A description of web page hosting
As its name implies, web hosting is a service, which entails hosting web content. There are different varieties and kinds of hosting, based on the purpose and on the functions. Nevertheless, they all entail hosting files, which, once hosted, are made available throughout the Web. A host is actually a server that is linked to the Internet and has its own Internet Protocol address, which enables people to access it through the Internet. The web hosting server's configuration and its resources are dependent on the kind of web hosting service it will be utilized for.
What are the various forms of web hosting?
Depending on the objective, the professional web hosting service may be:
File Web Hosting - this form of web hosting permits the users to store their files on a given web server. With the average file storage hosting solution, the files that are stashed may only be accessed by the client that's utilizing the service. This hosting service mainly entails backups of PCs , docs, private files and even other web servers. This service may also impose certain limitations in relation to the data storage space and the root access. There may also be web traffic quota limits, but that is dependent on the given web hosting provider.
Warez Web Hosting - the so-called warez hosting service is comparable with the previous web hosting service type. Yet, in contrast with the file storage web hosting service, the warez hosting service is utilized for spreading patented materials without the blessing of the license holder. In short - it appertains to the illegitimate transmission of files and docs. There are a lot of methods for this to be attained, but the two essential ways are - through simple HTTP downloading and through peer-to-peer connections. The first method entails either a certain web site, or, most commonly, just a directory on a server that's been made available for everybody to access it and thereby download patented files for free. The second approach involves a P2P connection, utilizing the so-called Torrent servers, via which users swap files between each other. There are just a few site hosting distributors that allow that type of web hosting on their web hosting servers, chiefly because of all the judicial troubles that it entails. Generally such websites are hosted on private dedicated web hosting servers that are registered by 3rd party enterprises either in the Middle East or in Asia.
Mail Hosting - this solution is utilized with both shared web page hosting and dedicated web hosting servers, based on the customer's desire. If you desire to set up your own private SMTP server, then you will need either a private virtual web hosting server or a dedicated hosting server that offers the access level needed to execute such a procedure. For regular email hosting ends, though, you can set up a standard shared web space hosting account, to which you can point the MX records of your domain. This is not a solution that's very used, because the web page hosting and the mail hosting services are being served by 2 different servers, usually owned by different companies.
Web Page Hosting - the most widely spread and largely utilized hosting service these days. It's used for hosting website files, whose type depends on the Operating System the server is using - Linux or Windows. Different sorts of files demand concrete server OSs, otherwise they won't be exhibited accurately on the World Wide Web. This form of web hosting may have server storage and web traffic quota limitations, root-level access and central processing unit usage limitations.
Based on the aims and on the objectives, the customer should pick the kind of web hosting server that he requires for his work, and, of course, the web hosting corporation that's going to supply it. There are several types of hosting servers, based on the specifications and the web site hosting services that they offer. These are:
Shared Hosting Server - a shared web site hosting server supplies a smaller quantity of system resources, which, of course, is reflected on the cost of the service. It can be utilized for hosting small size and middle scale web portals, which do not demand vast quotas of data storage space and bandwidth.
Semi-Dedicated Hosting - they work on the same principle as the shared web page hosting servers. Even so, there are much fewer customers sharing the same web hosting server. That is why, each of them will obtain a greater share of the web server's resources like RAM, data space, traffic and CPU. Excellent for hosting immense sites that do not require full server root privileges.
VPS hosting - the virtual private hosting servers are perfect for medium sized online portals, which do demand root-level access to the web hosting server's config files. Typically, there are a number of virtual web server hosting accounts sharing the same server. Nevertheless, each of them is isolated from the others and runs its own OS.
Dedicated Servers - a completely dedicated server set up and accessed by you and only you. It ensures an immense amount of system resources. It also provides complete root access, which makes it the optimal environment for any kind of web page that necessitates a web space hosting solution.
The sole question that remains is:
Which website hosting vendor should I settle on?
As already mentioned, there are not many web hosting companies offering warez web hosting services because of legal troubles. Such hosts are being shut down almost every month. That is why, if you desire to establish such a service, you should do it on your own computer. The shared site hosting solution is the most famous type of hosting service. So, each and every site hosting firm provides it. Not all of them, however, provide solutions such as virtual servers, semi-dedicated web hosting servers and dedicated hosting servers. Most of the small scale web site hosting vendors do not have the means needed for maintaining those solutions. Hence it's always best to settle on a bigger company that can provide its clients with all the services that they require. You can quickly recognize such hosts by the kinds of services that they are providing and by the way that they present them to the customers. For instance, certain providers permit you to begin with a low-end web space hosting plan and subsequently move to a more advanced one, if you deem it necessary to do so. This is very suitable, since you do not need to migrate websites between web servers and there is no risk of suffering service downtime because of all the problems that may arise. Hosting companies like eTexHosting provide all sorts of services and possess the needed server resources and personnel to guarantee that their customers will not experience any problems when changing services, which is what a top hosting vendor is in fact all about.