Keyword Rich Domains: Why choose them?

Keyword rich domain names play a crucial role in success of any website. When you select a domain you definitely want it to be exclusive and easy to recall, but once it is search engine friendly it becomes easier for others to find you on the web. Though there are several factors to consider that can lead to success of your website, the one that we will be discussing today is the importance of having a keyword rich domain. Keyword rich domain names are those names that are relevant to your business. Here are certain benefits of registering a keyword rich domain name.

Physical Targeting

If you plan to target your local market, then you will need your domain name to reflect this fact. Your local users will find it easy to locate you on your geographical identifier on search engines.

If you have a keyword rich domain you will find it easier to insert a number of modifiers that may be useful and relevant to your website. The keywords used in your domain name should appeal to the local targeted market, which can eventually help in generating good traffic.

Pay Per Click Ads

Keyword rich domains are very beneficial for pay for click ads and banner ads. Those who see an ad with a unique domain name that contains relevant terms are more prone to click on those ads and the link on them.

Keywords have always been a standard part of search engine optimization. It indicates to a potential client that your website is related to the particular niche that they looking for.

Targeted Customers

Domain Registration is compulsory and your domain name is a very important factor that directs quality traffic to your websites. You should not take for granted that keyword rich domains can just provide you short cuts to achieve high rankings on the search engines. A domain check on search engines can provide you with a variety of keyword rich domains.

Domain names that are rich in keywords are a part of an overall strategy, for optimization offsite and onsite. Apart from keyword rich domain names there are domain names that have earned fame as a brand such as YouTube, Tweeter and Facebook. They have innumerable loyal visitors and are considered to be community-based-websites. Businesses who wish to compete should always try to use keyword rich domain names.

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Dedicated Servers vs. Cloud Servers – 5 Differences Compared

Whether you’ve just been tasked with finding a new hosting platform for your company’s website, or you’ve just departed the corporate world to build a “better mousetrap”, you will be faced with many decisions on how to handle your website or applications. When researching hosting options, it doesn’t take long to identify dedicated servers and cloud servers as the two most popular options. The question then becomes, how do you decide which is better for your specific application or business model. In this article, we compare five key factors to consider when choosing a server.

Dedicated and Cloud Servers both perform similar basic functions. They receive requests for the information they store, process those requests, and then return that information back to the user. While seemingly straightforward, the differences in how these options handle basic functions can greatly affect implementation time, the users’ experience, and your bottom line.

Configuration Differences

As we’ve previously covered, Dedicated Servers and Cloud Servers are widely utilized by companies who need reliability and performance. Due to a more robust systems architecture, they can (usually) handle significantly more traffic, provide faster response times, and ensure greater application resiliency than shared or VPS hosting. This is achieved with the configuration of the physical server, or in the case of cloud, the underlying hypervisor. Let’s review these configuration differences:

A dedicated server is a self-contained physical unit that includes all of the necessary hardware for a business to host their product. As the name implies, this unit is “dedicated” to a single host allowing for maximum control and configurability. The processor, memory, and disk storage are chosen during initial set up. Additional memory and disks can be added to the configuration as long as there are available slots or bays.

Unlike dedicated servers, multiple cloud server environments are hosted on a physical machine. Cloud servers tend to allocate storage using a large SAN or other clustered filesystem, such as Ceph. The virtual machine data and hosted data are decentralized to accommodate hosting multiple cloud environments on the same physical server. This also provides for state migration in the event of failure. A hypervisor is installed on a separate server to handle the partitioning of different sized cloud servers (virtual machines). The hypervisor also manages the physical resources that are allotted to each cloud server such as RAM, storage space, and processor cores.

Five Dedicated / Cloud Server Comparison Areas

The configuration differences between dedicated servers and cloud servers are clear. Here are five categories where these differences become apparent.

1. Performance

Data Transfer Speed

Dedicated servers typically store and process data locally. Due to this relative proximity, when a request is made, there is very little delay in retrieving and processing information. This gives dedicated servers an edge when milliseconds and microseconds count – such as with heavy computing or high-frequency financial transactions.

Cloud servers, on the other hand, need to access data from the SAN. This requires that a request traverse the backend infrastructure to be processed. Once the data is returned, it still has to be routed by the hypervisor to the allotted processor before it can be handled. This extra trip back and forth to the SAN and the additional processing time, introduce latency that wouldn’t otherwise be evident.

Processing

Multiple cloud servers are typically housed on a physical server. As a result, processor cores need to be effectively managed to avoid performance degradation. This processor management is done by the hypervisor – an application built specifically to divide physical server resources among underlying cloud servers. Due to the way most hypervisors allocate resources, this can add another layer of latency to cloud hosting. Any request must be scheduled and placed into a queue to be executed.

Dedicated servers, by definition, have processors that are devoted to the application or website that is hosted on the server. They do not need to queue requests unless all processing power is being utilized. This allows the greatest level of flexibility and capability. Thus, many enterprise-level systems engineers choose dedicated servers for CPU intensive tasks, while utilizing cloud servers for other tasks.

Networking

Cloud servers provide advanced flexibility and scalability due to their decentralized data storage and shared nature. While sharing certain things works well, sharing a physical network interface puts a tenant at risk of bandwidth throttling. This throttling can occur when other tenants on the server are also utilizing the same network interface. Many hosting providers have the option for a dedicated network interface card (NIC) to be provisioned to a cloud server. This is recommended if you need to utilize the max available bandwidth. However, implementing NICs can be costly due to the complexity of implementation.

Dedicated servers are not at risk of throttling that is caused by a shared environment since their network interfaces are dedicated to the hosted application. Networking is also far simpler with dedicated servers and this introduces fewer points of failure.

2. Scalability

Storage

Cloud server storage expansion is virtually limitless, provided the vendor is using a recent hypervisor and operating system. Due to the off-host nature of the storage provided by the SAN, additional storage space can be provisioned without interacting with the cloud server. This means that cloud storage expansion will not usually incur downtime. Cloud servers offer clear benefits to high-profile or unproven products that may require massive and instant scalability.

Dedicated servers have limited storage capacity due to the physical number of drive bays or DAS arrays available on the server. Additional storage can be added only if there are open bays. Adding drives to open bays can generally be accomplished with a modern RAID controller, associated memory module / battery, and underlying LVM filesystem. However, additional DAS arrays are rarely hot-swappable and will require an outage in order to be added. This downtime can be avoided, but requires a significant amount of preparation, and will generally require maintaining multiple copies of critical application data in a multi-hub setup.

Processing

Cloud server customers are limited to the processor speed and cloud node type that their hosting provider offers. While additional cores can be provisioned to a cloud tenant, limitations may be experienced based on occupancy and resources allocated on the node. This can limit large-scale hosts within a cloud environment. However, if there are cores available on the server, they can be provisioned instantly.

Dedicated servers cannot change their processors without a maintenance window. If additional processing capabilities are needed, a site will either need to be migrated to a completely different server, or be networked with another dedicated server to help manage exponential platform growth.

3. Migration

Cloud server resources can be provisioned instantly and are limited only by the underlying host or node. However, large expansions will require scale-out planning that leverages multiple cloud servers or a migration to a dedicated or hybrid cloud architecture.

Dedicated server migrations have many of the same limitations. The downtime for both use-cases is a side effect of transferring the OS and data from the old physical server to the new.

Seamless migration is achievable in both instances; however, it requires a significant investment in both time and resource planning. When migrating, the new solution should consider both current and future growth, and provide an effective scalability plan. Both the old and new solutions will need to run concurrently until the “switch is flipped” and the new server(s) take over. Additionally, the old server(s) will need to be maintained as a backup for a short time to ensure that the new platform is performing within its operational expectations.

4. Systems Administration / Operational Differences

Cloud server planning and operation has considerably different implications than dedicated servers. While scalability is generally faster and has less impact on operations, it has a much lower ceiling of capability. Limitations of the cloud environment need to be analyzed and planned for. Cloud servers do allow you to focus on and take advantage of solutions automation (i.e. Docker, Kubernetes, Puppet, Chef, etc.) and optimize your server usage for cost and efficiency. Currently, solutions automation is much more difficult to accomplish with many “one size fits all” dedicated server providers that do not hone products to your needs.

5. Price

Both cloud servers and dedicated servers have different aspects that can make their cost profile vary widely. In our discussion on scalability, we mentioned that dedicated network interfaces for cloud servers can be a valuable, albeit expensive, option. Additionally, dedicated servers can be affixed with terabytes of memory, NVMe disks, 10/25/100GbE Network cards, and countless other hardware options that will increase the cost. Cloud servers will generally have a cost advantage at the lower end of the spectrum, but tend to lose their cost efficiency at scale. Meanwhile, a dedicated server will have a higher entry cost, but provide more reliable and cost-efficient scaling as your product grows.

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Domain name and web hosting, what’s the difference?

When setting up your first website it’s not uncommon to get confused between domain name registration and web hosting.

Your domain name is the name of your site or your url (www.want2host.com) and can be purchased by going to a domain name registrar. Domain names usually range from about $10 to $50/year depending on the extension. (.ca are more expensive than .com.)

In order for your website to appear on the Internet, the files need to be uploaded to a server. These can be “hosted” at a hosting company. Hosting is usually billed monthly or annually at a rate of $10 to $50/month depending on how the type of server you need and how much space and bandwidth you are using.

Domain names can be purchased anywhere, but it’s convenient to buy the domain and set up hosting in the same location.

When setting up WordPress sites, I recommend the following hosting providers:

◈ bluehost.com
◈ dreamhost.com
◈ mediatemple.net
◈ retrix.net
◈ blacksun.ca
◈ webnames.ca

All of these hosting companies provide domain name registration as well as hosting making it very convenient.

You can however, purchase a domain name and then host it somewhere else.

The following domain name registrars are quite popular:

◈ register.com
◈ domainpeople.com
◈ doteasy.com
◈ godaddy.com
◈ gandi.net

Once you’ve purchased a domain name, you will be provided with login details to access your account. It’s important to keep this info on hand and pass it on to your web developer.

If you’ve purchased a domain name at one company and decide to host it somewhere else, then you’ll need to login to your domain registrar and modify the dns. This dns change just tells your domain registrar that the url you are using is now being hosted by someone else.

Before modifying the dns, be mindful of your email addresses. If you’ve set up email addresses with your domain registrar, you will need to set these up again with your hosting provider. Before making any changes, it’s best to contact your web developer or IT department and make sure that any changes won’t incur email loss.

This whole domain name registration and hosting may seem daunting but it’s very simple once you’ve done it once or twice. If you’re setting up a brand new site, choosing one of the hosting companies to purchase both domain name and hosting will make it simpler. If you’ve already purchased the domain name somewhere else, just make sure that you keep your login details to both domain registrar and hosting provider and pass this info to your web developer.

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10 Superb Uses of Dedicated Servers

So, you’ve invested big money to get yourself dedicated server hosting. You’ve got the expertise, you’ve hired the right people, you’ve got the infrastructure for it? We’re here to tell you the many ways you can use your dedicated servers to its full potential:

1. Web server: This is the most common use of dedicated servers – got tons of traffic on your website? Dedicated servers are perfect for hosting such a site. If you’ve outgrown your shared servers, dedicated hosting is the next best alternative for you.

2. Backup server: Technical failure, human error or natural disasters can be threats to data security. Use your dedicated servers to back-up all your data so as to avoid the risk of losing essential data for good.

3. Database: Your dedicated server could double as a reliable, efficient data storage system for other applications and websites. Additionally, the dedicated server can be used for analyzing data & archiving.

4. Application Server: Where your Dedicated server is used for a single, large, specific application. These applications are generally business critical hence you can have multiple dedicated servers setup so as to ensure load distribution & splitting.

5. E-mail servers: E-mail servers allow you to manage e-mails and have complete control over the reception, the distribution & delivery. It’s best to have your e-mail at your own domain so you can manage the storage & upload limit. With your own server, you can send heavy files without a size cap.

6. Chat room servers: Get your own chat room set up, also known at the IRC server. Every chat room uses this server, allowing file transfers, encryption, proxy, chat bots etc.

7. VPN Servers: Virtual Private Network servers provide secure connections over public networks & channelizes all your traffic through these connections.

8. Nagios Server: This server is useful for monitoring if something goes wrong with your host server & lets you know the approximate time required to fix it. It monitors network issues, host resources & network probes like moisture & temperature.

9. Video Streaming: Your dedicated servers are built to handle heavy files & large traffic making it ideal for video streaming.

10. Music Jukebox: A web based jukebox allows you to play & organise your music files from any device you use. Use it to stream different high quality multimedia at various bandwidths. Access your music library from anywhere.

If you’ve got more ideas on how you can use your dedicated servers, we’d love to hear from you!

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Top 5 Advantages and Disadvantages of PHP Framework

PHP (Hypertext Preprocessor) is a server-side scripting language utilized by web programmers to create web applications and websites. This popular programming language was first created by Rasmus Laird in 1994. PHP was installed on more than 240 million websites and 2.1 million internet servers in 2013. Its files have many extensions like.PHP, .Phtml or.php5. Even though PHP is the most widespread programming language used for creating websites, it has some advantages and disadvantages. This article attempts to figure out the advantages and disadvantages of PHP frameworks.

Advantages of PHP

Cross-Platform

PHP is, an application can be run on various platforms. The most important advantage of PHP is the developer need not have to worry about the operating system the user is working on. As the PHP code run properly and smoothly on all operating systems. Furthermore, the server-side scripting language or PHP hosting service providers can easily be found.

Ease of use

Any individuals who are new to programming can easily learn to use them within a short duration of time. The syntax for programming in the hypertext preprocessor is quite similar to the C programming language. So the individual who is familiar with C can easily create PHP website scripts.

Speed

A very vital side of web development is the speed. Considering the very important fact, some individuals still struggle with the challenge of web data speed. A quick loading website always appreciated by many individuals. Furthermore, individuals typically like quick loading web sites compared to slower loading ones. Folks use PHP because of the important fact that it’s quick.

Open source and Powerful library support

Another advantage to using the PHP hyper text Preprocessor is it’s developed and maintained by a cluster of PHP developers, this help in making a support community, extensive extension library. PHP additionally has immense collection functional modules and a few of the modules available in PHP include Graphics and PDF amongst others.

Stable

PHP has been in existence for about twenty-two years. Over this era, many developers have worked on the application to enhance the usage of the application. lots of bugs are discovered over the years and therefore the bugs are fixed quickly by the team of developers. Based on this, the programming language is currently very stable.

Disadvantages of PHP

Weak type

By the way, the PHP preprocessor hypertext language was created, it’ll be tough to use it to program large applications. Since the programming language isn’t extremely modular, large applications created out of the programming language are tough to keep up. Furthermore, it’s so an excellent language for web site scripting and developing small applications.

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VPS Hosting: Most widely used Infrastructure for web!

A VPS is a very good and logical selection for hosting requirements. A VPS permits one to host sites and software applications smoothly such as content, media, extranet, CRM etc. It enables numerous applications to be remote from each other. The resources are exclusively owned by the user, despite the infrastructure being shared with the other containers.

Many people are confused while selecting a hosting server among shared server and Virtual Private Server (VPS). If one wants the working to be like shared hosting with more access to the server root, isolated environment, and resources dedicated to themselves, then they should definitely go for VPS hosting. A VPS hosting is a server which provides its own copy of operating system and given resources of a server within an even bigger server. It also provides the facility of hosting every website on a much more powerful hardware. The units involved in the functioning of a virtual private server functions independently because the actual physical machine is divided into several virtual compartments upon which the server’s software is setup separately. Dedicated Hosting and Shared Hosting have always been a big competition to VPS Hosting but VPS Hosting takes the lead as dedicated hosting other than being more powerful, is more expensive too. Whereas shared hosting, which takes a lead in budget points because of its cheap price is not as flexible as VPS hosting.

The biggest advantage of VPS hosting is that it can be rebooted or reinstalled and even if the virtual server is damaged, the operations of the physical server would not be affected. Lost of some data might take place. There are numerous uses of VPS. Some of which are the following:

◈ Running a website
◈ Hosting a server
◈ Hosting e-commerce Store
◈ Backup
◈ Using seed box of torrents
◈ Testing new environments

One should switch to or opt for VPS hosting in case they face the following issues:

◈ High amount of incoming traffic
◈ Need better security and stable stream of resources for better website reliability
◈ Require complete control over your website to host and perform advanced options
◈ No longer want to maintain your server. VPS has zero maintenance
◈ Need freedom to choose the operating system and software and other applications

Virtual Private Server is able to serve the owner with such benefits because the data of the person using a VPS is stored on a Virtual server in the former of a virtual machine (VM). VPS Hosting provides privacy as one doesn’t share their OS with any other. No one else has access to the owner’s files which makes the server as well as the website more safe and secure. So virtual private servers are the perfect solution to grow with you, offering the efficient amount of RAM and hard drive space along with unlimited bandwidth and the domains. It also promises less downtime, security holes and friction for working with new software.

VPS servers are mostly set up so they have a dedicated allocation of resources. It is the perfect solution for ensuring a robust service for a reasonable price, high speed, and a good choice before leveling up to a dedicated server.

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Cloud Hosting: All You Need to Know!

Cloud hosting is based on the most innovative cloud computing technologies which allows unlimited number of machines to act as one system. Cloud hosting services render various useful features which makes it the hottest trend so far in the hosting market. It is a method of configuring servers in a flexible way.

Advantages

The client can tap into their service as much as they need, depending on the demands of their website, and they will only pay for what they use.It serves as an effective alternative to hosting websites on single servers due to several reasons :

◈ Flexibility
◈ Reliability
◈ Security
◈ Cost efficient
◈ Ubiquitous
◈ Seamless scalability
◈ Automatic Software Upgrades
◈ Eco-Friendly

Nowadays, the demand for bandwidth is fluctuating all the time. Cloud server is extremely flexible since it allows the user to increase or decrease their capacity. Along with which it provides the facility of data recovery which saves time, avoids large up — front investment and roll-up third party expertise. What makes a cloud server unique is that the suppliers of the respective cloud server take care of it for the user or buyer and updates the software on a regular basis including all security updates so that the owner can focus on growing their business rather than the maintenance of the server.

Furthermore looking at the budget, Cloud hosting cuts out the high cost of hardware. With the much cheaper price, the user gets five times more CPU power as compared to the other servers. Additionally it allows work from anywhere which makes the companies become global. Another benefit would be the feature of a Hypervisor. A hypervisor helps run a cloud server by controlling the capacity of an operating systems due to which it is allocated where it is needed.

Other than the above-mentioned uses, cloud server runs as a software- independent units. A cloud server obtains all the software it requires to run and function consequently not requiring a centrally-installed software.

Applications of Cloud Hosting

◈ Infrastructure as a service(IaaS), Platform as a service (PaaS) and Software as a service (SaaS)
◈ Test and Development
◈ Data Analytics
◈ File storage
◈ Data backup
◈ File recovery
◈ E-mail
◈ Website hosting
◈ E-commerce
◈ Private and hybrid clouds

Mainly it is about computing through the internet whereas previously people would run applications or programs from software downloaded on a physical computer or server.

Types of Cloud Hosting

There are three forms of cloud hosting and computing which facilitate virtual resources through the internet. The three main categories are as follows :

◈ IaaS- Infrastructure as a service is also known as the foundation of cloud computing. It provides the users with an option of renting a space in a virtual data center from an IaaS provider. It provides the raw materials for this technology and takes the responsibility for the hardware and helps to maintain all servers and ensures smooth running.

◈ PaaS- Platform as a service is designed to support the development, functioning and maintenance of applications over the internet. PaaS makes the development, testing, and deployment of applications quick, simple and cost effective.

◈ SaaS- Software as a service is a software distribution model which helps one to host third — party applications as a result of which it allows them to become available to clients on the internet or a web browser. A central location manages it’s software.

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What Is Clustered Web Hosting?

Clustered web hosting means hosting on multiple servers thereby increasing reliability and performance.

In this environment servers can be constantly added to the cluster, allowing for effective scalability and flexibility for users.

If a customer's site is hosted across multiple clustered web servers, any significant increase in traffic will not affect the performance of the site. This is because the system will automatically redirect the traffic to a server having lower load.

In other words, the approach is called intelligent load balancing.

In this concept the clustered web hosting uses sophisticated algorithms to monitor users sites so that when bottlenecks are foreseen the traffic is directed through the best performing routes. This enables users to stay online without interruption.

Advantages of clustered web hosting

1. Better quality resources – Because the hosting account is powered by the hardware and bandwidth resources of an entire cluster of web servers, clients get powerful processing resources.

2. Higher data storage space – Multiple data servers connected via each front end server allows for more data space whenever consumers require it.

3. More secure data protection – Since back end servers are connected to front end servers in the cluster, the data stored in the clients data bases and directories are secure from malicious access. 

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Is managed hosting right for my website?

When you are looking for a good web hosting, you will see that you actually have a lot of choices. Some choices are very easy to make such as those with servers that are managed by professionals and other convenient interfaces. Other options will include the technical side of hosting such bandwidth and load balancing. There are certain packages from which you can choose from and these are managed hosting plans where they combine various options that has different allocations. These are usually simpler hosting packages.

Why Choose Managed Hosting?

When your website is running on a dedicated host, all the bandwidth and resources are consumed by your company alone. If you want to have more websites, you can load them on the server. Since websites eat up a small amount of space, there is a lot of room for more than one website. This way, your business can expand its presence on the World Wide Web.

Reasons for Managed Hosting

◈ To save time
◈ Keep updated with the latest hardware and softwareNN
◈ Website is managed by a professional

A good hosting provider will make sure that:

◈ Servers are configured to perform at its best all the time
◈ Backups are managed
◈ Firewalls and load balancers are managed

No matter which hosting package you choose, make sure that you have a plan for growth. Give an allowance or a provision so that when the time comes that you are ready to expand; you will not encounter a lot of problems. With managed services, increasing your resources can actually help you save more.

Characteristics of a Managed Hosting

Managed hosting is in demand when a business prefers to make room in making an online presence. Some of the important characteristics of managed hosting are listed below.

◈ Managed hosting can be easily managed and a good support can be expected from them. They can monitor your site daily and make backups regularly. You do not have to worry about the technicalities because someone will do it for you.

◈ Even though they say that managed hosting is expensive, with regard to time, you can save a lot and dedicate the time to producing more profit for your business.

◈ Security is very important when it comes to hosting a website. Nobody wants to get hacked that is why managed hosting offers backup and recovery in preparation for these things. However, you can be sure that the company is able to update it security features to protect your sensitive information from hackers.

◈ In managed hosting, you get a 24/7 monitoring to make sure that your server is up and running.

◈ Since the hardware in managed hosting is not shared with others, you are the only one using it so you can expect high performance.

◈ The support is important because having downtime is bad for the business. A managed hosting has a team that is dedicated to provide you full support for any technical inquiries that you may have.

◈ You save a lot of money when you go for managed hosting rather than the unmanaged one because in the latter, you will have to hire a professional to do the monitoring for you. Whereas if you get the services of a managed hosting plan, you do not have to spend double.

Choosing the best managed hosting service is important so that your business can flourish. Do not let the price of the services deter you from getting a hosting plan. Just make sure that you do your homework by researching and looking at clients feedbacks. Know your requirements so that it will be easier for you to find that one managed hosting services that best fits your business.

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What operating systems are available on managed hosting?

The OS or operating system is the heart of any hosting package. It is in charge of all the basic functions and enables you to use tools and run programs in order to build, maintain, and operate your website. A common misconception regarding OS and hosting plans is that the one used by the host must match the one that you must use on your own machine. This is not the case. Even if you choose Linux hosting, you can still run your computer on Windows. Another misconception is that if you were used to using one type of operating system, say Linux, it would follow that you would find Linux-based hosting easier. For managed hosting, there are numerous operating systems available for you to choose from. It would pay to get to know each one in order to find the OS that will work best for you and your website.

There are many OS options offered with managed hosting

Success, in business or in other aspects, depends heavily on making the correct choices. In selecting the platform for your managed hosting, you will need to look at the scripting languages and tools that you plan to use for building your website. Once these have been established, you can now choose the perfect OS that will support them. Here are the operating systems that are often offered with managed hosting:

◈ Linux – This is an open source OS derived from the Unix OS. Linux is the kernel where over a thousand other operating system applications have been based.

◈ CentOS – To date, this is the most preferred Linux-distribution managed hosting operating system. It is stable, receives a lot of attention from system administrators and developers, and is free.

◈ Debian – This is a non-commercial distribution of Linux that is viewed as the most secure and stable of all distros. Besides being free, it includes over 25,000 software packages integrated into it.

◈ FreeBSD – This is a Unix-like, complete OS. FreeBSD is considered to be a well-structured operating system that can handle the heaviest network traffic with excellent stability and performance.

◈ Fedora – This is considered to be a well-structured operating system that can handle the heaviest network traffic with excellent stability and performance.

◈ Gentoo Linux – This is a source-based distribution of the Linux OS. It enables your system to run faster and enables quicker software upgrades.

◈ Ubuntu – This is another complete OS based on Linux. It is highly stable and can be used free of charge. It comes with a complete deployment tool.

◈ Red Hat Enterprise – This is a commercial type of Linux trusted by the largest organizations in the world. It offers a mature software package, top benchmarks in terms of TPC-C, and integrated security features.

◈ Windows – This operating system promises excellence in terms of system performance. It is also compatible with all proprietary software from Microsoft (ASP.NET, Access, FrontPage, etc.).

If you notice, there are just three general types of operating systems offered: Linux-based, Unix-based, and Windows-based. The minute details between the various Linux-distribution operating systems will still affect your OS choice.

What OS should you pick?

If you are asked by your hosting provider to choose an OS to go with your managed hosting, here are the questions that can help you arrive at the right choice:

1. Do you need to use specific scripting languages?

Each OS comes with its own set of scripting languages. This is why, if you require a certain database system or programming language for your website, then this may be a good basis for which OS to pick.

2. What databases will you use?

All managed hosting allows for the creation and use of databases. However, there are specific types of databases that work with certain operating systems.

◈ The Linux OS allows you to build in MySQL;
◈ You can utilize Microsoft Access and Microsoft SQL databases with Windows.

In general, you would need to pick out an operating system that caters to your needs and expertise.

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Managed hosting vs Colocation Hosting

Web hosting plays an important role in the success of any website. There are a lot of options that you can choose from when you are deciding a host for your website. The best option will depend on a variety of factors that you have to set. The needs of an individual site are different from the needs of multiple websites. You have to take this into consideration.

It has been a tradition that many organizations have their own IT department. However, as technology evolves, the skills that are required to oversee the core IT infrastructure are becoming more and more complicated. The people who are knowledgeable on these things are becoming more expensive and harder to recruit.

This is why companies and organizations have come to a conclusion to outsource the required skill sets in order to save on resources. There are two options for the companies that are entertaining this idea:

◈ Colocation hosting
◈ Managed hosting

Colocation vs Managed Hosting

Colocation hosting and managed hosting share some characteristics and give the same benefits. However, they are two different options for an organization that must be differentiated very well.

Colocation Hosting

This is a hosting that uses a secure method. For businesses that require an IT company at a lower cost, colocation is the way to go. The hardware that will serve as the data center can be placed in someone’s rack and then you can use the bandwidth as your own. The hosting company will be responsible for providing the necessary things such as power, IP, and bandwidth. When the server is up and running, your business will be able to access the website.

Benefits of Colocation Hosting

◈ Connection is faster and you can save a lot with the subscription to a good DSL.

◈ Colocation facilities are not very much affected by power outages because they have generators to keep the website running even though the weather is not as good. you will not experience temperature changes or power surges in colocation hosting.

◈ Moving offices need not be a hassle. You do not have to worry about pulling someone’s wire in the office.

◈ Technical support of colocation hosting is very excellent.

◈ Upgrade can be easily done. There is no need to wait for the web hosting provider to do the updates.

Managed Hosting

This is a type of dedicated hosting where your website and all server issues are managed by a team of experts so that clients can focus on running their business.

Advantages of Managed Hosting

◈ Being experts, you can be sure that your site is secure and in good hands.

◈ Support is round-the-clock. Managed hosting customer support groups are on standby 24/7 to provide assistance to their clients. You can never tell when problems may arise.

◈ You get to have a higher bandwidth and a bigger web space. You do not share the server with other owners so there is a higher uptime and the traffic that goes in is yours alone.

◈ You save a lot and you get more value for your money. Managed server providers are managed by experienced staff that live and breathe their work. While it is not cheap, it can be cost-effective in the long run.

◈ Managed hosting plans offer a large array of features that you will find useful for your business.

Colocation hosting and managed hosting each has its own benefits. There is no perfect hosting but there is the best hosting that will suit your needs.

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