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.