While some hosts use separate machines to run services like email, FTP, HTTP etc., some hosts install all these services on a single machine. This article takes you into the web hosting world and shows you which software servers are running to give you the best web hosting experience with different services.
Web Hosting customers don't always realize what goes on behind the scenes of their web hosting service. The layman often thinks that the web hosting service is just another software installed on a monster computer, bit of which are sold to the end user. But there's a lot more that goes on behind setting up a hosting service. While some hosts use separate machines to run services like email, FTP, HTTP etc., others install all these services on a single machine. This article takes you into the web hosting world and shows you which software servers are running to give you the best experience with different services.
Web Server
The web server is one of the most important parts of your hosting service. The web server is what actually delivers your web page to the user's browser. It also handles different requests for information that your browser makes and also takes care of incorrect or erroneous requests. When you see 404 error pages or warning messages, these are all served up by the web server. IIS, Apache, Nginx and Tomcat are amongst many different web servers that are used in the industry. Web servers use the HTTP protocol to communicate with the user's browser. The administrator also has the capability of restricting folders, files and websites through the web server configuration.
Mail Server
The mail server is essential when providing email service. The mail server allows the sending and receiving of email on specific ports. The mail server helps filter the received mail to different users' folders and thereby allows multiple domains to be hosted on a single physical machine. Mail servers are also capable of redirecting mail and applying conditional filters to weed out unwanted mail and fight spam. Most mail servers allow the use of third party plugins or software to aid them perform their functions. For example mail servers can intelligently use third party RBLs or black lists to identify if a mail sender is actually a source of spam which should be rejected before he can reach the mail server. Mail servers usually use IMAP, SMTP and POP3 protocols to serve their purpose.
FTP Server
Almost every hosting service offers FTP services to transfer files. But most users don't realize that this requires an FTP server at the hosts end. An FTP server allows connections using the FTP protocol, for the transfer of files. This aids users in downloading or uploading files in a simple, quick and efficient way. FTP servers control the bandwidth usage, user connections, authentication system and even file management for the user. FTP servers are inexpensive to maintain and are now considered as included in any web hosting package.
SQL Server
An SQL server is a database management server which allows users to create and store data in relational tables, using the Structured Query Language or SQL. On windows machines, Microsoft MS SQL is installed, whereas Unix based hosting systems usually come with open source alternatives like MySQL, Postgresql, MariaDB among others. Web hosts sell databases based on the package that the user takes. Each database requires CPU and memory resources to function properly. Databases form up the backbone of most websites which have a Content Management System or which store a large amount of data.
Others
Some web hosts offer their own DNS service, for which they need to run a DNS Server on their systems. The DNS server just maps the domain name to the servers IP address so that when a visitor is using a service on a website, he is served up the right information from the right source. Premium hosts offer File Sharing services and have a Web DAV Server either separate or integrated into their Web Server (as above). This allows users to quickly sync files to and from their website onto their mobile devices. Almost all web hosts also provide an SSH service so that users can connect securely to different ports for different services on the account.
While website hosting may seem like an easy business, managing all these services can be quite a task, which needs to be done on a daily basis.
Will Free Web Hosting Ever Become A Reality?
There may not be such a thing as free lunch, but there maybe a lot of people touting free web hosting services these days. This means that your website files will reside on a server for which there are no charges. But doesn't that sound too suspicious? It may sound odd, but there is definitely a catch to it. This article explores the possibility of having free web hosting services use alternate forms of revenue generation.Want To Host A Blog? What Does Blog Hosting Need To Have?
Starting a blog is pretty simple, but the challenge is in keeping it rolling and keeping the updates coming. This means that you need to dedicate some time, effort and energy apart from the initial money that you need to put in. This article deals with what are the basic essentials you need to start a blog for personal or business use.How Can You Encrypt Your Emails? Anti-Spying For Beginners
Your emails contain very important records of your life and may also contain traces or indications of various events. Even though you may have "nothing to hide", there is no reason why you should want a total stranger to have any information about you. Even if you are not the target of a terrorist group, you may become easy prey for a script kiddie who just wants to be a nuisance.