An explanation of web hosting
As its name hints, web hosting is a solution, which entails hosting online content. There are different forms and kinds of web hosting, depending on the mission and on the functions. Even so, they all are associated with hosting files, which, once hosted, are made accessible through the Internet. A host is in fact a server that is connected to the Web and has its very own IP address, which enables users to get access to it via the Internet. The hosting server's configuration and its resources are dependent on the kind of hosting solution it will be utilized for.
What are the various forms of web hosting?
Based on the function, the professional web hosting solution may be:
File Web Hosting - this form of web hosting enables the customers to stash their files on a given web server. With the common file hosting service, the files that are saved may only be accessed by the customer that's using the service. This web hosting solution mainly is associated with backups of PCs , documents, personal files and even other web servers. This solution may also impose given limits in relation to the disk storage space and the root-level access. There may also be traffic limits, but that depends on the given web host.
Warez Web Hosting - the so-called warez hosting solution is very similar to the previous hosting service form. However, unlike the file storage web hosting solution, the warez web hosting solution is used for disseminating licensed work without being okayed by the licence keeper. In short - it appertains to the prohibited transmission of files and docs. There are a lot of methods for this to be achieved, but the two principal methods are - through plain HTTP downloading and via peer-to-peer connections. The first way entails either some website, or, most commonly, just a directory on a hosting server that's been made available for everyone to access it and thereby download proprietary content free of charge. The second way entails a peer-to-peer connection, using the so-called Torrent web servers, via which users transmit files between each other. There are just a few site hosting vendors that allow that type of hosting on their web servers, mainly owing to all the legal predicaments that it involves. Commonly such web pages are hosted on personal dedicated web hosting servers that are registered by 3rd party companies either in the Middle East or in Asia.
E-mail Hosting - this solution is utilized with both shared web space hosting and dedicated web servers, depending on the client's intention. If you want to launch your very own private SMTP mail server, then you will require either a private virtual server or a dedicated hosting server that provides the access level required to complete such a procedure. For ordinary e-mail hosting purposes, however, you can utilize a simple shared site hosting account, to which you can point the MX records of your domain name. This is not a service that's widely popular, because the site hosting and the mail hosting services are being served by two separate servers, often owned by different hosting providers.
Website Hosting - the most famous and immensely used hosting service nowadays. It's utilized for hosting website files, whose type is determined by the Operating System the web hosting server is availing of - Linux or Windows. Different types of files need different web hosting server Operating Systems, or else they won't be shown appropriately on the Web. This form of web hosting may contain web space and bandwidth limitations, root access and central processing unit usage limitations.
Based on the purpose and on the usage, the client should choose the type of web server that he requires for his work, and, of course, the website hosting company that's going to furnish it. There are several sorts of servers, based on the specifications and the webspace hosting solutions that they offer. These are:
Shared Hosting Server - a shared web space hosting server includes a smaller amount of system resources, which, of course, reflects on the cost of the service. It can be utilized for hosting small and medium scale websites, which do not demand huge quantities of storage space and traffic.
Semi-Dedicated Servers - they are based on the very same principle as the shared web space hosting servers. However, there are much less users hosted on the same hosting server. For that reason, each of them will get a larger quota of the server's resources like RAM, web space, web traffic and CPU. Excellent for hosting big web sites that do not need complete server root access.
Virtual Servers - the Virtual Private Servers are ideal for medium web pages, which do demand root access to the hosting server's configuration files. Traditionally, there are a bunch of virtual private web server accounts placed on the same physical server. Still, each of them is isolated from the other ones and runs its own Operating System.
Dedicated Server Hosting - a fully dedicated web hosting server configured and accessed by you and solely you. It ensures an immense amount of resources. It also includes 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 webspace hosting firm should I choose?
As stated above, there aren't many hosting providers providing warez web hosting services due to judicial problems. Such hosts are being closed down virtually every month. That is why, if you wish to establish such a service, you should do it on your very own personal computer. The shared web site hosting service is the most widespread kind of hosting service. For that reason, every web space hosting vendor offers it. Not all of them, however, provide services such as private virtual servers, semi-dedicated web servers and dedicated servers. Most of the small sized hosting providers do not have the resources demanded for offering those services. For that reason it's always best to pick a bigger host that can supply its clients with all the services that they are searching for. You can quickly identify such hosts by the types of solutions that they are offering and by the manner in which they present them to the customers. For example, some web hosts allow you to commence with a smaller website hosting account and subsequently move to a more powerful one, if you find it obligatory to do so. This is quite convenient, since you do not need to move web pages between web hosting servers and there is no risk of suffering downtime because of all the complications that may crop up. Web hosts like System X Designs provide all kinds of services and possess the adequate web hosting server resources and staff to guarantee that their customers will not come across any hassles when changing services, which is what a top hosting vendor is in fact all about.