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How Many Servers Does A Web Hosting Service Need?

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How Many Servers Does A Web Hosting Server Need?

How Many Servers Does A Web Hosting Server Need?

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 web hosting service. 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 Server

The web server is one of the most important parts of your web 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. Web hosts commonly use IIS, Apache, Nginx and Tomcat amongst many different web servers. 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 web host 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 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 web 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 web hosting may seem like an easy business, managing all these services can be quite a task, which web hosts need to do on a daily basis.

6 Questions Asked by First Time Website Owners

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There’s always a first time. Even when buying web hosting to setup your website. Not everyone is tech savvy, but we all like to satisfy our curiosity about the new toy we are going to buy. If you were born before the 80’s you are most likely to ask questions which will make your web host chuckle at your innocence. This article lists some questions which a web host often has to answer when dealing with a new client who has never bought a hosting account. All these are intelligent questions which may appear silly to some.

6 Questions Asked by First Time Website Owners

1. Will I be able to use Linux Hosting if I have a Windows computer at home?

This is a very common question which we get to hear from people born before the 80’s. Those who are Microsoft Windows fans are often skeptical about using Linux Hosting for their website, because they relate the incompatibilities of Linux with the Windows OS. However, the only major difference in operations is that Linux cannot run ASP which Windows hosting can do. Besides this Linux servers are more stable and less prone to damage or security risks.

2. Will my email be secret on my web hosting server?

Customers are always worried about privacy and security of their data. As we always like to answer this question with- All web hosts have the ability to see anything on their server. Whether it is Amazon, Google, Yahoo or anyone else. The only differentiating factor is which one is a lesser evil as far as you are concerned and whom you trust the most. You may also consider who is most accountable to you and whose processes are most transparent. Besides this, the information overflow on the server keeps your data as secure as a needle in a haystack.

3. Can I install my own pirated version of Windows in my hosting account?

We don’t always feel like answering this one, because the answer is pretty obvious. if you still haven’t got it, the answer is No. You cannot install your own version of any software on shared hosting. neither can you install your own operating system on a VPS and you can most definitely not install a pirated version of Windows even if you have a dedicated server. No host will endorse it and in some cases may take action against you.

4. Do I need to provide my passport copy when booking a web hosting account?

You don’t need to provide any identification proof when purchasing an account. it is assumed that when you pay by PayPal or Credit Card, you are a genuine party and your bank has done the necessary verification before issuing a Payment facility to you.

5. Can I turn off my website in the night?

The whole point of buying hosting space from a third party vendor is so that you can keep your website live 24 x 7 and without having to keep your home computer on throughout. While you can turn off your website or block access to it every night, it would be better not having those facilities or not having a website at all. Some banks and utility services suspend their services in the night, to accommodate maintenance activities, however, if it is done on a daily basis, it may be frustrating for your users who are expecting a 24 hour service.

6. Can I automatically find out the contact details of the persons visiting my website?

If you want the details from your visitors, why not ask for them directly. You can get a lot of statistics on visitors and their visit behavior, but if you are expecting to know how your visitor looks and where he lives, you maybe a bit disappointed. The closest you can get to knowing more about your visitor is his IP address. Based on the IP Address you can identify the area where he lives. If you want more details, you would need to ask for them or surreptitiously gather that information.

 

Do Web Hosting Providers Give Free Stuff?

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The web hosting industry is known for its cut-throat competition over pricing, especially with cloud hosting becoming popular. But there are many web hosts who silently provide free services and advise to many organisations that deserve it. This article lists some of the ways in which many local web hosting providers help to get organizations and businesses online.

Social Service Organizations

If you are a social service organization, approaching a local web hosting provider may help you get a free hosting account. Some hosts may expect a back link to their website while some prefer to remain anonymous. The decision to give free hosting to a social service organization is based upon many factors including whether the organization deserves it, whether the host has adequate resources available on their servers and even who is chairing or managing the organization. The last thing a web host wants is to give free services to a defunct organization which has stopped adding value to society.

Educational and Scientific Conferences

Educational and scientific conferences are also amongst the top choices for handing out free web hosting. Technical conferences related to the physical sciences and educational innovations readily get their web hosting sponsored. From conferences about Aboriginal Dogs, to Particle Physics, you will notice in the event souvenir that hosting for the event website is almost always sponsored. This is mainly due to the fact that web hosts prefer to provide hosting for such short-term events where there is no long term commitment and after a year, the website is usually taken down. This allows for the space to be allocated to different people or groups for different events.

Technical Advice

A small or medium sized web host may even advise clients on where they are going wrong or how they can optimize their website. Web hosts give this free advise when they see that a client is really doing something wrong or when a client specifically requests some help. Although this is not part of a web hosts job, most of them would be more than happy to share their knowledge and help your business or website to gain success. A web hosting company we know, helped to setup internal servers and network for a scientific museum by advising them on critical matters and the layout of their network. The entire networking and connectivity was planned by the web host pro bono publico. They chose to remain anonymous and did not want any publicity or praise for it. Infact, they even helped test out the facility and also helped to shortlist the IT vendors.

Website Recovery

Do Web Hosting Providers Give Free Stuff?

Do Web Hosting Providers Give Free Stuff?

In an emergency facing your website or office network, your web host maybe the best friend whom you maybe able to turn to. Although it is not a Web Hosting Providers job to administer your account or take backups, the web host maybe the most competent and most helpful in such a situation. Hosts usually have redundant space and bandwidth to allow you to take backups even of your local data which is not hosted with them. A loyal customer was once having a virus issue in his office and wanted to clean install all the office machines. His file storage server was also one of the machines he suspected was infected with the virus. We helped him backup the files to our server and also assisted in restoring them.

Although these gestures may not be done on a routine or regular basis, if you are a friendly customer of a friendly web host, you may just get a helping hand when all other options fail. Being in the good books of your host may be really useful after all.

Can A Small Web Hosting Provider Compete With The Big Ones?

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Can A Small Web Hosting Provider Compete With The Big Ones?

In a highly competitive industry like web hosting, many people wonder how the small web hosts can match up to the big ones in terms of pricing and support. On one side you have giant companies like Amazon which have monster resources over an army of servers and on the other side, there any small time web hosting companies which can be termed “start-ups” or “good competition”. This article explains how small hosting providers have been able to survive the big players, by mere persistence and dedication. When referring to small hosts, we don’t mean resellers of big providers.

Personalized Service

While a small web host may not assign you a dedicated account manager or a relationship manager, you are likely never to need one in your entire hosting experience, except at the initial stage of setting up your account and understanding its features. While it may make you feel warmer and kingly to have someone dedicated for your account, you will mostly be sharing that account manager with several other customers. A small web hosting provider can overcome this challenge by offering you personalized services when you require them the most, without being too intrusive and putting you through a long procedure to resolve a small issue.

Real Support

While the big guns in the web hosting business may boast of 24 x 7 support and round the clock technical assistance, you will realize that your major issues are not always solved. This is mainly due to the fact that the support is outsourced to a third party who is handling calls of various companies and also because the support personnel have no real access to the server or ability to troubleshoot major issues. For major issues, it would mean waiting for as much time as a small provider who has direct control of his server would take. A small or medium host would be able to give you faster actual support and provide you quicker resolution times rather than giving you the false notion that your problem is actually getting solved.

Balancing Software

Having monster servers and gigantic hardware and processing resources is no longer the in-thing. With better load balancing technology and server management software, web hosts can now restrict a client from wasting resources on a server. Software is now available to prevent a client’s buggy website from sapping server resources like memory and CPU and thus preventing other users on the same server from being affected. It’s no longer a game of brawn but a question of brains i.e. how intelligently can a web host use all available resources to match up to the large web hosting companies.

Cut throat pricing

It’s an old myth that small and medium hosting companies cannot match up to the low pricing of multi national businesses. That’s quite untrue, especially because small companies have limited costs and can be pretty flexible when it comes to managing and reducing costs. They don’t need to add the extra $10 for their brand name or maintain a crown on their head. They may even give you a lower price for loyalty and a long relationship.

All in all, most small hosts are as competent as compared with the stalwarts of the industry, except that they may not be having the immediate potential to grow due to financial, social or even political constraints.

 

Why Do People Hate Changing Their Web Hosting Provider? Even Bad Ones

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We hear many times about good clients who are still stuck to bad hosting services. We try to rationalize and investigate as to what is it that could be making their hosting provider so magnetic. In our quest for reason and understanding, we realized that not every client makes wise decisions. This article highlights some of the reasons why people hate to switch to a new host, even after experiencing mediocre or bad service with high pricing.

Resistance to change

In most large organizations, which have a lot of staff, there is often a resistance to change their system of working or even switching to a new system or new provider. The staff are already accustomed and have set themselves well into the old system and so have the managers and supervisors. A change in the system or in the way of working is pretty unnerving for many staff members, especially those who are elderly or who are new. Even managers don’t want the headache of re-training the staff and having to tolerate excuses due to lack of knowledge of the new system. This is true when companies switch their web hosting and data storage providers as well. This can easily be overcome with the appropriate training and maybe even counselling. The training will reassure the staff that they are switching to a more efficient and modern system.

Comfort Level

Once you have developed a congenial rapport with your web host, it is difficult to part ways, especially due to the friendship that has developed with the team. This may lead you to stick to a web host who overcharges you or gives your bad support. But due to the friendly relations, you would prefer to turn a blind eye rather than put your foot down and make the first move. This often leads to things becoming worse and the relationship becoming more like a hostage situation. It’s like the “Stockholm Syndrome” where you as the customer are sympathizing with your hostage taker i.e. the web host. Realizing this early can save your business a lot of money and also a lot of time spent with unproductive or inefficient systems. A client who recently switched to our service was hosted with a local provider for over 12 years. The local provider was his good friend and had helped him to setup the website initially. However, when he realized that the old web host had been charging him over $600 annually for a 10 GB account, he flipped over. Things got sour and they separated on an unpleasant note.

Lethargy

Many clients suffer their web hosting experience due to their own lethargy and laziness to switch. They procrastinate searching for a web host or claim that they are too busy with other things. What they don’t realize is that if they were to monetize their website and switch to a cheaper and more efficient web host, they may not only save money but make more money with the additional business. It’s more of mental lethargy rather than physical.

Lack of knowledge

Many elderly entrepreneurs who setup websites when no one even knew about them, are still stuck in that era. Those who were once pioneers in having an online portal are now subject of “How not to make your website” tutorials. This is usually due to their lack of knowledge that there are better and newer technologies available. The same old web hosting has been going on for ages. We were once studying a website for transferring to our services, when we realized that the version of IMAP running on that server was so old that the firm that did the coding had gone out of business since 10 years. The IMAP server was last updated in 1998 and has been stuck at the same version since then, oblivious of all the new viruses, vulnerabilities and threats that are existent. Online window shopping and even reading up on the latest in the hosting industry can surely help you decide when and how to upgrade your web hosting infrastructure.

Freebies

One of the silliest reasons that we have heard, for sticking to a bad web host was that the web host was giving some freebies bundled with the package. What were those freebies? Free clipart and free web templates. For those readers who have still not understood the silliness of the situation: You can get free clipart, free web templates and even a free website builder, without being bound to your hosting service or being subject to the mediocre support that they provide.

Doing a bit of research on Google could help you save a lot of money and also make your online presence more impactful for your business.

How Your Web Hosting Provider Can Be A Good Friend Too

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Majority of web hosting businesses are run by young professionals who have taken to web hosting due to their love for computers, networking and technology in general. Web hosts are always willing to help and love to share their knowledge and experience with clients and colleagues. However, most providers will be even more patronizing and helpful with people who are easy to work with and who understand the value of the free advice given. This article points out some cool ways in which your web hosting team could help you make the presence of your business and website felt across the internet.

How Your Web Hosting Provider Can Be A Good Friend Too

Technology Advise

Many clients often contact us for our feedback and experience on web applications, eCommerce Shopping Systems and even computer hardware. Although most of the questions are related to the web hosting services we offer, many a times we like to go one step beyond and suggest some other systems or devices which may solve the needs of the customer. Almost all reputed hosting providers often share cost-saving and time-saving tips with their clients. Sometimes the savings maybe worth thousands of dollars, especially when the customer seems to be misled or is under some wrong notion for spending money.

Recommendations

By virtue of being in an online internet based business, a web hosting provider gets to work with numerous software developers, design agencies, SEO experts, content writers and website programmers. The web host has experienced different levels of service and different cost-saving measures, which may be a valuable learning experience. A good web hosts recommendations are pretty reliable and highly valuable. It may save you a lot of time which maybe spent in hunting for the right designers or right service providers.

Passing on Discounts and Freebies

Hosting Providers often get discount coupon’s, discount codes, free trials and even premium service packages from various companies trying to promote their products. Your web host may often pass on these discounts to deserving customers and loyal patrons who may be looking out for similar products or services. They may also provide awesome discounts or premium pricing which may not be available to retails customers online. These offers could greatly reduce the burden on your pocket and help balance your budget.

Special Care and Attention

Sharing a geeky joke or an interesting bit of information with your hosting company will surely be reciprocated with special care and attention to your website. Giving feedback about a newsletter or suggesting a new feature in the service will always be well received. Compliments are music to our ears and constructive criticism is also highly appreciated. Being communicative and cordial with your service provider will surely help you to get special attention for your account.

Keeping an eye out for you

You may not always be alert or around when some suspicious activity is going on with your account. Having a rapport with your hosting company will also help keep a check on suspicious password resets or name transfers. Alert web hosts will always make it a point to reach out to you or try and communicate a change or service request from your side, which they feel may be out of place. When your account email address suddenly changes to club4hackerrootz @ gmail, they will definitely be interested in alerting you about it, beyond the message the automatic emails may send you. An alert web host we know, helped save the domain name of a friend from being hijacked for ransom. The hijackers had entered the control panel with a compromised password and changed the WHOIS email address for the Registrant. When the automatic email alert reached the web host, they found this behavior suspicious, since just a couple of days prior, they had exchanged emails on renewing the domain name. They immediately informed the client and prevented the domain from being transferred out.

As they say “a friend (when you are) in need is a friend indeed” stands true for the web host too.