Introduction to Windows Hosting

Even though you may not have direct access to it, the operating system is an essential part of your web hosting account.  This component enables the direct control, administration and operation of the server your site is installed on.  It is also the foundation on which the hardware devices and software programs run.  When it comes to operating systems, two names often come to mind:  Windows and Linux.  This article will introduce you to the Windows platform and describe why it makes an excellent choice for hosting your website.

Windows Technologies

Powerful software such as Windows NT and the new Windows Server 2008 are responsible for serving the web pages on a Windows platform.  These systems are well known for being very capable, offering dynamic back-end management and easy to use features.  One of the greatest attributes of the system is that Windows supports a variety of Microsoft technologies which can be used effectively as development tools.

FrontPage, a popular application from the Microsoft Office suite, is one building tool that allows you to create pages with ease regardless of experience.  With the associated server-side extensions installed, this can all be done online.  Another common technology of Windows hosting is ASP (Active Server Pages), Microsoft’s patented server-side scripting language.  This programming language gives you the power to create dynamic web pages that literally interact with your visitors.  Whereas Linux and Unix platforms generally use open-source database systems such as MySQL or Postgre SQL, Windows hosting provides Microsoft Access or the SQL Server.  All of these technologies are valuable features that offer many benefits to your website.  In fact, many of them are used to power large, mission-critical enterprises.

The Advantages of Windows Hosting

One of the greatest benefits of Windows hosting is the ability to easily incorporate a number of compatible technologies into your website.  Because Microsoft products are widely used throughout the world, vendors are constantly developing solutions to support this platform.  Aside from ASP, you can make use of programming languages such as JavaScript, VBScript, Cold Fusion and even PHP.  When choosing Windows hosting on a dedicated server, you can also be granted ODBC (open database connectivity), a luxury that is not supported on most Linux and Unix systems.

Price Factor

Traditionally, Windows does tend to be a more expensive web hosting solution.  This is due to the exclusive use of Microsoft-based servers, commercial products that require providers to pay licensing fees in order to use them.  However, with the competitive nature of today’s web hosting industry, some Windows packages can be just as affordable if not cheaper than a Linux plan.  This is true whether its on a shared, VPS or dedicated server platform.

All in all, Windows hosting makes a solid option for your website, especially if you have an interest in the capabilities of Microsoft technologies.  Primed for today’s demanding business, this option can set you up with everything needed to make an impact on the web.  Almost anyone running their business on this system will attest that the benefits are definitely worth the costs.

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Oct 30, 2008 : Windows Web Hosting No responses yet

Web Hosting With Plesk

Plesk is known throughout the world as one the most reliable control panels in the web hosting industry.  It is a popular choice among leading providers offering shared, virtual and dedicated services.  Plesk is a control panel that facilitates the installation and management of all the tools needed for efficient web hosting.  Plesk has been labeled as the most stable and effective control panels for Windows-based hosting.

Plesk offers easy management and administration for your website.  It gives you the ability to create domains and sub-domains, produce dynamic content with comprehensive web building tools, maintain MSSQL databases and configure SSL certificates to protect your online transactions.  You can also set up and manage email accounts and configure email forwarding and autoresponders.  The Plesk control panel gives you the benefit of managing and creating your site with the File Manager or Microsoft FrontPage.  You can also monitor the usage of bandwidth and view the statistics of your website.

The Plesk control panel provides an automated web hosting platform.  It reduces costs in regard to operating and resources by automating a significant amount of important tasks.  Plesk essentially has four levels of logins, each of which have their own responsibilities.  Here is an overview of their functions:

Administrator: Administrator is considered to the be the highest of server-level login.  It allows website administrators to configure and manage system content.  Plesk enables multiple servers to be centrally managed with the administrator level login.

Client: This is the second level login account.  The client level allows users to obtain domain creation rights from system administrators.

Domain Owner: The third level login is a domain owner.  This account allows predetermined permissions for single domain administration.    

Mail User: The last level of server login is for individual mail accounts.  It allows users to log into their own private area where passwords, spam filters and anti-virus features can be managed.

The Plesk control panel is well suited for a professional web hosting environment, and is known to be the perfect solution for efficient server management.  This software was designed with stability and security in mind, making it one of the most reliable control panels available today.  Plesk is capable of supporting hundreds to thousands of accounts on a single server, adding great value to your online business.

Plesk comes included with a number of built-in features, many of which have been improved since it’s inception.  The program also offers a feature known as Parallel Business Automation, a highly customizable tool that allows you to easily integrate applications for blogs, chat rooms, bulletin boards and guestbooks.  It also enables the automated creation of e-commerce tools like shopping carts and web forms for your clients.  Other notable features include the Auto-component updater, the Migration Manager and a web-based installation tool which is similar to the Fantastico script installer of cPanel.

Offering numerous benefits, it’s no wonder why Plesk is the preferred control panel option for many clients hosting in the Windows environment.  Whether you’re starting up with a small company or transferring your established business to the web, Plesk provides all the features needed for the success of your website.

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Aug 21, 2008 : Control Panels No responses yet

A closer look at Windows Server 2008

Microsoft has taken web hosting to a new level with the introduction of Windows Server 2008, highly regarded as the most sophisticated Windows server system yet.  This astonishing platform allows you to create, deliver and effectively manage a number of applications designed for user interaction.  It also provides a more secure network infrastructure along with advanced technology capable of increasing the value of your business.

The Many Elements of Windows Server 2008

Windows Server 2008 offers a solid foundation for your server workload while ensuring that the deployment of your applications are simple and highly manageable.  The new Server Manager feature includes a unified management console designed to streamline the processes of server setup, configuration and continuous management.  This platform also comes with Windows PowerShell, a newly introduced command-line shell that gives administrators the ability to automate routine management tasks over multiple servers.  Windows Deployment Services provides a simple way to deploy the operating system securely through network-based installations.  Windows Server 2008 also comes with a variety of self-help wizards, full support of IPv6 (Internet Protocol version 6) and centralized management for network load balancing.

Your web-based applications can be effectively managed and deployed with the new Windows centralized application access features.  Terminal Services Gateway and Terminal Services RemoteApp. permit remote access to standard Windows-based applications from any location, running them on the terminal server rather than directly on a client computer.  This eliminates the need for a VPN (virtual private network).

IIS Security

Hosting with Windows Server 2008 includes IIS (Internet Information Services) 7.0.   IIS is a  state of the art web server built with enhanced security features.  It provides an intuitive web hosting platform and enables better functionality with the ability to support a number of applications and services.  IIS 7.0 offers considerable upgrades to the Windows hosting environment with a rock-solid infrastructure for greater control and flexibility.  Windows Server 2008 simplifies website management and includes diagnostic and troubleshooting features that will save you a lot of time.

IIS 7.0 may be used in conjunction with the Microsoft NET Framework 3.0 to provide an intuitive hosting platform well suited for creating data-driven applications that enable user interaction.  This allows your visitors to view, share and perform activity on given pieces of data.  Furthermore, IIS 7.0 plays a critical role in merging Microsoft hosting technologies such as ASP, FrontPage, Windows SharePoint Services and the Windows Communication Foundation.

The tremendous benefits and cost efficiency of Windows Server 2008 extends to the Windows HPC Server 2008 as well.  Windows HPC Server is specifically designed for the high performance computing environment.  It is built with the advanced implementations of Windows Server 2008 and faster 64-bit technology.  Out of the box, it has the ability to scale a large amount of processing cores to increase productivity and reduce the complexity typically found in an HPC environment.  This advanced platform offers a much greater level of flexibility with  seamlessly integrated end-user capabilities that extend from desktop applications to clusters.  HPC Server 2008 provides a number of easy to use tools for the development, deployment, administration and security of your website.  All in all, Windows Server 2008 offers the ultimate web hosting solution that’s easy to establish or integrate with your current infrastructure.

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Aug 18, 2008 : Windows Web Hosting No responses yet

A Closer Look at Windows Hosting

Most of us recognize Windows as the Microsoft-branded operating system that has become the standard for use in both home and business environments.  For many, it is the only system we know.  Aside from being an end-user platform, Windows is also prevalent in web hosting and has quickly become a preferred option for many.  Windows introduced a number of web developing tools that have gained momentum and become standards in the industry, making it an attractive setting for creating websites.

IIS

IIS (Internet Information Server) is the base technology behind modern Windows hosting.  IIS is a group of internet servers which includes both an HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol) server and an FTP (File Transfer Protocol) server.  It has additional capabilities to support Windows NT and 2000 server operating systems.  IIS consists of numerous programs designed for creating and administering websites with solid support for database management.  Of course, IIS is tightly integrated with Windows NT and 2000 servers which results in the more efficient serving of web pages.

Hosting with Windows

Even if you run the Linux operating system on your computer, you can still choose to host your site on a Windows server.  However, if you plan to implement Microsoft technologies such ASP and FrontPage, a Windows operating system is recommended.  The same holds true for Windows databases such as Microsoft Access and MSSQL.  While adjustments can be made to suit both environments, this is something that can prove to be time consuming and expensive.

Aside from it’s own technologies such as ASP and ASP.NET, Windows hosting supports a number of other scripts as well.  CGI scripts and PHP can also be used to enhance the presence and functionality of your site.  There are also a number of programs and object-oriented code that can be implemented into Windows hosting.  The price for these components range from free to rather expensive.  The good thing as that several developers cater to the Windows environment and offer affordable products and services.

Finding a Provider

Web-based hosting should come with solid support by a trained staff capable of handling all the issues that may arise on the server.  You can actually look for these credentials as a company may have acceptable certifications from the MCSA (Microsoft Certified Systems Administrator) or the MCSE. (Microsoft Certified Systems Engineers).  The MSCA provides certification from an administrative aspect, cover areas such as the management of complex computing environments.  MCSE certification covers the planning, development and implementation of Windows server solutions and infrastructures.

When searching for a Windows provider, your main concern should be the foundation of the company itself, not the Microsoft product.  You need to conduct research and find a reliable business who is likely to provide quality service over a great length of time.  The web hosting business is a prominent industry and many companies fail and crumble every year.  As with any hosting platform, you should find out about their customer support and security, their method of connecting to the internet, uptime and features.  All of these elements are crucial to the establishment of your website.

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Aug 06, 2008 : General Windows Web Hosting No responses yet

A Top to Bottom look at Hosting Your Site With Windows

Windows web hosting has been around for some time and has evolved from a simple platform hosting static HTML pages to a sophisticated environment where applications can be designed to enable user interaction. In modern times, Windows hosting is ideal for personal sites, small businesses and large corporations alike.

Web hosting packages are backed by a variety of operating systems. Windows Server 2003 and Debian Linux are two of the most well known examples. Although Windows is often looked down upon by Linux users, this platform offers a number of benefits to the potential webmaster. Despite the advancements, the Windows operating system still supports common scripts such as HTML and also more advanced languages like ASP and ASP.NET, which are Microsoft branded technologies.

Windows hosting makes use of a built-in technology known as IIS (Internet Information Server). IIS contains servers of its own and is responsible for serving pages to a web browser. When you visit a Windows hosted site on the web and are presented with content, your browser downloads those pages stored on a Windows server via IIS.

Choosing Windows or Linux

The choice of whether to host on a Windows or Linux platform basically boils down to proprietary technologies. If you feel that your site requires ASP or ASP.NET to be successful, the Windows environment would be more suitable. However, if you have a bit of experience designing web pages, these scripts may work on a Linux system as well. While Windows has its own brand of scripting languages, it also supports the common PHP language as well.

When hosting with Windows, you have numerous options for uploading your web pages to the server. Many providers offer a number of FTP (File Transfer Protocol) clients which can be used for this purpose. Another web building tool is Microsoft FrontPage and Macromedia DreamWeaver which allows you to upload directly from your offline applications.

Windows hosting also makes it easy to send and receive email. The average host will typically provide you with a number of accounts that can be set up rather quickly. Once your email accounts have been established, you can then use the WebMail interface to send and receive messages directly from your web browser. You can also integrate these accounts with popular Microsoft email applications like Outlook and Outlook Express.

Managing your Windows account is made easy with the implementation of quality control panel software. One of the most widely used control panels available for the Windows platform is Plesk, a comprehensive program designed by Sw-Soft. Plesk provides users with a web-based GUI (Graphical User Interface) that enables control over nearly every aspect of a website. You can create and mange your email accounts, handle domains and sub-domains, view website statistics, set permissions for HTML, ASP and PHP scripts, redirect requests, block IP addresses and much more.

Closing Thoughts

There is really no right or wrong when it comes to Windows or Linux hosting. Both are quite reliable and include many great features and services to enhance your web appearance. While Linux tends to be more geared for small business, Windows is suited for small companies and large e-commerce sites just the same.

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Jul 24, 2008 : Windows Web Hosting No responses yet