A description of web hosting
As its name signifies, web hosting is a service, which involves hosting online content. There are various varieties and types of hosting, depending on the aims and on the functions. However, they all are associated with hosting files, which, once hosted, are made available through the Internet. A host is actually a hosting server that is linked to the Internet and has its own IP address, which enables users to gain access to it via the World Wide Web. The web server's architecture and its system resources are subject to the sort of web hosting service it will be used for.
What are the various forms of web hosting?
Depending on the function, the hosting service may be:
File Storage Web Hosting - this type of hosting allows the users to store their files on a certain hosting server. With the regular file storage web hosting solution, the files that are stored may only be accessed by the client that's availing of the service. This hosting service mainly appertains to backups of PCs , docs, private files and even other servers. This solution may also involve given limitations with regard to the disk storage space and the root-level access. There may also be bandwidth limitations, but that depends on the given web hosting provider.
Warez Web Hosting - the so-called warez hosting service is quite similar to the previous web hosting service form. However, unlike the file storage hosting solution, the warez web hosting solution is used for circulating licensed work without the approval of the license proprietor. In brief - it appertains to the criminal propagation of files and docs. There are multiple methods for this to be executed, but the 2 principal ways are - via plain HTTP downloading and via peer-to-peer connections. The first approach entails either some web page, or, most often, just a directory on a web hosting server that's been made available for everybody to access it and thereby download copyrighted documents for free. The second way entails a peer-to-peer connection, making use of the so-called Torrent servers, via which users share files between each other. There are very few web site hosting firms that permit that type of hosting on their web servers, mainly owing to all the judicial troubles that it involves. Commonly such websites are hosted on private dedicated hosting servers that are registered by 3rd party corporations either in the Middle East or in Asia.
Mail Web Hosting - this service is used with both shared web space hosting and dedicated web hosting servers, based on the client's intention. If you desire to set up your very own private SMTP electronic mail server, then you will require either a virtual web hosting server or a dedicated server that provides the level of access needed to perform such an assignment. For common mail hosting ends, though, you can set up an average 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 hosting and the email hosting services are being served by two separate web servers, usually belonging to different firms.
Web Site Hosting - the most famous and vastly utilized hosting service at the moment. It's used for hosting website files, whose kind depends on the OS the hosting server is using - Linux or Windows. Different types of files request different hosting server Operating Systems, or else they won't be displayed accurately on the Web. This kind of web hosting may involve disk storage space and web traffic quota limitations, root-level access and CPU usage limitations.
Depending on the aims and on the objectives, the client should choose the type of web server that he requires for his project, and, of course, the webspace hosting vendor that's going to provide it. There are various sorts of servers, based on the specs and the website hosting solutions that they provide. These are:
Shared Web Hosting Server - a shared site hosting server includes a smaller amount of system resources, which, of course, is reflected on the cost of the service. It can be used for hosting small scale and medium size web pages, which do not demand considerable quantities of server storage space and traffic.
Semi-Dedicated Servers - they function on the same principle as the shared hosting servers. Yet, there are much fewer users accommodated on the same web hosting server. Therefore, each of them will get a greater share of the web server's resources like RAM, data storage, web traffic and CPU. Ideal for hosting heavy web portals that do not require full root access.
VPS - the private virtual web hosting servers are excellent for medium sized web portals, which do need root access to the web server's config files. Usually, there are a handful of virtual web server hosting accounts accommodated on the same machine. However, each of them is insulated from the other ones and runs its own Operating System.
Dedicated Server Hosting - a completely dedicated server set up and accessed by you and solely you. It guarantees a tremendous quantity of resources. It also gives server root access, which makes it an excellent solution for any type of site that necessitates a webspace hosting solution.
The sole question that's left is:
Which hosting supplier should I pick?
As already stated, there are not many web hosts providing warez hosting services because of judicial entanglements. Such providers are being shut down practically every month. Therefore, if you wish to provide such a service, you should do it on your very own personal computer. The shared site hosting service is the most widespread kind of hosting service. Hence, each site hosting supplier provides it. Not all of them, however, provide solutions such as virtual web hosting servers, semi-dedicated web servers and dedicated web servers. Most of the smaller webspace hosting providers do not have the resources required for offering those services. That is the reason why it's invariably best to pick a larger company that can furnish its clients with all the solutions that they necessitate. You can easily identify such hosting companies by the types of services that they are making available and by the way that they introduce them to the clients. For example, certain companies permit you to start with a smaller hosting plan and subsequently shift to a more powerful one, if you deem it necessary to do so. This is extremely convenient, because you do not need to relocate sites between web hosting servers and there is no danger of facing downtime because of all the problems that may arise. Web hosts such as HostingGANG are offering all types of services and have the necessary server resources and staff to assure that their clients will not experience any problems when changing services, which is what a top hosting corporation is in fact all about.