A description of web hosting
As its name signifies, web hosting is a solution, which entails hosting online content. There are different forms and kinds of hosting, depending on the purpose and on the functions. In spite of that, they all are related to hosting files, which, once hosted, are made available through the World Wide Web. A web host is actually a web hosting service that is connected to the Web and has its very own Internet Protocol address, which permits users to gain access to it via the World Wide Web. The server's configuration and its limitations depend on the sort of hosting service it will be used for.
What are the various types of hosting?
Depending on the goal, the business hosting service may be:
File Web Hosting - this form of web hosting allows the clients to store their files on a particular web server. With the routine file storage hosting solution, the files that are deposited may only be accessed by the individual that's utilizing the service. This web hosting solution normally entails backups of computers , documents, private files and even other hosting servers. This solution may also contain certain limits when it comes to the web storage space and the root access. There may also be bandwidth limitations, but that is dependent on the actual host.
Warez Hosting - the so-called warez web hosting service is resembling the previous hosting service type. Yet, unlike the file hosting service, the warez web hosting service is used for propagating patented work without the sanction of the patent proprietor. In short - it is related to the prohibited distribution of files and materials. There are many ways for this to be attained, but the 2 principal methods are - via simple Hypertext Transfer Protocol downloading and via peer-to-peer connections. The first way entails either a certain web site, or, most often, just a directory on a server that's been made available for everybody to access it and thereby download copyrighted documents free of cost. The second method involves a peer-to-peer connection, making use of the so-called Torrent web servers, through which people exchange files between each other. There are not many webspace hosting suppliers that permit that form of web hosting on their web hosting servers, mainly due to all the legal entanglements that it involves. Commonly such websites are hosted on private dedicated servers that are registered by third-party enterprises either in the Middle East or in Asia.
Electronic Mail Web Hosting - this service is relevant with both shared web space hosting and dedicated servers, based on the user's desire. If you desire to build your own personal SMTP server, then you will need either a virtual web server or a dedicated hosting server that offers the level of access required to complete such an operation. For ordinary mail web hosting ends, however, you can create a regular shared web site hosting account, to which you can point the MX records of your domain. This is not a solution that's very famous, since the web site hosting and the mail hosting services are being served by 2 separate web servers, often owned by separate companies.
Web Page Hosting - the most famous and frequently used hosting service nowadays. It's used for hosting site files, whose kind is determined by the Operating System the server is availing of - Linux or Windows. Different kinds of files demand specific server OSs, or else they won't be displayed accurately on the Web. This kind of web hosting may include storage space and web traffic restrictions, root-level access and CPU usage restrictions.
Based on the aims and on the functions, the user should select the sort of web server that he needs for his work, and, of course, the website hosting company that's going to supply it. There are different kinds of web hosting servers, depending on the specs and the website hosting services that they provide. These are:
Shared Website Hosting Server - a shared website hosting server offers a smaller amount of resources, which, of course, is manifested in the price of the service. It can be utilized for hosting small scale and middle sized online portals, which do not require vast amounts of web storage space and traffic.
Semi-Dedicated Servers Hosting - they function on the same principle as the shared hosting servers. Still, there are much less clients sharing the same hosting server. Therefore, each of them will get a larger quota of the web server's resources like RAM, web storage, web traffic and CPU. Excellent for hosting immense websites that do not need root access.
Virtual Servers - the VPS web servers are ideal for medium web pages, which do require root-level access to the web hosting server's config files. Generally, there are a few VPS server web hosting accounts situated on the same machine. In spite of that, each of them is isolated from the rest and has its own Operating System.
Dedicated Server Hosting - a fully dedicated physical server configured and accessed by you and solely you. It ensures a huge amount of resources. It also offers complete root-level access, which renders it a perfect platform for any sort of site that needs a hosting solution.
The only question that remains is:
Which webspace hosting company should I settle on?
As stated above, there are very few web hosts providing warez web hosting solutions because of legal entanglements. Such hosting providers are being shut down practically every month. That is why, if you want to provide such a service, you should do it on your own PC. The shared web hosting service is the most widespread kind of hosting service. That is why, every webspace hosting corporation provides it. Not all of them, though, provide services such as VPS servers, semi-dedicated servers and dedicated servers. Most of the smaller web hosting companies do not have the resources required for maintaining those solutions. Because of that it's always best to select a bigger hosting company that can furnish its clients with all the services that they request. You can quickly ID such companies by the types of solutions that they are supplying and by the manner in which they introduce them to the clients. For example, some web hosts allow you to begin with a small scale web hosting plan and afterwards upgrade to a more powerful one, if you find it necessary to do so. This is extremely convenient, since you do not have to migrate web portals between web servers and there is no chance of experiencing service disturbances due to all the problems that may arise. Hosting companies such as Labohost offer all sorts of solutions and possess the needed web hosting server resources and staff to guarantee that their clients will not encounter any troubles when changing services, which is what a top hosting provider is actually all about.