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Virtual
Hosting Options - Part 1
Operating System Software
The first option you must select, when
choosing a host, is what server operating system you want to use.
The most common are UNIX (and all variations), Linux, Windows NT
and Macintosh. In a virtual hosting plan, there is little interaction
with the operating system.
However,
if you are planning to use a certain script, or programming language,
this could influence your choice. Example: If you plan to run scripts
written in Perl or C, UNIX or Linux would be the logical choice.
If you plan to use VBScript or ASP (Active Server Pages), NT / Windows
2000 would be the logical choice.
My recommendation
for most sites is Linux due to its stability and security.
- UNIX
has
been around for a long time. It is a multi-user, multitasking
operating system. UNIX is written in the C language and was developed
by AT&T in 1969. If was distributed freely to government agencies
and education institutions.
Many variations have surfaced from the original UNIX: Sun's Solaris,
Digital's UNIX, HP's HP-UX, IBM's AIX and SCO's UnixWare. UNIX
is one of the most stable and secure platforms available today
(excluding Linux). For this reason, UNIX is the great choice for
web servers. I have heard stories of UNIX servers running for
many years without the need of shutdown and restarts!
- Linux
is a newer variation of UNIX. Linux was developed by
Linus Torvalds in 1990 as an educational aid. Linux is very stable
and secure and has grown in popularity with web hosing companies.
It is also distributed freely.
- Windows
NT
is a 32-bit operating system developed in 1993 by Microsoft. The
main difference between NT and Windows 3.11/95/98 is NT does not
run over DOS, it is a self contained operating system. Windows
is less stable and secure than UNIX, but it is easier to learn
and work with (in my opinion). IIS (Internet Information Server)
is generally the web site software, but Apache, Netscape software
can be installed on a NT system.
-
Macintosh OS Server
is only for those die hard Mac fans. Although Steve Jobs, ICIO
for Apple, thinks it is the greatest thing since sliced bread,
it just does not offer the advantages (stability, languages) of
other operating systems.
Disk Space
How much disk space do you actually need? Let's look at our site,
iwdhostsupport.com. At the time of the tutorial the site contains
around 150 pages with graphics. Our site is only 4 MB in size (excluding
log files which I will get to in a minute). Don't spend extra for
space you do not need. A quick formula for calculating an estimate
of size is:
Number
of Pages X .05 MB = Total Size in MB
Your pages should
not be larger that 50KB (that is where the .05 MB is derived from)
in size. Joe Q Public will not wait an an hour just to see your
page and probably just leave before it loads. A typical site with
50 pages and graphic should use no more than 2-4 MB.
One catch to
this rule is log files. Log files are files that contain information
on site traffic and visitors. Now when I say information, I don't
mean the visitors name and social security number. It is a log of
how many pages (impressions) where shown, how many requests (hits)
were made to the site, etc. These log files are very useful.
As you can
imagine, log files can become very large quickly. In order to maintain
order with your logs, backup and delete old logs occasionally (depending
on your traffic).
An important
question you need to ask your potential host is, "What happens
if I exceed my designated space and how easy is it upgrade to more
space?" Most providers will charge you a nominal fee for space
over your set limit.
You should
check this cost, prior to signing up, because if you anticipate
you site growing larger down the road, a different plan may be a
better option.
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