Posts Tagged ‘windows dedicated server’

Windows Web Hosting Service

Sunday, May 2nd, 2010

Windows web hosting services are aimed at those who have a specific need for Windows web hosting, as is evident with the features that accompany most Windows web hosting packages. Windows web hosting packages are usually more expensive than Linux web hosting services meaning that you should only consider Windows web hosting if you have a specific need for Windows, such as if you wish to make use of specific Windows components. There are different variants of Windows web hosting available, ranging from Windows shared hosting packages all the way up to Windows dedicated servers; this helps to ensure that there is a wide variety of Windows web hosting services for you to choose from and guarantees that there will always be a Windows web hosting service capable of meeting the requirements of each user.

What are the advantages of using Windows web hosting services?

Windows web hosting services are able to offer many advantages to the businesses and individuals that have a distinct need for Windows web hosting. The main advantages that can be had from using Windows web hosting services include:

  • Classic ASP and ASP.NET support – classic ASP and ASP.NET are two popular scripting frameworks that have been developed by Microsoft, and because of this web pages and scripts created using either will only function correctly on Windows web hosting services – this is one of the major driving points of Windows web hosting since many businesses and individuals will consider Windows web hosting services purely because of their support for classic ASP and ASP.NET – however, you may find that it isn’t worth spending extra on Windows web hosting services purely so that you can develop websites using classic ASP or ASP.NET since other open source scripting languages such as PHP may be more beneficial for your requirements
  • Microsoft Access support – Microsoft Access is a desktop database application that has been designed by Microsoft for basic record keeping from the desktop, although Microsoft Access databases can still be used in conjunction with classic ASP and ASP.NET based scripts to develop dynamic websites – Microsoft Access is part of the Microsoft Office suite of applications and is only really recommended for use in situations where you are going to have full control over the data that is going to be entering the database as this will allow you to constantly monitor the size of the database – Microsoft Access databases aren’t that scalable either meaning that you should avoid using one in a scenario where you can be sure that the database will be put under high loads
  • Microsoft SQL Server support – Microsoft SQL Server is the enterprise-class database server developed by Microsoft for larger businesses that require a scalable database hosting solution for their requirements – most Windows web hosting services will allow you to create at least one Microsoft SQL Server database under your web hosting account for use – similarly to Microsoft Access databases, Microsoft SQL Server databases can be incorporated into classic ASP and ASP.NET web pages and scripts so that you can create highly scalable, dynamic websites that will be able to cope well under high loads.

Windows web hosting services are ideal for businesses that want to be able to develop dynamic web applications for hosting in a very secure and reliable web hosting environment capable of sustaining their requirements for a long period of time.

What are the disadvantages of using Windows web hosting services?

There can also be disadvantages to using Windows web hosting services that you should be aware of prior to purchasing a Windows web hosting service as you may find after all that another form of web hosting is more appropriate for your requirements. Such disadvantages could include:

  • Price – Windows web hosting services are always going to be priced higher than Linux web hosting services of a similar specification as web hosting providers have to factor in the cost of the Windows operating system license – if you find that Windows web hosting is too expensive for you then Linux web hosting services are probably going to be more beneficial for your requirements, and at the end of the day they are probably going to be cheaper as well
  • Reliability – Windows web hosting services may not be as reliable as you would expect them to be which could cause problems for some businesses that rely on their website to provide them with a source of income – the best way to ensure that you receive a good level of uptime from a Windows web hosting package is to choose a Windows dedicated server as this will allow you to optimize your dedicated server to function in the way that you want it to, thus allowing you to maximize the level of uptime that it can provide.

In conclusion, Windows web hosting services are best suited for businesses that require Windows web hosting for a specific reason. It is important to consider the cost of Windows web hosting as if you can’t justify the amount that you are going to pay for your web hosting service, the chances are that it isn’t the right web hosting service for you.

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Choosing a Dedicated Server

Wednesday, April 21st, 2010

A dedicated server is the most expensive form of web hosting that you can purchase and because of this it is important for you to make sure that you choose the right dedicated server for your requirements. There are many different factors that you should consider in a dedicated server if you wish to make the right choice, including all of the separate pieces of hardware that will form your dedicated server. As well as the factors related to the dedicated server itself, you will also need to consider the web hosting provider that you are going to use for your dedicated server hosting services; your choice of web hosting provider will affect how much you pay for your dedicated server, the product/service you receive and the level of uptime that you are provided with.

What are the physical factors that I should consider in a dedicated server?

There are several different hardware factors that will form the centre of any dedicated server hosting service that you may be looking at using. The physical factors that you should consider include:

  • CPU (central processing unit) – the CPU at the centre of your dedicated server is responsible for handling all of the applications and services that you have running on your dedicated server – most web hosting providers offer dedicated servers that use a wide variety of CPUs with dual core and quad core CPUs being the most effective and popular since they allow for a large number of applications to run at once, furthermore multi-core applications and services will also make good use of multi-core CPUs in order to deliver the highest level of performance – each CPU core is equal to an entirely separate CPU with each core running at the same clock speed
  • RAM (random access memory) – the amount of RAM that you have installed in your dedicated server will also affect how many applications you are able to run at once since all applications and services will require access to memory in your server at some point – the standard amount of memory found in dedicated servers these days is around 2GB and this is sufficient for the requirements of most users and when coupled with a powerful CPU this will allow the server to host a large number of websites – the busier your website is going to be, the bigger the amount of RAM you will want to have installed in your dedicated server
  • Hard disk space – as a dedicated server is a physical form of web hosting, you will be able to make full use of your own physical hard drive that will be installed in your dedicated server – depending on the type of configuration that you require you may have more than one hard drive installed in your dedicated server, for example if you require a large amount of storage space then more than a single drive may be required, and similarly if you are going to be using a RAID setup to help protect the data stored on your server then you will require a minimum of two hard drives regardless of the RAID configuration that you choose to go for.

The physical factors of a dedicated server are common to all dedicated server hosting services, regardless of the web hosting provider that you choose to use or the specification of the dedicated server that you purchase.

What are the external factors that could affect my dedicated server?

There are several different factors that could affect your dedicated server and it is important for you to consider these since you think you may be purchasing a decent server only to find that it is unavailable on a regular basis. The external factors include but are not limited to:

  • Network – the network that your dedicated server is hosted on can play a huge role in the availability of your dedicated server as if the network is down, your dedicated server won’t be accessible externally – most web hosting providers have reliable internal networks that peer with multiple external connection providers which will provide you with a fast connection to your dedicated server from any computer in any part of the world
  • Power – the power supply that provides your dedicated server with the power that it requires to run can also have an affect on your dedicated server since if your dedicated server loses power, it won’t be accessible in any way – however, most data centres will have employed multiple back-up power supplies to help ensure that if the main power line does go out, there will always be at least one other source available to keep the servers hosted in that data centre running.

In conclusion, choosing a dedicated server is a task that can be made simpler if you know what you need to look for in a dedicated server. Dedicated server hosting is available from most web hosting providers and some of the larger web hosting companies should be able to provide you with assistance when it comes to choosing a dedicated server if you inform them of what your requirements are.

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Microsoft Access Hosting

Wednesday, March 3rd, 2010

Any Windows web hosting service is capable of supporting the highly popular Microsoft Access database system, a database application generally used as part of the development of small websites. If you have developed a website using classic ASP or ASP.NET then the likelihood is that you are going to be using a Microsoft Access database as the backend for your website; however, Microsoft Access is only recommended for small and simple websites as it isn’t the most scalable of applications – if you wish to develop highly efficient web applications for hosting in a Windows web hosting environment then you should consider using Microsoft SQL Server as your database backend rather than Microsoft Access.

What are the advantages of using Microsoft Access?

Using Microsoft Access databases can provide you with many advantages regardless of whether you are using it for keeping data in order or as part of a broader website project. Such advantages of using Microsoft Access include:

  • Easy to manage – Microsoft Access databases are very easy to manage since all you require is the desktop application that will allow you to both create and modify databases – if you were to use an SQL database system then you would need to setup a separate database server and management application which would add to the time that it takes you to deploy a new database server – also with a Microsoft Access database you don’t have any distinct need for any technical knowledge as everything is put into context when using Microsoft Access
  • Dynamic websites – a Microsoft Access database can be used in conjunction with a classic ASP or ASP.NET based website to created a dynamic website that can have its contents served from a database providing you with a solution that is much easier to manage – many websites are now dynamic in the way that they serve their content as this can be much more beneficial for web developers that are trying to create highly scalable systems that can be managed by many different people but also be used by many visitors at the same time
  • Lightweight – Microsoft Access databases are generally light on resource usage meaning that you can use a Microsoft Access database on a Windows server that may not necessarily be of the highest specification available – Microsoft Access databases are called directly as a file when a script is loaded meaning that there is no service constantly running as is the case with Microsoft SQL Server databases, helping to save on system resource usage.

Microsoft Access can provide web developers with an easy to use and quick solution that will aid them with the development of dynamic websites that are being designed for hosting in a Windows web hosting environment.

What are the disadvantages of using Microsoft Access?

There can also be disadvantages to using Microsoft Access that you should be aware of as you may find that another database application or server may be able to meet your needs more adequately. Such disadvantages could include:

  • Price – in order to be able to use and manage Microsoft Access databases you first need to own the application which is part of the Microsoft Office suite of applications – you will find that you may need to put forward quite a bit of money if you wish to purchase a version of Microsoft Office, although Microsoft Access can be purchased as a standalone application for a small amount of money – however, on top of this you will also need to consider the added cost of using Windows web hosting services
  • Scalability – Microsoft Access isn’t able to offer businesses and individuals the most scalable of database hosting solutions which could cause issues in some cases where businesses require an easy to use database solution that will be able to scale along with their requirements – however, for those that require scalable database hosting in a Windows web hosting environment there is always Microsoft SQL Server which can offer a highly reliable database hosting service
  • Flexibility – Microsoft Access doesn’t offer you the greatest level of flexibility as it is designed for use as a desktop database application rather than as part of a web application – for example, Microsoft SQL Server will be able to offer you a greater number of useful features such as stored procedures that will cut down the number of SQL queries that you have to factor into your code.

In conclusion, Microsoft Access is a decent solution for businesses and individuals that are running smaller websites since a Microsoft Access database won’t be the most scalable of database solutions available. If you wish to develop scalable web applications for use in a Windows web hosting environment then Microsoft SQL Server databases are going to be more beneficial for you.

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Windows Server Hosting

Thursday, February 11th, 2010

A Windows VPS server or Windows dedicated server will be able to provide you with the advantage of having your own dedicated Windows hosting environment that you can configure as you require. A Windows server hosting service will also offer you Remote Desktop access to your Windows VPS server or Windows dedicated server so that you have full control of your Windows server hosting service. Microsoft SQL Server hosting is recommended as one of the uses of a Windows VPS sever or Windows dedicated server since you are offered so much extra flexibility, although a Windows server can also be used for the hosting of classic ASP and ASP.NET based websites as well as Microsoft Access databases.

What are the main features of a Windows server?

It is important for you to be aware of the various resource components that will accompany any VPS server or dedicated server so that you are able to make the right decision as to which server hosting service will meet your needs. The main resources for you to be aware of with a Windows VPS server or a Windows dedicated server include:

  • RAM – depending on what you are going to be using your Windows server hosting service for, you may wish to consider a Windows VPS sever or Windows dedicated server that can offer you a good amount of guaranteed RAM – this will help to ensure that you can run a large number of memory intensive applications without having to worry about it having any impact on your server’s performance
  • Disk space – if you are going to be using your Windows server for the storage of any large amount of multimedia content then you will want to choose a Windows VPS server or Windows dedicated server that can provide you with a large amount of disk space – if you then wish to stream this content it will be important for you to ensure that your chosen Windows server hosting service comes with a large assignment of bandwidth.

Why should I consider a Windows server over a Windows shared hosting service?

A Windows server will be able to provide you with greater flexibility than a Windows shared web hosting package. Regardless of whether you choose Windows VPS server hosting or Windows dedicated server hosting you will be able to access your server via Remote Desktop.

If you choose a Windows Server 2008 VPS server that is hosted in a Hyper-V virtualized environment then you will be able to make the most of the latest technologies that Microsoft has to offer. Windows Server 2008 is able to provide you with IIS 7 (Microsoft’s web server) which in turn can provide you with support for ASP.NET 3.5; other applications available for use include Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 as well as Microsoft Sharepoint.

Advantages of Windows Server Hosting

A Windows server hosting service will be able to offer you advantages such as:

  • Reliable Windows hosting – if you have full control of the web hosting environment that you are using then you will be able to adapt your Windows server to function how you want it to – a well managed Windows VPS server or Windows dedicated server can be highly reliable when compared to a Windows shared hosting service
  • Secure Windows hosting – the dedicated hosting environment that accompanies a Windows VPS server or Windows dedicated server can be managed how you want it to be – this will allow you to secure your Windows server to a level capable of meeting your requirements properly, but in any situation it is recommended that you secure Windows server to a fairly high level.

In conclusion, a Windows server will allow you to make the most of the Windows operating system in a server environment as you will be able to make use of the Windows GUI for the management of your Windows VPS server or Windows dedicated server.

However, you should only purchase a Windows server if you are going to be using it for a purpose unique to Windows web hosting services. Such uses could include the hosting of classic ASP or ASP.NET web pages; the hosting of Microsoft SQL Server databases and Microsoft Access databases can only be achieved when using a Windows server.

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Dedicated Server

Friday, January 1st, 2010

A dedicated server is the most advance form of web hosting available but at the same time a dedicated server is the one form of web hosting that will be able to provide you with the most noticeable benefits. A dedicated server can be purchased from a large number of web hosting providers meaning that there is a wide variety of choice available when it comes to choosing a dedicated server that will suit your requirements. As is the case with most forms of web hosting you are given the choice between Windows dedicated servers and Linux dedicated servers; this allows businesses to choose a dedicated server that will be able to meet the needs to a high level for a long time to come.

Why should I consider a dedicated server over a VPS server?

A dedicated server will be able to offer you a wide variety of advantages over a VPS server, and it is important to take note of these advantages to ensure that you make the right choice over which web hosting service is going to be most beneficial to your requirements. You should consider a dedicated server over a VPS server for the following reasons:

  • Physical hosting – a dedicated server is the only form of physical web hosting available for purchase by general consumers, but this does provide you with the benefit of knowing that you aren’t sharing your server with anyone else to any degree – although this is one of the main reasons for dedicated server being as expensive as it is, being able to use all of your allocated resources without having to worry about other users affecting you can be worth that investment for some
  • Larger resource assignments – a dedicated server will be able to offer you much greater resource assignments than a VPS server will ever be able to offer meaning that if your requirements dictate that you require a large assignment of a particular resource then you may wish to consider dedicated server hosting for your requirements – the main reason for this is that the resources that a dedicated server provides you with are physical rather than virtual
  • Greater levels of uptime and security – a dedicated server will be able to offer you a greater level of uptime than a VPS server since you won’t have to worry about anyone else affecting the reliability of your web hosting service – the same can be said for the security of your dedicated server since the physical nature of dedicated server hosting allows you to make use of more advance web hosting add-ons such as a physical firewall.

A dedicated server can offer you many advantages over a VPS server which can be beneficial to you if you are a business looking to make the most of your investment in your chosen form of web hosting.

What are the disadvantages of using a dedicated server?

Taking on a dedicated server can be a big task for businesses and individuals alike; therefore it is important for you to be aware of the disadvantages of using a dedicated server so that you can make an informed decision on whether a dedicated server will be able to benefit you. The main disadvantages of using a dedicated server that you could experience may include:

  • Cost – a dedicated server can cost a lot of money due to the fact that it is the only physical form of web hosting available and this can be the one factor that puts people off from using dedicated server hosting
  • Server management – the management of a dedicated server can be off-putting for some people due to the fact that you need to have a certain level of skill if you wish to be sure that you will be able to manage your dedicated server properly.

The disadvantages of using a dedicated server are unlikely to affect you if a dedicated server is going to be the most beneficial form of web hosting for your requirements.

In conclusion, a dedicated server can provide you with your own physical hosting environment that you won’t have to share with anyone else unless you wish to. A dedicated server will also be able to provide you with a greater level of flexibility since you will be provided with full control of your dedicated server.

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Dedicated Server Hosting

Sunday, December 20th, 2009

Dedicated server hosting is one of the most advanced forms of web hosting available to consumers, but dedicated server hosting is more ideal for businesses who have a distinct need for their own independent and reliable web hosting environment. Dedicated server hosting is the only form of web hosting available which will provide you with your own physical hosting server; this means that dedicated server hosting can provide you with a hosting environment in which nothing is shared with anyone else meaning that you have sole use of the resources that you have purchased for your dedicated server.

How can dedicated server hosting benefit me?

Dedicated server hosting is only going to be able to offer you noticeable benefits if you have the budget to cover the cost of a mid to high end dedicated server. However, any dedicated server hosting service should be able to offer you the following benefits:

  • Reliability – since you aren’t going to be sharing your server’s resources with any other users you can come to expect a high level of reliability from your dedicated server regardless of the specifications of your server – however, you need to ensure that what you are using your dedicated server for isn’t going to be beyond what it can handle since overloading your dedicated server could cause it to crash
  • Security – as you are provided with your own dedicated hosting environment, you are able to install any applications of your choice or make changes as you see fit on your dedicated server – along with this comes the ability to secure your dedicated server to a standard that suits your requirements, but in any situation it is a good idea to secure your dedicated server to the highest level possible to prevent hackers gaining access to your dedicated server
  • Dedicated hosting environment – the dedicated hosting environment that you are provided with is probably one of the major advantages of using a dedicated server since it allows you to install any applications of your choice on your dedicated server – this effectively means that you can use your dedicated server for any purpose which you may see as necessary for your dedicated server.

Dedicated servers can benefit more or less anyone but as an individual it is important for you to evaluate your requirements beforehand since you need to consider the amount of money that you are putting forward for your dedicated server.

What are the disadvantages of using dedicated server hosting?

As with all forms of web hosting, there are going to be disadvantages to using dedicated server hosting services; the disadvantages of dedicated server hosting include but are not limited to:

  • Price – dedicated server hosting isn’t the cheapest form of web hosting available meaning that you should only consider a dedicated server if you are sure that you will be able to afford it and can justify the cost – the amount which you pay for your dedicated server will depend on the specification of your dedicated server meaning that a low specification dedicated server will be cheaper than a high specification dedicated server
  • Management – dedicated servers require a certain level of skill on the half of the administrator if they are to be managed correctly, regardless of the operating system that you have installed on your dedicated server – if you aren’t able to manage your server properly then you run the risk of damaging it beyond repair when carrying out certain tasks so because of this it is important for you to consider managed dedicated server hosting if you aren’t able to manage your dedicated server properly.

The disadvantages of using dedicated server hosting are unlikely to affect you if dedicated server hosting is the right form of web hosting for you, and the thing to consider is that it is important for you to have done your own research beforehand to make sure that you have chosen the right form of web hosting for your
requirements.

In conclusion, you should consider a dedicated server for your requirements if you feel that you require a form of web hosting with which you won’t have to share any of your assigned resources with anyone else in any way. By having a dedicated server you are isolating your hosting environment completely which can provide massive security and reliability benefits to businesses who will be able to exploit such benefits to their full potential.

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