Many more dynamic websites are now being created using the ASP.NET language. This is resulting in web hosts catering to provide customers with ASP web hosting. ASP web hosting really needs to be based on the Microsoft Windows Server operating system (Windows 2003 Server) which ASP.NET was designed to run on.
Most web hosts will provide you with a control panel to fully manage your ASP web hosting, running on there Windows servers. The most popular Windows based control panels at the moment are the popular Parallels Plesk control panel and Helm which both allow you to manage all aspects of your ASP.NET based web applications.
Both Control Panels also provided you with access to the installed of Microsoft SQL Server, ensuring full integration between your ASP.NET applications and MS-SQL. From the online control panel you will be able to create and delete your remotely hosted databases, create users, set passwords and define permissions and security settings.
As with standard shared hosting your host will provide you with FTP access to your ASP Web Hosting account to allow you to upload your web files and scripts. Popular software such as the Microsoft Visual Web Developer or Microsoft Visual Studio have a built FTP in upload function, whereby you enter your FTP settings and upload.
Virtually every web hosting package allows access via FTP (File Transfer Protocol) to allow files to be uploaded to their public web space with ease. Also its possible to upload files using the Control Panel's built in File Manager, which has an "Explorer" like interface allowing your browse, drag and drop files from your desktop to server.
Any ASP Web Hosting should allow you to:
1. Upload and manage your web files and scripts using the FTP via Microsoft Visual Web Design or Visual Studio.
2. Allow you to set permissions on your files or folders you have hosted in ASP web space so that your scripts function properly.
3 The ability to connect to and manage any databases such as full Microsoft SQL Server Microsoft SQL Server Manager Express, which is a stripped down version of Microsoft's SQL, but ideal for web applications (though connections are more restricted).
4. The ability to host conventional web pages (html) and scripts written using either classic ASP or the ASP.NET programming language.
As previously stated, "classic" ASP and ASP.NET should really only run on Microsoft Windows Server operating systems. Some hosts do offer "ASP Hosting" running on Linux servers, using using the Sun Chilisoft ASP Environment. If you have developed your scripts in a Microsoft environment you may find it more reliable and less frustrating to host them on Microsoft servers as there are a few subtle differences between Linux and Windows hosts (such as file and case sensitivity).
Classic ASP has been quite a while now (at least 10 years or so) and was only recently replaced by Microsoft's improved ASP.NET platform. ASP.NET has advanced to version 3.5. ASP web hosting has tended to be a "niche market" with a few hosting specialists, but is increasing in popularity, partly due to ready developed packages. Backwards compatibility has been maintained so you older asp applications should work on servers running the newer scripting environment.
You should only choose a Windows based ASP web hosting package if your scripts or applications required ASP and ASP.NET. If your web site only needs static html pages, or perhaps open source scripting technologies such as PHP, Perl or Python then a standard Linux shared hosting package should suffice.
Some people, simply choose Windows Web Hosting because that's what their desktop PC runs. The choice of your home PC operating system has no bearing on your choice of Linux our Windows Hosting, unless you are using your own PC to develop Windows applications. If all your web site requires is static html pages, then you would be wasting money on an ASP Web Hosting package.
Paul Lee has over eight years experience in the hosting industry running the popular Web Hosting Review site as well as a consultant at a well know London Web Hosting Provider |
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