Posts Tagged ‘windows shared hosting’

Windows Hosting Plan

Thursday, July 14th, 2011

A Windows hosting plan will provide you with a number of different features that aren’t available with Linux web hosting plans, primarily because the Windows operating system is a commercial operating system that offers a closed environment. Windows web hosting plans are ideal for the hosting of classic ASP and ASP.NET websites simply because the Windows platform is the only operating system capable of hosting these websites to a level that will enable you to make the most of them; furthermore, a majority of the backend applications that you are likely to be using to support your ASP website are likely to support the Windows operating system only, meaning that there will always be high demand for Windows hosting services. Microsoft is well known for producing high-quality, scalable server-side applications that are used by many large businesses and enterprises to power their corporate infrastructures; this enables web hosting providers to offer premium Windows hosting services with ease as their main target audience is going to be businesses as opposed to individuals. If you are a Windows web developer then you will be able to appreciate the importance of Windows VPS servers and Windows dedicated servers in providing dedicated web hosting environments; a dedicated Windows hosting environment will enable you to make the most of what ASP.NET has to offer, whilst using ASP as your scripting framework of choice will enable you to fully harness the power of the operating system along with any supporting applications that you choose to use.

What are the main technologies supported by Windows, but not by Linux?

There are several technologies that are unique to the Windows platform that are used by many large businesses as the core of their web infrastructure and as a Windows hosting customer, you can take advantage of these technologies to enhance your own web applications. These technologies include:

  • ASP.NET and AJAX – ASP.NET is one of the most advanced web scripting frameworks available, providing you with access to a number of different features and components that will enable you to make the most of the Windows operating system, allowing you to develop highly functional Windows web applications – ASP.NET is known for being scalable which is one of the most important features to consider in a scripting language when developing a fairly large website because this means that you will be able to serve your web application to a number of users, safe in the knowledge that your application is unlikely to fail – furthermore, the AJAX component of the ASP.NET framework will allow you to add additional AJAX functionality to your Windows web applications so that to end-users they appear to be sleek and well defined
  • Microsoft SQL Server – this is Microsoft’s enterprise-class database server that is used by many large organizations to power not only their website backends, but also their internal operations – Microsoft SQL Server has proven itself to be one of the most powerful database applications around and the fact that it is only supported by Windows means that there will always be a need for Windows hosting where large businesses are using this application – you can use SQL Server as the backend for your ASP.NET website with ease, safe in the knowledge that the seamless integration between the two will ensure that your data is as secure as possible when being accessed by your web application
  • Microsoft Access – for smaller implementations, a Microsoft Access database may be more than sufficient for the requirements of the web applications, but again this is a technology that is only supported by Windows servers – as is the case with SQL Server databases, Access databases can be seamlessly integrated into ASP.NET applications meaning that smaller web applications can be developed in half the time when using a less complex database structure – however, the only downside to using Microsoft Access as opposed to SQL Server is that the databases aren’t designed to be as scalable meaning that as the use of your application increases, you will need to port your Access database over to SQL Server at some point.

How can developing for Windows benefit me over developing for Linux?

Depending on the purpose that you are developing a web application for, there can be some benefits to choosing Windows over Linux when it comes to considering your hosting platform; these benefits include:

  • Secure platform – Windows is seen as being a more secure platform than Linux and indeed this is an important factor to consider if you are going to be hosting the personal information of visitors or customers – as well as standard anti-virus applications, there are also many other measures that can be taken to ensure that a Windows server remains secure and the fact that Windows is a commercial operating system means that if there are any security issues, you can be sure that Microsoft will be quick to release an update or patch to fix any issues that arise
  • Reliable platform – Windows is also seen as being a reliable platform, something that is important when developing web applications because you want to be sure that your intended audience will be able to access your website when they want to – most web hosting companies will aim to provide you with a highly reliable web hosting service these days and so in most cases you can be sure that your chosen Windows hosting plan will provide you with an acceptable level of uptime.

In conclusion, a Windows hosting plan will provide Windows web developers with the platform on which they can host the applications that they have crafted especially to make the most of the platform. Even though Windows is a commercial platform that will carry an additional premium over Linux web hosting plans, for users of Windows web hosting the extra charge is usually justifiable through the features that Windows is able to provide, but Linux is unable to. It is important to remember that you should only consider a Windows hosting plan if you have a specific need for Windows hosting, i.e. a need that can’t be met by Linux hosting plans.

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Windows Shared Hosting vs. Linux Shared Hosting

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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Using Windows Hosting

Saturday, November 27th, 2010

As an alternative to Linux web hosting, you may wish to consider Windows web hosting as a way of meeting your web hosting requirements if you have needs that can only be met by the Windows operating system. Any good web hosting company will be able to offer you Windows web hosting if needs be as Windows hosting services can be offered in the same way as Linux hosting services; all it takes is for a Windows web hosting provider to install a control panel application on a Windows server and they can then start to provision Windows web hosting packages to clients. A Windows web hosting package will be able to offer you greater support for a wider variety of scripting languages and applications that may be specific to the platform and not available for other operating systems; this is applicable to all forms of Windows web hosting, whether it be a Windows shared hosting package or a Windows dedicated server. Like any hosting platform available, you can choose from a wide variety of hosting options so that you can use Windows web hosting regardless of whether you require a shared hosting environment or have a budget that will allow you to pay for Windows dedicated hosting.

Windows Shared Hosting

If you are on a tight budget for your Windows web hosting service but are looking to make the most of your money, a Windows shared hosting package will provide you with the bare necessities require to make Windows web hosting different from Linux web hosting. You can expect support for classic ASP and ASP.NET websites and scripts to be offered so that you can develop dynamic web pages and scripts that integrate well into the Windows architecture – Windows is the only platform that can support either of these scripting languages. Although support for Microsoft SQL Server databases may not be possible with the most basic of Window shared hosting packages, you should be able to purchase them as an optional extra; however, support for Microsoft Access databases will be a standard feature of any Windows shared hosting package. Managing shared hosting accounts is made as simple as possible these days because web hosting companies want to appeal more to inexperienced users whilst reducing the support that they’ll need to focus on shared hosting users; with Windows web hosting this view is achieved through the use of web-based control panels that will allow you to manage every aspect of your account, reducing the reliance that you will have on your web hosting provider.

Windows VPS Hosting

If you have a need for dedicated web hosting but feel that the cost of dedicated server hosting puts it out of your reach, VPS server hosting has been designed to meet your needs through the means of offering you a dedicated hosting environment within the context of a virtual hosting environment. Although you are provided with guaranteed dedicated resources and a dedicated Windows hosting environment when using a Windows VPS server, you are still restricted to sharing a physical hosting node with other Windows VPS servers meaning that you will never be able to fully utilize the processor that you have access to. As you are able to choose from different versions of the Windows operating system, you have the choice to use a newer version such as Windows Server 2008 that will offer you the latest features from the Windows OS or Windows Server 2003 if you have legacy applications that won’t work with newer incarnations of the product. Although management may be restricted to Remote Desktop only with Hyper-V based Windows servers, Virtuozzo based Windows VPS servers can be managed using the Virtuozzo Power Panel that will accompany any installation of the product.

Windows Dedicated Server Hosting

If you are a business or have a larger budget for web hosting then you may find a Windows dedicated server to be more appropriate for your requirements because you will be provided with a dedicated hosting environment that will offer you your own physical server and hardware that you can make full use of. Although Windows dedicated server hosting may seem expensive for what you are getting, you need to take into consideration that you won’t have to share any portion of your web hosting environment with any other users therefore meaning that you won’t have to worry about considering the reliability of other websites apart from that of your own. As is the case with a Windows VPS server, unless you choose to install your own control panel on your Windows server the only way that you will be able to use it is via Remote Desktop; although Remote Desktop provides you with direct access to the Windows GUI, it is still important for you to be well versed in server management so that you know which options to select when performing a configuration task.

Remote Desktop Access vs. Control Panel Management

When managing a Windows server you will notice that depending on your choice of software, you may have the choice to manage your server either from a web based control panel or using the GUI that is accessible by Remote Desktop. Control panels are very intuitive and can be used very easily, whereas Remote Desktop is more specific to server managers and requires some practise if you wish to be able to perfect Windows server management. It should be noted that Remote Desktop clients are available for Mac as well as Windows.

In conclusion, using Windows web hosting is very easy if you are an experienced user of web hosting and are fully aware of what you require from a Windows web hosting package. If you are unable to specify particular features in a Windows web hosting package that make it important for you to have one then the chances are that a cheaper Linux web hosting service will be more appropriate to your needs. At the end of the day it is down to what you can afford more than anything because there is no point in over spending on a web hosting package that you won’t be able to make the most of.

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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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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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Shared Web Hosting

Saturday, January 30th, 2010

Shared web hosting is the cheapest and most basic form of web hosting available as is defined by the features and resource allocations of a large majority of shared web hosting services. A shared web hosting package is at the completely opposite end of the scale when compared to a dedicated server, being designed to offer general consumers the resources and features that they require for the hosting of their website – dedicated servers on the other hand are designed to meet the requirements of businesses. A Linux shared web hosting package is going to be the most affordable choice for most and will also be able to offer the most advantages; Windows shared hosting packages can also offer certain users what they require.

Why should I choose shared web hosting?

Shared web hosting packages can provide many advantages to those who have the lowest budgets or minimal requirements and expectations from their chosen web hosting service. Some of these advantages may include:

  • Affordable web hosting – shared web hosting packages are fairly affordable meaning that even if you have a rather low budget for web hosting, you should still be able to find a shared web hosting package that is within your price range – for most web hosting providers the idea of shared web hosting packages is to bring in customers who may otherwise be unable to afford their web hosting services
  • Linux web hosting and Windows web hosting – both Linux shared hosting and Windows shared hosting packages are available for purchase from most web hosting providers meaning that regardless of your requirements, there should be a shared hosting package available on your chosen web hosting platform – it is important to remember that most other forms of web hosting are also available in these two separate platforms
  • Value for money – shared web hosting services can represent good value for money if you do your research and choose a web hosting package that will be able to guarantee you reliability and security as well as the resource assignments that you require – as the price of your average shared web hosting package is rather low and web hosting providers are being ever more generous with their resource assignments, shared web hosting now represents good value for money.

Shared web hosting can provide you with the assurance that you are going to receive good value for money from your web hosting service, and it is a good idea to make sure that you use a reputable web hosting provider if you want to receive high levels of support, reliability and security.

What are the disadvantages of using shared web hosting?

Although you may not be spending much on a shared web hosting package, it is still for you to be aware of certain disadvantages that you could face including:

  • Reliability and uptime – there are normally many web hosting accounts hosted on a single shared hosting server meaning that it can be hard for some web hosting providers to guarantee any high levels of uptime for shared web hosting customers – if reliability is going to be a real issue for you then you may wish to consider VPS server hosting or dedicated server hosting for your requirements
  • Security – businesses are never recommended to use shared web hosting services for the sole reason that the security of a shared web hosting environment can be hard to guarantee sometimes – if your website is going to be processing personal data of some sort then you may wish to consider a business web hosting service or some form of dedicated web hosting that will be able to offer you the guarantee of security that you require.

If you feel that the disadvantages of shared web hosting could have a negative impact on your web hosting experience then it is recommended that you choose another form of web hosting that fits your criteria.

In conclusion, shared web hosting is a highly effective form of web hosting that allows people to get started with web hosting services for the first time. Whether you choose to go for a cPanel Linux shared hosting account or a Windows shared hosting account, you will find that you won’t have to pay much in order to receive the wide variety of benefits that shared web hosting has to offer.

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A Beginners Guide to Shared Web Hosting

Friday, January 29th, 2010

Shared hosting is where multiple web sites are housed on the same web server. In short, shared web hosting enables many sites to share bandwidth, disk space and server resources and consequently the costs that shared hosting can be provided at is also lower as opposed to the costs of running a dedicated server. For this reason Shared hosting, also known as budget web hosting, is usually low cost and is therefore appropriate for small business owners who are not able to shell out the money to purchase, nor require the features that come with running dedicated servers.

Benefits of Shared Web Hosting

Sharing web hosting enables web masters to host their site(s) on a state of the art server at relatively low monthly fees. The servers provide sites with good uptime guarantees and unlimited connectivity. This is a great option for small and medium sized businesses as they can have their web site up and running quickly without having to learn the latest technical capabilities, nor risk spending a large amount of money. An additional benefit is the speedy setup time and good after sales support that usually comes with shared hosting packages.

Choosing a Shared Web Hosting Provider

Deciding on a shared hosting provider can sometimes be a real challenge due to the large amount of choice that is now present on the Internet. However below are some important factors worth considering when making your selection:

  • Uptime/reliability is one of most important factors to consider when choosing a web host. Check the host’s track record when it comes to server uptime.
  • Features. Are all features and coding language support you require provided? It’s best to check such things early on in order to save you frustration later in moving your site to another web host should you find out a key feature you require cannot be provided by the host.
  • Technical support. Check the level of technical support provided so that you can take maximum advantage of your online presence and ensure any server issues you encounter are dealt with in a timely and efficient manner.
  • Reviews – Check what other people are saying about the host and the service they offer. You can usually find reviews on shared hosting providers by carrying out a quick search in Google.
  • Finally cost. Although in the current economic climate, everyone is looking to save as much money as possible, the lowest cost is not always the best option as you may find yourself paying a higher price later. Take cost into consideration with the above points in order to help you choose the best shared hosting provider for you.

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