbname > /pathto/backups/sunday.sql

Changes will need to be made with the command prompt to correspond to your information.  In this instance we would replace the variables in red.  

From here you will repeat the first script six times over but modify the weekdays.  This will go from 0 all the way up to 6.  You will also change the file name from Sunday to Monday and so forth until reaching Saturday.

Even standing on its own MySQL is a very powerful application that brings out the best in your cPanel.

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Apr 10, 2008 : cPanel Tutorials No responses yet

Security Issues in MySQL

Web hosting companies maintaining a MySQL database certainly understand the importance of tight security. Content stored in your database needs to be secure at all time, and kept away from the eyes of hackers. Security problems in MySQL can flaw a web server in numerous ways; here are the two major categories in which they are grouped: File System risks and Network risks. 

File System Risks 

Information on a MySQL database is stored in several files and directories. This system also keeps tracks of log files that detail information concerning queries that users command. Since these files and directories are components of the file system, they must be secured in order to prevent other users on web hosting servers from gaining access to the account. 

Installation of a MySQL database contains applications and scripts that are used to access and control the databases. Users need to have the ability to run these applications but should not be able to edit or delete them as this is a task more suited for an experienced web designer. This means that the programs for MySQL must be configured and protected accordingly as well. 

Network Risks

A MySQL database will provide a user access to other databases by allowing them to conduct activities such as connecting and making requests. Since the database contains information about user accounts, each one should be configured to only grant privileges to that specific account that needs to viewed or modified. A web host should also assign a username and password to the MySQL database to prevent unauthorized users from accessing someone else’s account.

We have compiled a list of defects within a MySQL database that may raise many security issues:

• All files and directories do not have ownership configured to MySQL

• Files and directories are not configured to be hidden from users. This gives direct access to third-party intruders

• The MySQL database isn’t properly configured to run as a user’s main account

• MySQL is being ran as a system root user. This will grant root privileges to a user and give them much greater access to sensitive files of the server

Most of the security issues that relate to a MySQL database are the result of poor programming. This all more a reason to reside with a reliable web host that has a documented proof of satisfied customers.

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Apr 10, 2008 : Security Issues No responses yet