A description of hosting
As its name hints, web hosting is a solution, which entails hosting online content. There are various forms and types of hosting, depending on the purpose and on the usage. In spite of that, they all entail hosting files, which, once hosted, are made available through the Web. A web host is actually a hosting server that is linked to the Web and has its own Internet Protocol address, which enables people to access it via the World Wide Web. The hosting server's configuration and its resources are subject to the form of hosting solution it will be used for.
What are the various types of hosting?
Based on the function, the business hosting solution may be:
File Storage Hosting - this type of hosting allows the clients to lodge their files on a given web server. With the routine file storage web hosting service, the files that are saved may only be accessed by the person that's using the service. This hosting solution normally involves backups of PCs , documents, personal files and even other servers. This solution may also impose certain limits in terms of the data storage space and the root-level access. There may also be web traffic restrictions, but that depends on the actual host.
Warez Web Hosting - the so-called warez web hosting solution is comparable with the previous hosting service type. Yet, unlike the file web hosting solution, the warez hosting solution is utilized for distributing proprietary work without being green-lighted by the patent keeper. In short - it is associated with the illicit transmission of files and documents. There are a lot of approaches for this to be fulfilled, but the two main ways are - through simple HTTP downloading and through peer-to-peer connections. The first approach entails either a specific site, or, most often, simply a directory on a web server that's been made available for everyone to access it and thus download copyrighted content free of cost. The second approach entails a P2P connection, availing of the so-called Torrent web servers, via which people transmit files between each other. There are not many webspace hosting distributors that allow that type of web hosting on their web servers, mainly due to all the judicial problems that it entails. Generally such web sites are hosted on personal dedicated web hosting servers that are registered by 3rd party firms either in the Middle East or in Asia.
Email Web Hosting - this solution is relevant with both shared web page hosting and dedicated hosting servers, depending on the client's wish. If you want to set up your own personal SMTP electronic mail server, then you will need either a virtual private web hosting server or a dedicated hosting server that offers the level of access needed to perform such an assignment. For ordinary mail web hosting purposes, however, you can open a conventional shared web space hosting account, to which you can point the MX records of your domain. This is not a service that's very used, since the web page hosting and the e-mail hosting services are being served by 2 separate web servers, often belonging to separate providers.
Web Page Hosting - the most popular and largely used hosting service nowadays. It's utilized for hosting site files, whose kind is dependent on the OS the web server is using - Linux or Windows. Different sorts of files demand specific web server OSs, otherwise they won't be exhibited properly on the Internet. This type of web hosting may involve web storage space and traffic restrictions, server root access and CPU usage restrictions.
Based on the mission and on the objectives, the client should choose the sort of web hosting server that he needs for his project, and, of course, the web space hosting firm that's going to furnish it. There are several types of servers, based on the specifications and the website hosting services that they offer. These are:
Shared Hosting Server - a shared web space hosting server includes a smaller amount of system resources, which, of course, is manifested in the cost of the service. It can be utilized for hosting small sized and middle size websites, which do not require enormous quotas of storage space and traffic.
Semi-Dedicated Servers Hosting - they are based on the same principle as the shared web servers. Yet, there are much less customers hosted on the same web server. Hence, each of them will obtain a bigger share of the web hosting server's resources like RAM, server storage, web traffic and CPU. Perfect for hosting bulky web sites that do not require full root access.
VPS hosting - the private virtual servers are ideal for medium web portals, which do need root access to the web server's configuration files. Usually, there are a few VPS hosting server accounts accommodated on the same machine. Nevertheless, each of them is autonomous from the others and has its own OS.
Dedicated Servers - a completely dedicated server configured and accessed by you and only you. It guarantees a large quantity of system resources. It also includes server root access, which renders it an ideal environment for any type of online portal that needs a website hosting solution.
The sole question that remains is:
Which site hosting supplier should I select?
As stated above, there are just a few web hosting companies providing warez hosting solutions due to legal entanglements. Such companies are being shut down practically every month. That is why, if you desire to start such a service, you should do it on your very own computer. The shared hosting service is the most widely spread type of web hosting service. Because of that, each web space hosting provider provides it. Not all of them, though, provide services such as virtual private web servers, semi-dedicated servers and dedicated web hosting servers. Most of the smaller hosting firms do not have the means needed for offering those services. That's why it's always best to select a larger hosting company that can provide its customers with all the solutions that they are searching for. You can easily ID such web hosting companies by the sorts of services that they are offering and by the manner in which they introduce them to the clientele. For example, certain web hosting companies permit you to commence with a small scale website hosting package and subsequently upgrade to a more advanced one, if you deem it mandatory to do so. This is very convenient, because you do not have to move sites between hosting servers and there is no risk of facing network outages due to all the problems that may arise. Web hosts like NTC Hosting offer all kinds of solutions and have the necessary web hosting server resources and staff to guarantee that their clients will not chance upon any troubles when changing services, which is what a top hosting distributor is actually all about.