Archive for the ‘Windows Hosting’ Category
Sunday, April 24th, 2011
Joomla is one of the most powerful content management systems available and as a standard installation will provide webmasters with an application through which they can manage their websites without having to constantly update multiple pages, but there is also the opportunity to expand the application through the use of third-party plugins. As Joomla is an open source application, you won’t have to pay a penny to use it meaning that it is ideal for big businesses as well as not-for-profit organizations. It is recommended that you combine Joomla with a low cost web hosting service such as a Linux shared web hosting plan as by doing this, you will be able to save yourself quite a bit of money.
Downloading Joomla
To download Joomla, you will first need to navigate to the Joomla website, which is located at www. Joomla.org; from there you will want to click the “Download” button.
You will then be presented with different options depending on the version that you wish to use; unless you have a reason to use an older version, it is recommended that you choose the latest version to ensure that any security issues that have been raised with previous versions have been patched.
To commence with the file download, simple click the “ZIP” text located next to the specific package that you wish to use. You can then simply save the file to your desktop.
The extracted root folder structure should be similar to the one below.
Uploading the Joomla Files to Your Web Space
Once you have downloaded the Joomla files to your desktop and extracted the ZIP file, you will want to upload the uncompressed files to your web space so that you can commence with the installation of the application.
You will also need to setup a MySQL database through your web hosting control panel prior to running the installation wizard so that your Joomla installation will have a central location in which it can store all of its configuration data.
Once you have uploaded the contents to your web space, you should navigate to the folder that Joomla is contained in through your web browser. You will be directed to the page below.
Once you have selected the language that you wish to use, click the “Next” button.
From there you will then be taken to a page that will carry out checks to ensure that your web hosting environment is capable of running Joomla properly.
If any errors occur then the installation wizard will provide you with the instructions that will direct you on how to solve individual errors. If there are no errors then you should be able to click the “Next” button to continue with the installation.
You will then need to agree to the GNU license, which governs the use of certain open source applications and is applicable to the use of Joomla.
Next, you will need to enter your MySQL database connection details so that Joomla can function properly.
You will be required to enter the following details:
- Host name – this is the name or IP address of the server on which your Joomla database is going to be hosted
- Username – you should configure a separate MySQL user account other than the root user to improve security
- Password – all MySQL user accounts should be password protected as to ensure that hackers and other malicious attackers aren’t able to gain unauthorized entry.
After that and depending on the web hosting service that you are using, you may need to enter your FTP login details.
You can simply skip this step by clicking the “Next” button if it doesn’t apply to you. If it does apply to you then you will need to enter the following details:
- FTP username – this should be an FTP account that is separate from the main one that you use to upload your main content to your website and should be limited to the Joomla directory for added security
- FTP root path – this is the root path to the location of where Joomla is installed in your web space.
You will then need to enter the main configuration details for your Joomla website as the connection to the database has now been established.
To create a site that suits your needs, you should fill out the following information fields appropriately:
- Site name – this should be the name of your company or related to the topic of the website that you wish to create
- Your email – you should enter a valid email address as this will be used to reset the admin password if you happen to forget it
- Admin username – your username doesn’t have to be “admin”, you can set it to be anything that you want
- Sample data – you can even choose to install sample data, a practice that is recommended if you are a beginner, which will give you an idea on how Joomla works if you haven’t use the CMS before.
Once you have set out the main configuration to meet your needs, you can then proceed to use the application as you wish. It is recommended that you remove the installation folder so that no further amendments can be made to your configuration, except by yourself through the admin area.
Once you have completed the configuration wizard, you will then be taken to the admin control panel, from which you will be able to configure the application further.
In conclusion, Joomla is a powerful CMS that can be used in a number of different scenarios to meet the requirements of big businesses and individuals who require a reliable framework on which they can develop stable websites capable of coping with high visitor loads without facing any issues. Although there are many open source CMS solutions available, Joomla is able to provide businesses with a custom solution that can be modified further through the use of a plugin framework that can be used to extend the functionality of the application, along with a styling framework that can be used to develop additional themes and designs to enable the application to fit in alongside existing websites.
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Tags: cms web hosting, installing joomla, joomla web hosting
Posted in Linux Web Hosting, Web Development, Web Hosting, Windows Hosting | Comments Off
Thursday, March 24th, 2011
Plesk is the biggest player in the Windows web hosting control panel industry and as a Windows hosting customer of Storm Internet, you will be provided with access to Plesk so that you are able to manage your own web hosting account and configure it how you want it to be. Control panels are an integral part of web hosting because without them web hosting providers would be responsible for every aspect of account management, whereas with a control panel system in place most Windows hosting customers are able to manage their account without having to contact their web hosting provider.
Logging In
Logging into Plesk for the first time is fairly simple. Once your Storm Internet Windows web hosting service has been setup for you, you will receive a welcome email that will contain the link to the Plesk control panel as well as the login details for your web hosting account.
Upon login you will automatically be taken to the Home screen from which you can select the action that you wish to perform:
We will now go through several basic operations that you are likely to wish to perform at some point with your web hosting account and you will see how using Plesk will allow you to streamline the management of your web hosting account.
Creating an Email Account
If you wish to use email with the domain name that you are hosting on your Plesk web hosting account then you will need to setup either email accounts or forwarders depending on how you wish to use this service. For this example we’ll setup an email account.
The first step is to select the ‘Mail Accounts’ icon from the Home screen.
You will then be taken to a page that will provide you with a summary of any existing email accounts that you have already created under your web hosting account and will allow you to perform operations of these email accounts if you wish to do so. In order to proceed with the process of creating an email account you will need to select the ‘Create Mail Account’ icon:
You will then be presented with the following form that you will need to fill out in order to create an email account:
The following details will need to be entered:
- Mail account – this will be the name of the email address you want to create, your domain name will succeed this name meaning that “example” will become example@example.com if you are using the domain name example.com
- Password – any email account should have a password applied to it to protect the contents of the emails that are received
- Mailbox – checking this box will ensure that the mail account is treated as a mailbox rather than a forwarder or anything else
- Mailbox quota – if you don’t have a default quota set then you will need to enter a custom amount in megabytes, it is important to set a quota for every mailbox so that a single mailbox doesn’t end up using up all of your web space.
Once you have filled the form out you can then click the ‘Next’ button for extended configuration options or ‘Finish’ to create the email accounts.
Adding a New DNS Record
If you are an advanced user then you may wish to add additional DNS records to your domain’s DNS file to facilitate the use of other web hosting plans or servers under separate sub-domains on your main domain name. In order to maintain your DNS zone you will first need to select the ‘DNS Settings’ icon from the Home screen:
From there you will then be presented with the different DNS entries that form your domain’s DNS zone; these are effectively the backbone of your domain name and will dictate how other servers around the internet direct users to your website and deal with emails that are sent from your domain name. In order to proceed with adding a DNS record simply click the ‘Add Record’ button:
You will then need to fill out the following form in order to create your new record:
The following details will need to be entered:
- Record type – there are different types if DNS record with simple A records being there just to act a pointer that will map a name to an IP address, whereas MX records will dictate where email for your domain name is sent and which servers handle all incoming mail
- Name – this will be the name that you wish to precede your domain name and will form the subdomain that will become your new DNS record
- IP address – if you are creating an A record then you will need to map a name to an address, but if you are creating an MX record then you will need to enter a hostname rather than an IP address.
Once you click the ‘Ok’ button your new DNS record will then be created.
Creating an FTP Account
FTP accounts allow you to transfer files between your desktop computer and web space using the File Transfer Protocol, a standard that many file transfer applications are based around. Plesk, like many control panels, provides support for FTP accounts as standard.
In order to begin the process of creating an FTP account through Plesk, you will need to select the ‘FTP Accounts’ icon from the Home screen:
You will then be taken to the following summary screen:
In order to create a new account you will need to select the ‘Add New FTP Account’ icon located at the top of the page.
You will then be required to fill out the following form:
You will need to enter the following details in order to create your FTP account:
- FTP account name – you will need to enter a username because this will provide you with a unqiue login identify
- Password – a password will be required to keep your access to your web space secure
- Home directory – set this option if you want to limit the access that you can have with a particular FTP account to a certain directory rather than having access to your entire web space
- Permissions – you may wish to create an account that will only be able to browse your web space via FTP, but you do have the choice to add read and write permissions separately as per your needs.
In conclusion, using the Plesk control panel for the first time shouldn’t be daunting because as an application it will enable you to streamline the management of your Windows web hosting account and to make the most of what Windows web hosting has to offer.
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Tags: plesk web hosting, using plesk, windows web hosting
Posted in Dedicated Hosting, Shared Web Hosting, Web Hosting, Windows Hosting | Comments Off
Sunday, February 20th, 2011
Windows web developers are tasked with the job of creating websites that are specifically for use in a Windows web hosting environment, a task that is fairly specialist because as well as using proprietary technologies they also need to be well versed in the features of the Windows operating system. Developing websites for Windows web hosting requires skill and knowledge of specific applications and scripting languages, as the use of Microsoft applications and ASP.NET is common with Windows web developers and helps to guarantee good results.
ASP.NET Development Tools
There are various tools that you can use to develop the ASP.NET scripts needed to form the basis of your website. Some web development applications are simply text editors that are designed for coding only, although a majority are also accompanied by a WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) editor that will allow you to develop your web application visually rather than having to rely on code.
One of the most popular applications to use for the development of ASP.NET web applications is Microsoft Visual Studio; the main features of Visual Studio and its free sibling, Microsoft Visual Web Developer, include:
- A WYSIWYG editor is provided for website developers who may be more comfortable with developing a website visually – all of the necessary code will be created for you in the background
- A full library of ASP.NET components will be provided so that you can simply drag and drop these into your web scripts as necessary instead of having to code them in yourself, this can save you a fair amount of time.
Another popular cross-platform application recommended for ASP.NET development is Adobe Dreamweaver, as this is also able to provide beginners with assistance with regards to implementing complex code and functions correctly.
Database Management Applications
As a Windows web developer, you have the options of Microsoft Access and Microsoft SQL Server if you are developing a dynamic website that will be running off a backend database. Whereas Microsoft Access is a desktop database application, Microsoft SQL Server is a far more powerful database server that is targeted at websites that require a scalable database solution.
The desktop nature of Microsoft Access means that in order to mange a database, you must first download the file from your web space and then open it in Microsoft Access on the desktop. However, Microsoft Access can provide web developers with benefits including:
- Microsoft Access is fairly cheap to implement because you only need to purchase the application for yourself
- It is the ideal database solution for small websites and beginners who haven’t developed for Windows web hosting before because the interface is fairly easy to follow and the risk of any issues occurring is minimal.
Microsoft SQL Server is a professional database server meaning that it has advance support for different data types and can be integrated into Windows desktop applications alongside ASP.NET Windows web applications. Microsoft SQL Server databases are manageable through Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio which is a free application available from the Microsoft website, although it is only available for Windows desktop computers. Additional benefits of using Microsoft SQL Server include:
- A free version of Microsoft SQL Server is available, allowing you to use the application for free when developing small websites
- The scalability of Microsoft SQL Server provided you with the opportunity to develop web applications that will be able to cope with high visitor numbers as well as spikes in the number of visitors that they receive.
In conclusion, developing websites for a Windows web hosting environment is something that will require the knowledge of at least one Windows compatible scripting language along with at least one database server that will run on Windows and is also compatible with your chosen web scripting language. However, by using ASP.NET and Microsoft SQL Server to develop a website for a Windows web hosting environment, you are guaranteed full compatibility with the operating system and ASP.NET will allow you to tap into additional features of the operating system – this will be something other scripting languages won’t be able to offer.
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Tags: asp.net development, web design, website development, windows web hosting
Posted in Web Development, Web Hosting, Windows Hosting | Comments Off
Saturday, February 19th, 2011
Windows is the world’s most popular operating system that is used on the desktop and in the server environment. As part of its role in the server environment, Windows is widely used by web hosting companies to produce web hosting plans that offer compatibility with Microsoft applications and technologies. Along with Linux, these two operating systems form the basis of the mainstream web hosting industry in terms of the web hosting plans that are offered and the features that are available.
ASP.NET Web Hosting
When developing websites that will make the most of the Windows operating system, the best option is to use ASP.NET as this is a scripting framework that has been developed by Microsoft for use exclusively with Windows. ASP.NET’s benefits vary and are limited, but include:
- You will elevated access to the Windows operating system with additional support offered for developers utilizing the full feature set of ASP.NET as opposed to creating their own controls and components
- All scripts should simply work with IIS and Windows if they have been developed correctly, without the need for any additional modifications to guarantee full compatibility, as this can be an issue when using certain scripting languages with the Windows operating system.
Microsoft SQL Server Database Hosting
The purpose of a database server such as Microsoft SQL Server is to provide your web pages and scripts with a common location that they can all access to enable them to process the relevant data for display. Databases can be used to store information of all types so that it can be re-used again and again, benefitting websites that rely on information that is submitted by visitors.
The benefit of using Microsoft SQL Server as your database backend is that it is relatively simple to create a cluster of MSSQL servers that can then be used to serve your content as required. By developing an internal network that can link multiple database servers together, you are creating a fail-proof solution that is also scalable to cope with growing demand on your website.
When compared to MySQL Server, the disadvantage of choosing to use a commercial database hosting alternative such as Micrsoft SQL Server is that you have to pay for the license to use it. The cost of MSSQL Server will depend on the version of the software that you choose to use as well as how many licenses you purchase, but for the most part the cost is justifiable through the means of the reliability provided by a commercial platform and the support that is available for when something goes wrong.
Microsoft Exchange Server Hosting
Businesses looking for corporate email solutions are likely to have Microsoft Exchange Server on their list of solutions to consider. Microsoft Exchange Server is a suite of applications that provides businesses with a central email, calendaring, contact and user management database that can be accessed through various means, although for the most part it is designed for integration with Microsoft Outlook on the desktop.
The main features of Microsoft Exchange Server include:
- Access to the “Outlook Web Access” web client provides users with access to their email, calendars and contacts on the move through any web browser removing the need for constant use of the Outlook desktop application
- The application can be hosted either on a single server or can be scaled to include multiple servers, allowing you to tap into resources provided by SANs (storage area networks) as well as those of additional servers through the means of a clustered configuration
- An Active Directory based user authentication system allows you to provide users with a single login that will provide them with access to not only their emails, but also any Windows desktop computer within your business.
In conclusion, the anatomy of Windows web hosting provides you with an opportunity to experience new technologies include ASP.NET and Microsoft SQL Server to aid you with the development of your website. In addition to being able to develop newer and more functional websites, Windows is also the platform for businesses to use if they are looking to improve internal communications through the means of Microsoft Exchange Server, an application that is available as an optional extra with Windows dedicated servers.
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Tags: exchange server hosting, mssql server hosting, windows server hosting, windows web hosting
Posted in Dedicated Hosting, Dedicated Server Hosting, Windows Hosting | Comments Off
Friday, February 11th, 2011
If you wish to receive good value for money from any web hosting service then it is of the utmost importance that you know how to choose the right web hosting company for your needs before you even consider choosing the right web hosting service. Although identifying a web hosting service that will meet your needs can be simple through the comparison of the resources offered against your personal specification, often it can be hard to find a web hosting company that can offer you the support and service that you expect without spending a good amount of time doing research. As there are many different web hosting providers to choose from, narrowing your choice down to one particular can either be easy or hard depending on what you feel the deciding factors are for you. There are some web hosting companies that will offer a broad range of web hosting services so that they can target a wide audience, whereas there are smaller web hosting businesses that specialise in one particular form of web hosting to enable to them to offer a more targeted level of service that it custom to the needs of each customer; differentiating between the two is an important must if you wish to save money at some point in the process.
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Tags: choosing a web hosting company, web hosting package, web hosting plan
Posted in Linux Web Hosting, Web Hosting, Windows Hosting | Comments Off
Saturday, January 29th, 2011
Although shared web hosting services are probably the cheapest web hosting services available from any web hosting company, they cater for a niche in the market in the way of beginners and provide those who have never used web hosting before with the features and resources that they require for the hosting of a small website. Most web hosting companies are more than willing to provide their shared web hosting customers with full support at any stage, whether it be helping them move over from an existing web hosting company or to upload their newly developed website to their web space. Once you have setup your shared web hosting account, you often find that you aren’t making the most of the resources and features that you have available to you and for some this can be seen as meaning that they aren’t receiving good value for money; however, if you are able to find the web hosting service with the right combination of features and resources for your needs then making the most of the web hosting service that you have purchased isn’t that hard because in a way you could see it as almost being tailored to meet your needs.
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Tags: multiple domain hosting, shared hosting environment, shared web hosting
Posted in Linux Web Hosting, Shared Web Hosting, Web Hosting, Windows Hosting | Comments Off
Wednesday, January 26th, 2011
Web hosting packages are offered by all web hosting companies and are the basis on which you will host your domain name so that you are able to publicly host a website and use email services with any domains that you have purchased. Web hosting packages are available to match different budgets and the differentiating needs that arise between businesses and individuals; this helps to guarantee that whatever your exact needs are, you will be able to find a web hosting package suitable for your intentions. At the low end of the scale are shared web hosting packages for those who require the most minimal of features with their web hosting plan and only need small resource assignments so that they can host a small website and domain name; on the other end are dedicated server hosting services for the bigger businesses that want reliability without any questions, although this will be provided at a cost that is much greater than most individuals will be able to afford. By using a web hosting package you will be able to make the most of domain names that you own by configuring features such as DNS and emails, whilst the web space offered will allow you to create databases and host the files that form of your website.
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Tags: choosing a hosting package, web hosting packages, web hosting plans
Posted in Email Hosting, Linux Web Hosting, Web Hosting, Windows Hosting | Comments Off
Sunday, January 23rd, 2011
A web hosting provider is a business that provides web hosting services to businesses and individuals for the purpose of making a profit on the sale of each web hosting service. As the web hosting industry is one that you can start in fairly easily, there are many web hosting providers around with different target audiences as there are different web hosting providers that are dominant in different countries. Most web hosting providers offer a broad range of web hosting services to make their businesses appealing to as many customers as possible because the more products they offer, the wider the target audience that they are able to engage; on the other hand, if you have a larger web hosting budget then you can consider specialist web hosting providers who will be able to provide you with a custom web hosting service that will include support that has been developed to meet the level of support that you require. As there are different web hosting providers available in different countries, you are able to choose to have your website hosted in any part of the world; as the hosting location of a website can have an affect on its rankings in search engine listings, hosting your website as physically close to your target audience as possible will benefit you.
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Tags: choosing web hosting, quality support, web hosting company, web hosting provider, web hosting services
Posted in Linux Web Hosting, Web Hosting, Windows Hosting | Comments Off
Wednesday, January 19th, 2011
Remote Desktop is a popular feature of Windows dedicated hosting because it provides you with a way in which you can manage your Windows server directly using the Windows GUI meaning that you don’t have to be so reliant on command line interfaces as you have to be with Linux dedicated hosting. By using Remote Desktop you are connected to your Windows server securely; you will be able to view and interact with the GUI of Windows Server 2003 or Windows Server 2008 and access all of the applications that you have installed on your Windows VPS server or Windows dedicated server. In order to connect to a server using Remote Desktop you will need to have either a Windows VPS server or Windows dedicated server hosting service, as is offered by many web hosting companies; you will also need either a Mac or Windows desktop computer from which you are going to be accessing your server. Although the Remote Desktop client is provided with all of the latest versions of the Windows operating system by default, if you are going to be using a Mac desktop computer then you will need to download the client separately from the Microsoft website; currently no other desktop operating systems are supported.
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Tags: remote desktop access, windows dedicated server, windows server hosting, windows vps server
Posted in Dedicated Hosting, Dedicated Server Hosting, VPS Server Hosting, Web Hosting, Windows Hosting | Comments Off
Wednesday, January 19th, 2011
Shared web hosting packages are usually the cheapest offered by most web hosting companies and provide you with a good way of getting started with web hosting without the need to spend any large amounts of cash to achieve what you want. Windows shared web hosting and Linux shared hosting services can both provide their own benefits to the relevant target audiences, although for the most part shared hosting packages are aimed at beginners in general and no other user groups. A Windows shared hosting package will be able to provide you with hosting on the Windows platform, providing Windows web developers with the features that they require to develop highly scalable and functional web applications for hosting on the platform. Linux on the other hand can provide a highly reliable shared hosting experience at a price that is lower than that of the equivalent Windows shared hosting packages; this lower pricing scheme makes Linux web hosting more appealing to beginners than Windows shared hosting, although for those who have specific requirements then their choice of operating system is going to be influenced by these requirements rather than how much they are going to be paying for their web hosting service.
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Tags: linux shared web hosting, low cost web hosting, shared web hosting service, windows shared hosting
Posted in Linux Web Hosting, Windows Hosting | Comments Off
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