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Sunday, September 14, 2008

Web Hosting Companies Embrace Earth-Friendly Designs

By Adam Gufarotti

Web hosting companies across the world use solar energy to power green dedicated servers. These companies tout themselves as environmentally-friendly and host clients worldwide including: the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, Austria and East Africa. These companies host individuals to large corporations.

Data Centers Provide Green-Friendly Environments

These green dedicated servers are housed in environmentally-friendly data centers. The centers are made from steel and covered with ultra-thick insulation (made from recycled materials). These designated servers and networks use green-friendly designs in order to use the lowest amount of energy.

These centers have windows, but also use solar tubing to bring in natural light from the outside. This is where the solar energy is generated. The solar tubing eliminates the need for lighting during the daylight hours.

Many of these centers have solar-powered roofs or thick dirt-packed roofs (which reduces cooling and heating costs by 50%). These centers use recycled materials and replace their traditional lighting with more energy-efficient LED lighting.

Many of these companies operate 100% on solar energy, whereas some companies use the majority of their power from solar or other renewable energy sources (such as wind or water or a combination).

Hosting Companies Carry Out Green-Friendly Theme

Not only do these hosting companies provide clients with energy-efficient dedicated servers, but they take this green-friendly theme very seriously with their own employees. They use recycling bins, recycled paper, energy saving virtual desktop computers, green cleaning products and paint their walls with low VOC paint.

Hosting companies also have back-up generators that use propane gas instead of diesel. Propane burns cleaner than diesel fuel and does not burn large amounts of carbon dioxide and doesn't emit sulfur dioxide.

Sulfur dioxide is one of the main toxic gases that contribute to the greenhouse effect and acid rain. Propane is supported by the Clean Air Act Amendment as one of the better gases to use for a healthier environment (it won't contaminate soil or water).

The Fight Against Global Warming with Green Dedicated Servers

By using green dedicated servers, hosting companies are helping to reduce the carbon footprint. The carbon footprint is the measurable impact that our activities have on the environment: greenhouse gases produced by burning fossil fuels. When electricity or heat is used, the carbon footprint is increased. By reducing energy usage, green dedicated servers are helping to fight global warming.

Discarded traditional dedicated servers usually end up in landfills. As a result, mercury and lead could possibly leak into the soil and groundwater. With green dedicated servers, harmful chemicals are not a concern because of the earth-friendly components that are used.


Using Linux on a Dedicated Server

By Adam Gufarotti

Easy accessibility to the forums and applications make modifications to your site fast and simple. Windows often installs unnecessary pre-installed control panels and applications which take up much need space. Linux has a good reputation for its "distros" or flavors offering diversity for a multitude of purposes.

Getting Familiar with Linux

As is any new o/s Linux takes some getting used to but if you are setting up a new dedicated server installing Linux can be an inexpensive way to open yourself to an alternative to using windows. Windows security issues are the main cause of contention in the user world. Having only Windows based systems on all your dedicated servers, virtual or physical, leaves you with Security as your number one issue. Expensive windows upgrades are only part of the expense of a windows based dedicated server. Anti-spam, anti-virus, anti-spyware programs and patches are a constant source of frustration and headaches as are switching from one antivirus program to another. Constant monitoring of firewalls and security breaches do not ensure your sites are safe.

If you are investing in a managed dedicated server you would not have to deal with learning the Linux control panels or with the windows security issues either, but the Linux system's initial costs are of course much cheaper. Having Linux experts as part of your dedicated server host team can eliminate your having to be fully trained in the new system while enjoying the benefits of a safe and cheaper operating system. Linux is quickly gaining popularity as businesses prefer to eliminate their dependence on windows.

Programs for Linux

Windows Front Page publisher is supported under Linux but there may be some computability issues so using your windows dedicated server for sites that need to use these extensions. While there is only one variety of a windows dedicated server there are many for Linux including Ubuntu, Redhat, Mandrake and Debian. Some of these are costly like Redhat so Fedora is a viable alternative. Fedora is available free of charge for use on a dedicated server.

The choice of which dedicated server operating system to use, either on a physical dedicated server or virtual dedicated servers is up to the user of company. What software to install then becomes the next decision to make? cPanel, a popular web hosting control panel, is currently not available on the 2008 windows servers but does run on all of the various Linux operating systems. Programs and applications have to be chosen based on the operating system.


Technology Plays Earth-Conscious Role With Green Dedicated Servers

By Adam Gufarotti

This new technology allows companies and web site owners to either rent or purchase green dedicated servers which are smaller, offer high redundancy and better cooling mechanisms.

Green Hosts Use Renewable Energy

A green dedicated server refers to the web hosting company that uses renewable energy (through the sun, wind or water) to power its resources. These hosting companies are doing their part to reduce the carbon footprint. In the past, hosting services have contributed to polluting the Earth by emitting harmful carbon dioxide gases.

The Earth's carbon footprint is the measure of the impact that people's activities have on the environment. It relates to the greenhouse gases produced by fossil fuels that are burned through heat or electricity. When traditional dedicated servers are used, they waste too much energy which contributes to this carbon footprint.

Green dedicated servers provide customers with more energy-efficient servers. Individuals and business owners opt for a more earth-friendly option for their internet communication, web sites and networking services.

Not only are host companies offering customers green dedicated servers but they are also leaving their mark by recycling paper and old hardware. Modern technology has moved into a more an earth-friendly awareness and host companies are doing their part to save the environment.

Worldwide Host Companies Offer Green Dedicated Servers

Host companies worldwide are jumping onboard this earth-friendly movement and realize that technology also plays a huge role in the environmental cause. Many earth-friendly host companies feature green dedicated servers that work well with small to mid-sized businesses who are trying to reduce costs and work more efficiently.

Green dedicated servers have high quality performance levels and can save companies up to 40 percent in energy costs. There is no compatibility issues with green dedicated servers and offer the same features as traditional dedicated servers.

Green dedicated servers feature:

• More compact size (less waste)

• Large bandwidth and memory

• High redundancy

• Improved power supply units

• Efficient cooling technologies

• Alternative energy sources

Companies Own Web Domain

Technology consumers won't have to worry about shared hosting when they use green dedicated servers. These dedicated servers allow consumers to own their web site and have complete control over content management. They also own their IP address.

For an extra service fee, many green-friendly hosting companies offer technical support and advice for those consumers who don't have time or the expertise to manage their web domain. Web hosts also can upgrade server features and work with clients' hosting needs.


Home-Based Entrepreneurs Opt For Green Dedicated Servers

By Adam Gufarotti

Small Business Owners Help Reduce Carbon Footprint

Business owners are using green dedicated servers in order to reduce costs, save energy and help reduce the carbon footprint. They are looking for "carbon-neutral" alternatives. Whether they lease or buy a green dedicated server, they are making an earth-friendly investment.

The carbon footprint is the measureable impact that people's activities have on the environment: i.e. greenhouse gases produced by burning fossil fuels. When electricity or heat is used, the carbon footprint is increased.

Green servers use renewable energy that is made from the sun, wind or water. Web hosting companies are helping business owners by offering these energy-efficient servers. In the past, hosting services have contributed to polluting the Earth by emitting harmful carbon dioxide gases.

Green Dedicated Servers Reduce Costs for Small Business Owners

Green servers provide business owners with smaller, more energy-efficient servers. These servers can save business owners up to 40% in their yearly energy costs. It makes sense that small businesses opt to use green dedicated servers for their web sites and networks.

Home-based entrepreneurs won't have any compatibility issues. They can also expect the same components as traditional designated servers:

• Fewer raw materials used (which results in smaller size)

• Less waste

• High redundancy

• Large storage space

• Ample bandwidth and memory (can be upgraded)

• State-of-the art processors (such as Quad XEON processors)

• Improved power supply units

• Efficient cooling system

Green Dedicated Servers Cater to Smaller Based Businesses

Unlike shared hosting, small business owners will solely manage and oversee their web site. They own their IP address and their web content. For small business owners who aren't familiar with web hosting technology, green-friendly hosting companies offer technical support and advice for their clients.

Because of the high demand, web hosting companies are providing this alternative technology. These companies also cater to small and mid-sizes business. Web hosts offer reasonable, competitive rates for small, home-based businesses. Whether you are an individual business who works from home or employ a few people, these designated servers will help small business owners save time and money.


Government Works More Efficiently by Using Green Dedicated Servers

By Adam Gufarotti

Over usage of electricity is a big cost that government operations face. With the use of energy-efficient technology, offices can work more efficiently and also save money by reducing power usage.

Government Agencies Rely on Renewable Energy Resources

Many hosting companies offer packages for green dedicated servers that rely on solar energy. Solar energy is also known as renewable energy. Renewable energy is comprised of natural elements (such as wind, sun and water). Renewable energy is also less expensive which makes running a green dedicated server less costly.

Many government agencies are aiming for "carbon neutrality" and are looking for effective ways to not only save money, but to help decrease gashouse emissions utilized through technology.

Government Gives Stamp of Approval on Green Dedicated Servers

Environmentalists are concerned with the amount of greenhouse gases that are produced when fossil fuels are burned through electricity and heat. These gases are known as the carbon footprint. Green dedicated servers use far less power (which equates to less electricity). This power decrease also helps reduce the Earth's carbon footprint.

Waste is a big concern for the government. Used electronics usually end up in landfills. As a result, mercury and lead poisoning are big concern. These pollutants can leak into the ground and into drinking water. With green dedicated servers, harmful chemicals are not a concern because of the earth-friendly materials that are used.

Many hosting companies are dedicated to saving costs for government agencies while supporting this eco-friendly cause to reduce the carbon footprint. Hosting companies are certified through government-accredited programs such as Green Power and Gold Standard carbon credits.

Green Dedicated Servers Help Manage Government Data

Government offices are filled with highly classified and sensitive information. It's important that this information is kept intact and data is protected. By using these dedicated servers, it allows government offices to have complete control over their data and web domain.

Unlike shared hosting, government agencies won't have to worry about security breaches. They own their own IP address and manage the functions of their dedicated servers.

There are no compatibility issues with green dedicated servers. However, they can be modified to fit each government's office needs.

These are some of features found in green dedicated servers:

• Big storage space

• Large bandwidth and memory

• Capability to add more storage and memory

• State-of-the art processors (such as Quad XEON processors)

• High redundancy

• Improved power supply units

• Efficient cooling technologies

• Smaller size (fewer raw materials used which results in less waste)

Green dedicated servers offer high performance levels that can help government agencies with an overall 40 percent energy savings.


Environmentalists Support Green Dedicated Servers

By Adam Gufarotti

Technology drains a lot of energy. In order to save energy, environmentalists want technology consumers, especially web site owners and internet companies, to use green dedicated servers.

Eliminate Carbon Footprints

Green servers offer the same benefits as regular servers. They run efficiently and perform quickly (high speeds). However, these dedicated servers demand less power which decreases our carbon footprint.

According to environmentalists, the carbon footprint is the measure of the impact that people's activities have on the environment. It relates to amounts of greenhouse gases produced by burning fossil fuels (i.e. through electricity, heat, etc.) When dedicated servers are used, they burn too much energy which contributes to this carbon footprint.

By using green dedicated servers, web hosting companies are doing their part to reduce the carbon footprint. They are also saving energy and saving money. It costs more to run dedicated servers that take up a lot of energy. It make sense for hosting companies to make an earth-friendly choice and offering this alternative to customers.

Powered by Renewable Energy

As a result of the detrimental effects on the environment, hosting companies are now moving in the direction of green dedicated servers. These dedicated servers are being run by renewable energy.

Renewable energy sources are energy powered by natural elements like wind, sun or water. There are green hosting companies that offer these designated servers to their consumers. These servers are powered from renewable energy which helps offset the carbon footprint and makes a dramatic impact on the environment.

How Do Green Dedicated Servers Work

A dedicated server is a web host that serves a specific web site. A dedicated server is not shared and the customer owns the web site. Although, the equipment for the server is usually leased from the provider, the space and bandwidth belong to the customer.

Green servers run off less power but still provide high quality and fast speeds like a traditional dedicated server. These dedicated servers allow customers better control over their server at a reasonably affordable price.

These earth-friendly servers offer many of the same features as servers. Customers can run their server via Microsoft's Remote Desktop Protocol. They can also own a user authentication database and use a dedicated IP address. This dedicated IP address will reduce issues associated with shared hosting (such as spam blacklists).

These servers also offer large memory storage, high performance and the same functions as dedicated servers. Hosting companies are making environmentalists very happy by moving in an earth-friendly direction.


Dedicated Servers For Users Like YouTube

By Adam Gufarotti

YouTube has to monitor the uploading of robots, spiders and offline readers which inflate the number of views of a video by automated systems and is against their policy and their terms of service. Tricks such as automated viewing will result in the video being removed or account closed. The YouTube dedicated streaming servers had to handle the streaming of two videos in August 2008 whose numbers had been inflated to 95 million views each.

There was a lawsuit by a company whose url is utube.com. Their site was crashing because millions of online searchers entered their url by mistake. In August of 2006 the site got 68 million hits in that month alone. On the reverse side of this, their customers are searching under YouTube and through impatience the company is receiving a loss of customers and credibility.

You Tube Copycats

Now there are YouTube clone scripts being used by adult video producers to set up a dedicated server environment for the porn industry amongst others. The scripts and instruction for installation is widely offered. You need to have a dedicated server or a string of servers and they provide the mplayer, mencoder, flvtool2 (flash), ffmpeg and ffmpeg-php. Or for a low fee they will install it all on your dedicated server. It is not recommended to try and run a clone script on a shared server or with shared hosting as it needs root SSH access, ffmpeg support and unmetered bandwidth.

YouTube has to have thousands of servers with fast processors. It has been reported that google spent 1.5 billion on data centers to house their dedicated servers alone and that YouTube spends several million dollars per month on bandwidth. Dedicated server clusters are also required to back up files.

A Growing Website

YouTube hosts over 6 million videos every month and that figure is still growing. It takes 45 terabytes of storage. Wizzard and TubeMogul are video distribution sites that use their dedicated servers to instantly distribute, upload and tag your video to YouTube, Google, Yahoo, Revver and many more. Included in their service is their stats package which is apparently easy to install. Wizzard's revenues for their 2nd quarter of 2008 were up 3% from Q207 at 1.5 million. A total of 250 million shows were downloaded from their dedicated servers in just this quarter.

With an increased interest in online video from the mainstream advertising community the sales of Dedicated Servers is increasing as well. Stargate Holdings reported a 75% jump in sales in their first quarter last year.


Dedicated Servers For Stream Hosting

By Adam Gufarotti

If you are looking into setting up your own audio or video podcast or a streaming internet radio station you will have to consider a dedicated stream server host provider. There are many too choose from but stick to the ones who specialize in streaming media.

Streaming Video

You may wish to stream audio or video or make the files available for download from your website and as everyone knows they can use up your memory in no time. Users can now broadcast from home on their computers or musicians and radio hosts from their studios. Having a dedicated server for streaming media becomes a viable way to store audio and video files away from the rest of your business or personal files.

That's why there are many different packages available for dedicated streaming servers that can handle whatever kind of media you want. Having a dedicated streaming server that is configured for the most CPU and memory intensive applications allows you the confidence of uninterrupted broadcasting.

Breakthrough for Music Industry

Home DJ's are now able to broadcast in real-time to their listeners from their computer through to the dedicated server and out to their listeners. Storing mp3 files on a dedicated server allows listeners to play the files without saving them. Streaming server hosts can safely stop your stream and broadcast your saved playlists from their server through yours to your listeners 24/7 when you are not online.

Internet radio broadcasters do not have to own or lease a dedicated server. There are many specialized dedicated streaming server services that deliver audio in MP3 technology in a live situation or can deliver on-demand for archived broadcasts.

Some dedicated streaming servers support MPEG-4 video streaming where the user must have a streaming video player (free). Delivering real time media from a server over a network to a client in real time does not allow the user to move along the timeline at his own choosing.

There are a few different streaming video systems but they all mostly include a Flash Media Server 2, Flash-application that supports file playing and a ffmpeg video converter. It is because of this that it is highly recommended at this stage to have a dedicated server strictly for streaming. Podcasters upload to the server where they await decoding into the FLV format for streaming.

From a small home based internet radio station to a country-wide digital broadcast network, including fortune 1000 companies and CNN, dedicated streaming servers are the only way to store, process and stream audio and video.


Dedicated Server Alternatives For Non-Profit & Entry Level Organizations

By Adam Gufarotti

If it is time to alter your current business model to e-business and move to incorporating a dedicated server into your business environment there are affordable services available to assist you.

Access to Websites for Everyone

Websites should not only be usable but accessible to all. People with disabilities should be able to participate and benefit from your online presence. This means your site needs to be built using the W3C web standards and semantic markup. Fast page loading and global site updates can reduce frustration levels for people with disabilities. A dedicated server, leased through a hosting service can deploy all the applications necessary to improve SEO while keeping accessibility in mind.

Most dedicated server hosting services offer consultation and 24/7 IT support. They are also open to assisting non-profit organizations and small businesses with their initial entry level immersion into the dedicated server environment. They can also assist with the creation of a website for you if you do not already have one.

Cramped and Wasted Space

Many non-profit organizations also suffer from a cramped office environment. In order to maintain their website's efficiency they have chosen to purchase a number of low-end inexpensive dedicated servers and only utilize them for a single purpose. This leaves a lot of memory that is either being wasted completely or inefficiently used. Bringing in new servers as the need arises compounds this overgrowing population of equipment in an already cramped space.

Overhead expenses regarding electricity and air quality naturally increase with the unnecessary excess of equipment. Using out dated dedicated servers with expired software increases frustration levels among even the most dedicated of non-profit employees. Virtualization technology is now being applied to make non-profit organizations and large-scale networks run more effectively.

Virtualiztion

Virtualization allows you to continue to run multiple operating systems and applications all on a single dedicated server. Although this practice has been in use for some time, today it has become a viable alternative for entry level companies on low budgets or non-profit organizations. Partitioning each of your dedicated servers to function as multiple servers allows you to run different operating systems with their own applications separated from each other. This cuts down on the overall impact on the office environment when it comes to space and use of electricity. By virtualizing your existing dedicated servers you do not increase the heat given off by the equipment therefore do not have to turn up the air conditioning resulting in a greener office environment.


Dedicated Email Hosting Servers

By Adam Gufarotti

With companies that have over 1000 users a dedicated server designated for email only becomes a necessity.

You should also consider your disk space if your company needs more than 100 GB of space or has special requirements for backup, redundancy and failover you may need your own server customized for your business. Some companies opt for a shared mail service but a mail service on a dedicated server can eliminate usage charges that may occur on shared servers.

Avoiding IT Headaches

Web Mail Service providers manage dedicated email hosting servers which includes all maintenance and service by their IT department. They also provide the software, security and hardware through their service. Anti-spam, anti-virus and general email security protection is a major ongoing concern for anyone especially businesses who have high volume traffic and a large amount of users. Monitoring email security in-house can be a headache and extremely time consuming on your IT department so out sourcing through a dedicated server host, although it entails initial set up fees, is in the long run a more cost effective way to manage your email.

Some small companies who do not have the resources to engage a designated server find the expense of a designated email host server is justified. Exclusive use of a dedicated server guarantees enough space and efficiency to keep the communication functioning at a high rate of efficiency.

Internal Administration

Many large corporations find it easier to have their own IT department maintain an in house dedicated server for email only. Hundreds of corporate web mail addresses and global communication accounts demand special attention and specific security applications. Still some of these larger corporations find it preferable to have an email security expert manage their accounts for them to insure that aspect of their business communication is not compromised. Smaller businesses will usually opt for leasing the dedicated servers from a host that can provide other managed options such as hosting an email server.

It can be counterproductive when a company uses a dedicated server host to process their many email accounts on the main dedicated server. Some dedicated server hosts cap the amount of outbound emails at 1000 per day. Upgrading your server to handle the email is one way to handle it but you are also still dealing with the very large and very real security issues that come with a large emailing employee population.

In the long run having a dedicated server specifically for the management of email adds to the smooth functioning of your dedicated server environment.


Colleges Look to Green Dedicated Servers to Save Energy

By Adam Gufarotti

Green dedicated servers help colleges save energy by using less power. Between campus environmental organizations and recycling bins, colleges are even more in tune to the green cause.

Colleges Help Decrease Earth's Carbon Footprint

By using dedicated servers, hosting companies are offering colleges another alternative to save energy and decrease the carbon footprint. The carbon footprint is impact that consumers' activities have on the environment.

Carbon footprints are the amount of greenhouse gases that are produced when fossil fuels are burned through electricity or heat. Green dedicated servers use far less power (which equates to less energy). This decrease in power usage also helps reduce the carbon footprint. Thus, colleges are taking a socially responsible role in helping to reduce the greenhouse effect and acid rain.

Green Dedicated Servers Use Power Efficiently and Reduce Costs

Although dedicated servers are using less energy, they still perform at fast speeds. When choosing a hosting plan, colleges look to green dedicated servers because of the many benefits they still receive: large memory and storage, and high bandwidth.

With collegiate budget cuts in a tough economy, colleges need a solution that will help them save money. Dedicated servers are offering the perfect solution for this earth-friendly dilemma. These dedicated servers use renewable energy sources such as solar, water or wind. As a result, these servers help reduce colleges' technology expenses (by using less electricity).

Green Dedicated Servers Allow Colleges To Manage Web Sites

Green dedicated servers also make running a college's web site less expensive and more manageable. Colleges don't have to incur the expense of a professional IT staff member to run the site (although, some colleges may opt for this choice). Hosting companies can help academic staff pick the right server that fits their needs and can help them upgrade to extra features.

These dedicated servers give back the power to colleges, and allow them to oversee and manage the overall layout of site. They can also revise content on a regular basis (which occurs frequently due to seasonal course catalogs). Unlike shared hosting, colleges directly own their web domain which makes it far easier to manage and control during a busy academic year (which includes owning their IP address).

For colleges who don't have web hosting expertise, web hosts can help manage dedicated green servers and the college's web site. Hosting companies also act as a resource for colleges who have questions during the installation process.


All About Virtual Dedicated Servers

By Adam Gufarotti

Even though this practice has been around a long time, with the insurgence of dedicated servers to handle the demand of more and more bandwidth needs, virtualization of existing dedicated servers has become a welcome solution.

Cramped offices with low-end equipment such as non-profit organizations and entry level businesses with low budgets have opted for this practical utilization of their existing dedicated servers.

Accomplishing Virtualization

Virtualizing can be accomplished through either the software or the hardware. The software or operating system runs as if it were on its own stand-alone hardware platform. The hardware is partitioned to create as many virtual dedicated servers as the physical server can handle. An example to demonstrate this concept would be the Parallels or Bootstrap applications to partition the hard drive on a Mac that runs the windows o/s in one partition and the Mac o/s on the other. Each runs independently from the other and each can have its own technical issues so you need to be prepared for the maintenance of the virtualization you are deploying.

Although virtualizing your dedicated servers can reduce your IT costs and overall expenses while eliminating the need to add space for your ever growing server environment, there are some challenges to set up and maintenance.

Transition Time

There is a period of initial transition that will be supported the by your virtualization service. You may also opt for replacing your low end designated servers with ones that can maximize the advantages of virtualization. Experts recommend that you never let a server exceed 50% CPU utilization during peak loads. You can double the amount of virtual machines with high end dedicated servers without increasing the CPU utilization. You will have to look carefully at you needs and budget to see how to incorporate virtualization into your dedicated server environment.

Sometimes one physical dedicated server runs just two virtual private servers, one to host the website and one to store the backup copy, using the copy to update and test new applications. This is a Sandbox testing practice for untried software from unverified third parties and not-trusted users.

Entry level dedicated servers usually consist of low quality grade hardware, slower performance, increased need for ongoing maintenance and non-existent levels of redundancy. Virtual private dedicated servers are offered by many vendors in their environment eliminating the burden of having to deal with server sprawl in an already cramped office. These vendors offer all the services of a dedicated server host service including packages with dedicated processor cycles and memory, detailed resource statistics analyzing your memory, CPU and network utilization. You still have remote control enabling you to reboot from any location anywhere in the world.


Web Hosting - The Fascinating World of the World Wide Web!

By Smit Mathur

A single page web hosting is generally sufficient only if the web page is for personal use. When we talk of multiple pages web hosting, it is a very complex process. A complex website should contain a database support and also an application development platform based on PHP, Java, Ruby on Rails, and ASP.NET. These kinds of applications platform help the customers or web surfers to write or install scripts for forums and application management and SSL, which is generally used for e-commerce based sites.

The companies that provide the space and the technical expertise to host a web page are known as the web hosting providers. The hosts at times also provide with additional services, such as, e-mail and search services along with the web page. There are many web hosting providers, who specialise in areas such as e-commerce. These sorts of providers are generally used by big companies and organisations, which outsource their online business transactions to these providers. But extreme caution must be exercised while choosing a web hosting provider for outsourcing the e-commerce work. The reviews found on the different search engines about these e-commerce web hosting providers, are often biased, as the reviews are written by their own affiliates.

Hosting uptime is again another important point, which a customer must take care of, while choosing a particular web hosting provider to host their page. Hosting uptime refers to the percentage of time; the host is accessible through the internet.

Most providers claim to have an uptime ranging from 99% to 99.9%. But the fact is that this percentage only refers to the percentage of time the server of the provider is powered, and not the actual percentage of time the server is accessible through the internet. There are often stoppages in the server functioning due to scheduled stoppages for maintenance and unscheduled stoppages for other unwanted problems. So, it is always better to verify the credentials of the web hosting providers, before depending on them.


Smit Mathur is an expert for writing Articles and currently working for Linuxwebhost. For more information related to web hosting providers, budget web hosting, ecommerce web hosting, business web hosting please visit: http://www.linuxwebhost.com.au/

Make Money From Your Own Video Sharing Website

By Paul Lee

Firstly decide whether to offer a mainstream video sharing site like YouTube. Starting off small, I would suggest going after a small niche, in order that you can rank well for that niche in the search engines. A niche might be sports, funny videos or how-tos, such as cooking or computer maintenance.

Once you have decided on your niche, the next step is a great domain name for your site. This domain should ideally be short and memorable (though many of the short domains have now been taken). There are two approaches, use some of the keywords for niche in your domain, or think of a unique or whacky one, the latter is what a lot of Web 2.0 sites do.

Choose a web host. You should consider a dedicated server as the load with video sharing websites is greater. However shared hosting or even a VPS or virtual private server should be ok to test your site, until you are getting decent traffic.

Normal web hosting might need the requirements for video sharing so check out web hosts, and Google for "ffmpeg hosting." FFMpeg is a utility that powers a lot of video sharing sites as it will encode video in varying formats to flash video player format (.flv) This is important as your shares will upload their films in a variety of formats. You server or host will also require php (safe mode off) ffmpeg-php, libogg & Libvorbis, mencoder, mplayer, and GD library and a decent file upload limit. Ideally your site should be hosted on the Linux platform.

It goes without saying you'll need a host with a generous disc and bandwidth (data transfer) limit. One of the reasons to go with a dedicated server, then other people's video sites can't slow yours down.

Your You Tube clone site will require a "front end" - an interface you and your users can log into. The good news is that there is a growing choice in video sharing content management systems to run your operation on. The most established appearing to be PHPMotion, Vidiscript, Mediashare, and Clip Share.

With all your software installed and the server working you can now start testing and uploading video's. If you decide to download existing video's from existing video sites,be mindful of any copyright issue's

Finally you can start putting the word out about your site. Try and rank well in the search engines. Choosing the right niche without too much competition will help here. However you can also spread the work on all the social networking sites, such as Facebook, Digg, and Mixx and well including you video web site URL in your YouTube bio or profile One the word is out you can then start creating some advertiser interest and affiliate deals to monetize your website.


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

Web Hosting - Do You Need It?

By Laura J Miller

When it comes to deciding to putting a website online, there are things that most don't seem to think about. Web Hosting is one of them. In order to have a website you must have it hosted. Now what does this really mean?

Think of it in these terms - getting web hosting is the small as renting a home or apartment. Your new website needs to live somewhere

You are basically paying for your hosting the same way you pay your rent or mortgage each month. It is a necessity.

Web hosting, just like any apartment or house, you can get it with all the bells and whistles or with nothing at all.

It doesn't matter at all how big or small your website will be or become, you Must have web hosting. This also gives you your own email address associated with your domain name.

In my other post/article I talked about the 6 features of hosting and what to look for, but the most important thing you must make sure your web hosting provider has is tech support. You are going to need it. Even if you know a lot about hosting and the programming end, there are times when things are just out of your control and you must speak with them.

The most important thing you need to do is research, not all web hosting companies are same and offer the same support or features. As most hosting companies do offer email addresses, and ftp access, some actually do not give you access to a cpanel or provide the greatest support.

On the web today more and more people are turning to Blogs, and for good reasons, if you wish to have a blog on your website you need to make sure that you have access to your cpanel where you can install your blog free.

I for one have been around for a long time now and have had many web hosting providers, I still find Hostgator to one of the best online. They have outstanding support, one time I had an issue with them at 10pm PST and I called them, (they are 3 hours ahead of me) you know what, a real live person answered the phone, and within minutes fixed my problem :)

I strongly recommend too that you avoid the free hosting companies out there, they just aren't reliable and there is usually no support available for you. Also, as you build your website and need more bandwidth or space, they don't provide it unless you upgrade and start paying for it. Why do this when you can just get good reliable web hosting to start out with.

In close, just remember that if you want your website to be live online where others can find you then consider getting web hosting that you can count on.


Laura has been doing web designing for over 3 years. Her site offers articles and products to help anyone with web designing. Check her website out today!

http://www.laurasbasicstowebdesign.com

Managed Hosting - What is It?

By Julia Shipley

When the capacity and features of a shared server are no longer enough, you may want to consider moving to a dedicated server with managed hosting. Managed hosting solutions are relatively new, but worth checking out. Here we will explain how and where managed hosting may prove beneficial for you.

Many people think that there are only two web hosting options available to them. They either do it all themselves in-house or place their site with a hosting company on a shared server. The former option is really only cost-effective for companies with the resources and money to cover the potentially high manpower and equipment costs. The latter option, however, can suit most small- to medium-sized websites in an extremely cost-effective way. Over the past few years, another solution has appeared - that of managed hosting. And, as this service has developed, we've seen a move towards full hosting management with managed hosting solutions appearing on the market.

Managed hosting is a viable solution for companies that have established thriving web sites with large volumes of traffic. It essentially describes a situation where a hosting provider takes care of the administrative tasks and functioning of your dedicated server. This type of plan is well suited for those who want to turn over the load of completely managing their own web server, hardware, software and other related components. Managed hosting is most commonly used by companies in need of dedicated support for the server. Many companies will guarantee an up time of 100% while maintaining servers for their clients. While this percentage remains questionable, the infrastructure, technical support and efficiency provided by a managed host tends to be much better than traditional hosting services.

This move to dedicated services has been a boon to many website owners. It offers them the option of having all the advantages of a dedicated service to meet their needs without all the related costs. However, for many people this still wasn't the ideal solution, as not all hosting companies with dedicated plans could or would offer a full range of server and website management options. So, you would still have to manage some of the technical issues, such as server administration, yourself. This is where a managed hosting option can help cut your costs and solve your technical problems.

With managed hosting, you don't only get to lease a dedicated web server for your site, but you can also choose from a range of support and technical services. These can take care of some or all of your hosting related needs. Services on offer will vary from hosting company to company, but most will include managed hosting options such as monitoring, advice, administration, support, security, updates and upgrades, testing and troubleshooting. This option allows you to run a dedicated hosting management service in an extremely cost-effective manner and closely mirrors an in-house operation. The difference is that you pay a package or component price for the service rather than having to shell out for equipment and the fees and salaries of external and internal technical experts.

What to Expect From Managed Hosting

The managed approach is more expensive than traditional hosting, however, it does offer savings by providing software, hardware and other components needed to run a server into a lower priced package. These components are designed into an operating expenditure-based system and typically require a monthly fee for a fully managed service. From an IT point of view, managed hosting can be viewed similar to outsourcing the technical aspects of an online business to a more skilled team.

This type of hosting is also used by large internet businesses who want to focus efforts on the core of their business instead of dealing with the extra responsibilities that come along with managing a dedicated server. Managed hosting significantly alleviates the performance and security issues related to basic dedicated hosting and shared hosting environments as well. Although it may seem expensive on the surface, managed hosting is actually a rather cost-efficient option when considering the fact that uptime, technical support, responsiveness and a dependable infrastructure will be guaranteed at a fixed price.

Managed hosting services typically extend to database administration, private networks and security products. Some providers also include managed SQL server hosting plans. This covers the critical aspects of server administration such as database hosting, load balancing, managing storage, connectivity and server monitoring. This type of hosting also includes physical maintenance such as software and hardware servicing. This makes a great solution for individuals and businesses who prefer a fully managed service yet want to maintain a level of control over their server.

Final Thoughts to Consider

In conclusion, the managed hosting environment is perfect for online businesses who simply do not have the time to maintain a dedicated server. It gives you the ability to focus on critical aspects such as marketing the business while your server is maintained by trained experts who make sure it runs at peak performance. Additionally, all of these perks can be enjoyed without shelling out the up front money required to handle a dedicated server. With a more reliable uptime, a greater level of security and better functionality, you can be more assured that your server will continue to run efficiently and keep your online business thriving.


For information on free hosting and free picture hosting visit http://www.free2u2.com

Review - Godaddy Hosting Versus HostGator

By Joseph L Wilson

I've been with Godaddy for quite a while now. I use them as my registrar for my domains, as a hosting provider and my dns provider. The service offerings are vast and the prices can not be beat.

However as my business starting to grow I really started to notice a few things about Godaddy that made me want to compare it to other hosting providers and see if website performance would be noticeably be improved.

Godaddy

As my websites started taking on more traffic saw I began to see a decrease in performance using the virtual hosting services at GoDaddy. I was a little concerned and began to run some online tests, trace route, ping, etc to try to determine if this was network related or a problem with an overloaded server. The online tests passed with flying colors indicating at least the network was not congested. However things were still slow. Either the web servers themselves or possibly the databases on the back end were overloaded.

I had sent several emails to Godaddy support and was not impressed with the timeliness or the reply. I received a single response back after several days that was very curt and only stated no problems were visible on their end. Well, something was not right and I needed to find out what it was. Visitors were starting to complain!

Hostgator

I now knew I needed to try a different hosting provider but didn't which one to trust. I had read about HostGator from several folks online and saw that they had a fairly large customer base. I searched on Google looking for anyone posting complaints or having issues about Hosgator and didn't find a any. I checked their pricing and it was about average among other providers. I had sent several emails into the sales team and technical team and both responded very quickly. My last concern was performance and I wouldn't really know how that was going to be without actually putting live traffic through one of their servers. . So I took the leap and gave them a try.

This sign up on HostGator was very quick and easy. Everything could be completed via their website and a new hosting account was finished getting setup in a matter of minutes. Next I uploaded a root website to the new account and immediately noticed an improvement. Finally I created some sub-domains and setup virtual hosting. Each additional domain was just as easy as the last. Very quickly I had a good handful of domains running very well on the Hostgator account and all of the websites were noticeably faster.

Summary

I still used Godaddy to this day and however I do believe they have their server overloaded. Godaddy is simple and easy to use and is fine for extremely low traffic sites that do not have performance concerns. In comparison however Hostgator also has a simple to use interface but the response time that was noticed is much faster and the server seemed much better and did not seem as overloaded.


Joseph L. Wilson currently writes about various niche topics in affiliate and internet marketing. For more helpful tips on setting up an affiliate business check out the blog at http://www.JosephLWilson.com

Creating a Newsletter - Know the Different Formats

By James Elliott

A professionally done newsletter can leave a significant impact on your target audience but only if it is in the appropriate format.

The most common formats for designing and distributing online newsletters are HTML, plain text and PDF. All these three formats have their own advantages and disadvantages. To select the best suited format for your newsletter, you need to keep in view your target audience and the kind of subjects your newsletter covers.

Let's see what are the differences, benefits and disadvantages of the three different formats:

HTML

Among all the three formats, HTML is the most popular choice as along with text, images, pictures and graphics can also be used. A newsletter in HTML format looks very professional and more appealing and where you can describe your topics elaborately and attractively. It is also much easier to create a newsletter in HTML format as compared to PDF format.

But along with advantages, HTML has some shortcomings too. A newsletter in HTML format doesn't guarantee that it would open in all types of browsers. It might happen that your newsletter might look disorganized and disorderly on some incompatible computers.

This carries the inherent risk of losing out on customers since subscribers tend to unsubscribe from a newsletter if it does not open properly. Hence aim at making the HTML design as compatible as possible and test it in various browsers and email systems before sending it to the readers.

You can buy readymade and tested HTML templates or you can also approach a competent web and graphic design agency in the UK, or the USA to create a compatible HTML design for your newsletter.

Plain Text

The plus point of having a plain text format is that you don't to approach any web expert for HTML coding or for making a complex PDF document. You can create plain text newsletter easily and much faster. In addition to this, a plain text newsletter has much less chances to be labelled as spam.

But plain text newsletter can be purely content dependent and rather boring. The plain text does not make the newsletter look either appealing or attractive. However, if your newsletter is rich in content and does not need the added support of images and graphics, then plain text is the best format. It helps you to convey your message quickly and conveniently.

PDF

PDF is not used that extensively in comparison to other two formats. PDF emerges as the preferred option for newsletters that focus on topics like food, places etc., which require appealing graphics to accompany the text.

But creating a PDF newsletter is time-consuming and troublesome. You have to write the content in MS Word document and then convert it into PDF document using some program. And it is difficult to read too as the subscribers first have to wait to download it.

These are the three main formats for creating a newsletter. Keep in mind your target audience and topic of your newsletter, decide which kind of format would work best for your newsletter. Or best approach a web and graphic design company in the UK, the USA or India, they can guide you and then create an impressive newsletter in a format which would be ideal for your company.


James Elliott is a website designer who works with a UK based web Design Company Apart from working with the web design agency in the UK, he is also an amateur writer whose articles on web design, newsletters and graphics have been published in various newspapers, magazines and web portals.

Web Hosting - 4 Options For Making Your Website Accessible

By Dick Grant

So, you want to create a presence on the Internet and are wondering what web hosting options you have for making your website available on the World Wide Web?

Firstly, you have to create your website. This can be outsourced to a website developer/designer or you can attempt it yourself, if you have the time, software and skills required. This task may be simplified if you have access to point-and-click software provided by your Internet Service Provider (ISP) or web hosting company. The software I am referring to is generally called a 'website builder'. This article is not intended to discuss website creation, however.

Secondly, once you have created your website, you have to make it available or accessible on the World Wide Web. You do this by uploading your website to a web server. This is sometimes referred to as 'publishing your website'. The web server stores your website on its hard disc and makes it accessible to a web browser when someone types the website's address or Uniform Resource Locator (URL) into the browser's address bar. So, once you are ready to publish your website you need to consider web hosting options, i.e. which web server are you going to upload your website to?

There are four web hosting options and each have their advantages and disadvantages:

Options 1 and 2: Use the free web space provided by your ISP or use a free web hosting provider.

Advantages: Zero cost, adequate for very simple websites.

Disadvantages: You will not get all the features available from stand-alone web hosting packages, unwanted advertising, very limited disc space and bandwidth (amount of data that can be transferred per month), and you may be limited in the number of websites you can host.

Okay, these options come at zero or no extra cost. So why not make use of the free web space provided by your ISP or one of the many web hosting companies offering free hosting? Well, that all depends on the type of website you intend to put up. These options are fine if you are creating a simple personal website comprising of a few pages and you don't mind the advertising that comes with 'free web space', but it would be totally unsuitable for business purposes. Basically, you get what you pay for and if you are paying nothing... well, don't expect much! However, if you really want free web hosting and your ISP doesn't provide it, simply Google "free web hosting" with the quotes. At the time of writing, the number of results obtained from www.google.com was 9,050,000 - so it shouldn't be too hard to find a provider!

Option 3: Purchase a web hosting package/plan from a reputable web hosting provider.

Advantages: You will get all the bells and whistles that come with this type of package/plan, no advertising on your web pages, very generous disc space and bandwidth, you might be able to host an 'unlimited' number of domains and websites, you will have access to better technical support than is generally provided for free hosting from your ISP or free web hosting provider.

Disadvantages: You pay a monthly or annual fee.

If you have decided that your website(s) deserve a better web hosting environment than 'free', then you need to do some research to identify a suitable web hosting company that will meet your needs. You could start with a search for web hosting comparison sites. However, the information provided by such sites is often very biased, as the companies they recommend pay the site owners a nice commission for referring you to them. You would be better off searching for web hosting forums, preferably those that don't permit the use of affiliate links. Comments made on such forums are likely to be unbiased if there is no monetary gain to be made by the forum's posters.

Option 4: Set up a server at home or at the office.

Advantages: Total control of your web server.

Disadvantages: Need to be very technically savvy, need a permanent Internet connection, need to provide adequate security to prevent hacking, costs associated with running and maintaining the server.

This option is not really one that I would recommend. The only advantage is that you and you alone have access to your server and are able to configure it any way you like. However, you have to have the right technical knowledge to set up your server properly and ensure it remains protected from hackers. You also have to keep the server running around the clock to ensure that your website remains accessible to your visitors. Also, depending on the amount of traffic you expect your website to receive, you may have to upgrade your Internet connection at a cost far higher than what you would pay a web hosting provider. There are many technical issues that need to be taken into consideration if you choose this option, too many to discuss in this short article.

In closing, I hope this brief introduction to web hosting has provided sufficient information to get you started in your research for evaluating web hosting options suitable for your needs. Make your choice wisely and remember 'free' generally comes at a price.


Copyright 2008 Dick Grant in association with Must See Promotions (dot) com - All Rights Reserved Worldwide.

You have permission to republish this article as long as the author, article title, article body, and article resource box (author bio) remain intact.

Visit http://hostgator.mustseepromotions.com and find out how you can try a professional web hosting package for only 1 cent (first month). You will also receive FREE software and other bonuses, too. Time limited offer - hurry before you miss out!

Age of Managing the Content

By Amal Biswas

Ever since the dot com era has seen a boom, HTML has been an integral part of producing readable formats to web page viewers. I was a good programmer when I was young, loved to write for our favourite Visual basic and Java... but then while the concept of ecommerce started I was dumbstruck to find what Internet could do. It was a new form of media, entertainment and advertisements.

As and as sites grew, so grew the competition. Sites grew enormous and contents were huge. Think of it as National Library without any management. Now people (probably the best minds in business) had to plan. Before inception of a business there must be a plan.... about how easy a site can be managed.

Wouldn't it be easy that there was some planner who would be smart enough as to provide the solution so that site contents can be updated easily... even by someone who doesn't know a damn about scripts!! Think about it; less manpower, less time, compliant to lay down standards.

Till now my mom and dad doesn't really know what I try to do. Well I love it, planning, managing a home virtually, because as far as websites are concerned somehow I visualize them as far as possible firstly as a viewer and then as an owner. This is the only trade secret I have had - Usability, Ease of Maintenance, some basic website knowledge.

Managing content is an integral part of web solutions. Today there are number of CMS to do it (though till date I have only used free ones, sometimes industry specific ones) but some of the big names are Interwoven TeamSite, Typo3, Vignette Content Management, DynaBase, Egrail. Some PHP-MySQL based content management systems have also captured web at hearts, by now the names on everyone's lips are Joomla, Wordpress and Drupal.

So you know there's still a way to be called manager without an MBA degree ;) if you are a net surfer and know a little about web branding and techniques.

Content Management has increased avenues for the 'out-of-the-box' thinkers. Someone needs to visualize and manage contents, be an editor and technical guide in information age.

Don't hesitate to think out of box, share ideas and relate to prosperity. Sometimes it's good to work on a path where others either fear to trade or doesn't want to risk. Managing people is different than managing ideas and information, but trust me, it's absolute fun and challenging.


Amal, is a Technical Communicator and IT Specialist. He has been providing solutions to Web development solutions and coordinates IT based projects. Presently he is working as a Technical Consultant and Information Developer for a UK based Software Development Company. Check his technical writing blog at http://techwritingsecrets.wordpress.com

What Do You Use Your Computer For - Do You Need a Hosted Team Foundation Server?

By Alice Lane

In today's highly technologically centered world, there are thousands of different tasks that you can do on your own personal computer. Using specialized software you can draw a beautiful painting or sketch a design idea with simply using a click of a mouse. Most of the people using computers at home nowadays don't necessarily need a hosted team foundation server. A general majority of computer users today simply use computers for two main functions: storing and editing their digital pictures and for playing their computer games.

If you are one of those digital camera fanatics, the odds are pretty good that you have a large amount of pictures stored onto your personal computer. The odds however are also pretty good that you also have a large amount of pictures still sitting in your digital cameras memory stick. The days of simply taking the film out and placing it into the little paper bag for development are long gone. There are also numerous software packages that you can choose from when it comes to editing those beloved digital prints. If your office has the best team foundation server provider you might just be able to take those digital pictures to work and use extremely specialized software to get that "just right" look you are searching for. However, most of us aren't lucky enough to be able to afford the highly advanced software that many businesses utilize. But with the advances made in digital camera technology as well as the software quality increasing, no one would ever know that you are using less expensive editing software.

There are others out there in the world who are more fanatic gamers than digital photo editors. These people tend to have something that the rest of the world wishes they had more of: free time. Rather than putting in a long days work and then coming home to feed and put the kids to bed, they are able to simply relax, put their feet up and play their favorite games. For those who are able to play their games as often as they like, they would definitely benefit from team foundation server hosting. They would be able to play with their colleagues around the country with the click of a button.

So no matter what you use your computer for, the options are only limited to your imagination. Besides editing your personal digital photographs and playing your computer games, you could also choose to call your family back on the east coast on your video cameras. You might even randomly start up a new friendship from halfway around the world from one of your many blogging sites. The sky is the limit, so let your fingers do the walking!


So if you are looking for more information on team foundation server hosting or hosted team foundation server be sure to check out Phase 2 International today. Phase 2 also has further information on a best team foundation server provider.

Web Hosting Basics For Small Businesses

By Alex Johnson

There doesn't seem to be an end to the number of companies offering web hosting solutions. To make things even more confusing, they all offer different packages with varying features and costs.

If you're new to the Internet, you may be confused about which hosting company to choose, and what type of features your site will require.

Since different types of websites can have vastly different needs, web hosts offer a variety of features. For example, a site dedicated to storing images and media will need a hosting plan which emphasizes storage space and bandwidth (the amount of data your visitors can download from your site in a given time period).

Similarly, if your website will receive high traffic, you would require a server that efficiently balances the data load and keeps your website available on a consistent basis.

Depending upon these features, the cost of each hosting plan is different. When comparing web hosting providers, you will see that their price structure normally depends on the operating system, storage space, security options, availability of a dedicated server, the number of email addresses, and dozens of other features. Your decision to choose a hosting plan depends on how many of these requirements you want, and, of course, your budget.

If you have decided to buy a hosting plan for your website, you can often save money by getting domain registration and web hosting in one package. However, this is not a necessity, and many people choose different companies for both of these services.

For small sites, don't be oversold or wowed by big numbers. You likely won't use anywhere near some of the storage and transfer limits offered by many hosts in their premium packages. Stick with the basic package and upgrade if it becomes necessary.

For sites with higher performance or security needs, a virtual private server is recommended. While a VPS is more costly than other hosting plans, it ensures that your site will not share as much of the server with the hundreds of other sites that may be hosted there.

For enterprise level sites, a fully dedicated server is recommended. Sites on a dedicated server do not share any resources whatsoever with other sites.

Regardless of the size and type site you plan to host, look for things such as customer support forums, optional phone support, and reasonable prices. Remember that rock bottom pricing is sometimes a signal of poor quality, and opt for hosts which offer reasonable service at a fair cost.


Want to learn more about web hosts? The author recommends Cheap Hosting 101, a web hosting resource featuring reviews, promotional codes, and resources. Visit today to quickly compare web hosting providers.

What is a Dedicated Server?

By Adam Gufarotti

Whether you lease or buy a dedicated server, you have total control over what operating system, software and applications are installed. The company's sensitive and financial information is stored in a centralized and secure location with security access created and monitored by the company itself. When shopping around for associated services like control panel access you can broker advantageous licensing deals.

Fast Growing Internet

Shared hosting is no longer valid in the fast growing internet side of your business. Allowing users from outside of your business to have access to the same IP address can seriously affect whatever security measures are in place. Users uploading and installing, sometimes incorrectly, applications and other operating systems can also have a negative impact on the performance of your site. During times of high traffic volume the speed and connectivity of your site can be slowed down or crash altogether costing time and money that is not recoupable. Sleepless nights occur and extensive frustration is extended when a website is down or sluggish and you are waiting for your host to repair the problem. Having no control over the communication portal of your business is no longer valid as growth and the need for speed increases.

Control over your technical environment is crucial for every business today as the internet has become a mainline of communication of goods and services to their customers. Dedicated Servers have now expanded into a universal product and service. Maintaining control over your business is a given, now with the easy acquiring of personal dedicated servers it just makes sense to extend that control technologically. Great peace of mind also comes with having remote access to your own dedicated server, from anywhere in the world, if it becomes necessary to re-boot your own server and you can do it in an instant.

More Economical

Small businesses are realizing that leasing a dedicated server through a host is not only economical but sets in place a system that can grow along with them. Renting space through a colocation host is also a viable alternative to keep the budget at a manageable level when office space rent is at a premium.

Manufacturing and warehouse based businesses that have the room to house their own dedicated servers but have air quality issues can purchase specific cabinetry to encase their server racks. There are air-conditioned cabinets with sealed, silent cooling systems for environments that have particle or dirt filled air. Having your own personal dedicated server is now affordable, adaptable and easily incorporated into your growing business.


Using a Dedicated Server to Become a Web Host

By Adam Gufarotti

Before investing in a dedicated server take the time to understand what it really takes to operate a web server company. Do you have...

• patience with handling complex technology?

• computer and technical know-how?

• a background in Computer Science?

• familiarity with Control Panels and their limitations?

Another huge reality factor is the demand for 24/7 service. Most internet and website customers now are accustomed to getting tech support around the clock, any time they need it. The bottom line is that you or your employees will be expected to be on call 24 hours a day for to handle sales calls and requests for technical assistance. One of the necessities of running any internet-related business is immediate response if customers are going to remain happy and loyal. Are you prepared to support the needs of your clients if you decide to start a web hosting service?

Be Familiar with All Components

Familiarity with all the latest software is at the top of the check list when it comes to having the tools you need to be a web host. You will need to know what software is available on the market, how it works and what is the price tag attached. Eventually you will be installing this software on your web server to accommodate the needs of your customers.

If you intend to host using a Window 2000 server you will need to have an in depth comprehension of IIS. On the upside, Microsoft offers a huge library of information that describes everything you need to know about their software, but it will require a time commitment on your behalf to read through it all.

Should you be considering a Linux server, you be called upon for your knowledge and command of Secure Shell Security (SSH). You'll find yourself floundering helplessly if you do not have a sturdy background in Telnet commands if you are using Cpanel as your control panel.

There are some options available as far as how much money you will need to invest up front, but the key here is that you will need to have startup capital to get going. The software you will be required to purchase can be quite costly and your customers will expect you to offer them the best. They are not likely to settle for anything less than a sturdy, reliable server such as a Dual Pentium. This is also really the only way you will have complete control of anything that is going on with your network.


Transferring Your Website to a Dedicated Server Part 2

By Adam Gufarotti

Depending on the program or utility you normally use to amend your website, you can upload all the files.

If you are using Frontpage you will need to construct a new Web using the files you imported from your old web server and publish them to the new dedicated server. You must make sure that you have installed the Frontpage extensions on your new web host in advance so that it can "read" the data when you complete the transfer.

For users with Dreamweaver, you must begin by defining your site. Next, you use the PUT command to transfer all of your files and html pages. This is the guarantee that your entire website will remain undamaged and together once the transfer is complete.

It you have a favorite FTP utility, the process is relatively simple, as long as you were certain you saved the most current version of all your website files on your computer. (You may lose data if you did not do that before you transferred your domain.) Using the FTP login information for your new web server, set up your new site and then copy all the files you saved to the new site. Hopefully you are using an FTP utility such as WS FTP that allows you to transfer folders. Otherwise you may end up having to transfer each file individually, which can be time consuming.

Look for Needed Updates

Once all the files have been transferred to the new server, take a look at the live website. Does it look the same as our old site? If not, it could be due to the fact that some of the files or html code did not transfer correctly. You may need to spend a little time making some amendments by adding or removing sections of code so that everything in your website is in order. These glitches seem to happen more frequently with the website editors, such as Frontpage and Dreamweaver.

Once the domain and all your files have been transferred and your website is live on your new dedicated server, it is imperative that you test every service and every link on your site to make sure they are functioning correctly. When you are certain that everything is perfect, than you are free to cancel all the services you had with your old web host.


Transferring Your Website to a Dedicated Server Part 1

By Adam Gufarotti

You have to begin, of course by choosing the dedicated web server that will give you the reliability and stability you need for your website and online business. Being concerned about having enough space should not be too much of an issue for you, since the move you are about to make will ensure you have as much space as you need.

It is really not that difficult to switch web hosts without losing files although prepare yourself for the fact that it will take some time. How you go about making the transfer depends on how you normally work on your website. For example, do you use Frontpage, Dreamweaver or an FTP program?

• Frontpage has an import feature that allows you to make a complete copy of your website

• Dreamweaver has a GET command that you would use to copy all of the files on your site

• If you use an FTP utility, you will need to download all the files on your site to your own computer. Even if you have files on your computer now, don't assume they are the most current version.

The next step you will need to take is transferring your domain name. You will need to contact the domain name registrar where your registered your domain name in the first place. (For example, Network Solutions or GoDaddy.) You will "point" your domain at your new server by replacing the Domain Name Server (DNS) or Name Server information with the DNS information for your new host. Your new host will give you that information.

Temporary Down Time

Do not be alarmed when you see that your website has disappeared from the internet. There is a 24-72 hours time lag that occurs for the change to process while your DNS record is being changed. The delay is also partially due to the time it takes to propagate your records through the WHOIS servers.

In the meantime, take care to tend to the email forwarding service on your old site until the transfer is complete. Even if your website is down, you can maintain the continuity of your business by staying in contact with your customers. You can even send an email to your contact list to inform them about the changes you are making. It would also may be appropriate to post a message on your home page in advance of the change with contact information where you can be reached during the time your website is not available.


Tips For Using a Dedicated Server

By Adam Gufarotti

Having a decent understanding of what a dedicated server is and how it works will help you ask intelligent questions and make an informed decision when the time is right. A reliable web server host will be able to answer all of your questions without hesitation, and if they do not have an immediate answer for your question, they will follow up with the correct information.

Ask the Right Questions

Find out from a potential web host what they mean precisely when they advertise unlimited transfers. Make sure that this is a feature than is actually available when you need it. Typically, hosting service plans include a range of 50 - 500 GB of transfer for each month that you are on their service. Will this be enough to handle the volume of traffic generated through your site? Find out who the host has contracted for their internet connectivity and be sure that company has a reputation for reliability. If you do any amount of business online, you lose money and trust if your website goes down.

The importance of redundancy is a feature that cannot be overstated. Redundancy is a system that guarantees everything you do online is backed up so that if one network goes down, the continuity of your online activities is assured. Do not settle for a dedicated server provider that has less than 2 redundant internet connections. In this day and age, the providers with the most consistent reputation for consistent, uninterrupted service use several fail-safe measures.

Why You Need It

You will need to have a dedicated web server if you have a very large website that attracts a substantial volume of traffic though sales, inquiries, uploads and downloads. You will benefit from this type of service if your emails or website require a 3rd party security system. Webmasters that need to optimize or configure their server to support particular functionality on their websites must use a dedicated service if they expect to have the depth of access needed to do their work.

The cost of this category of server can be much higher than you would pay for a virtual server, which is shared with thousands of other users. The upside is that over time the prices have dropped enough to make if affordable for most people to use the service. A few years ago it would have cost in the neighborhood of $500 a month to lease the server but now it can be obtained for less than $100. Just make sure you shop around before jumping for the cheapest service. Cheap does not always promise you'll get the service that best supports your needs.


The Need For a Dedicated Server

By Adam Gufarotti

This can be considerable more expensive that a regular web server, so you need to determine if spending the money for this server has a big enough return on your investment to make it worth your while. However, if the your online business is the type where you get a large volume of inquiries from current or potential customers you may need to switch over from shared hosting to a dedicated web server.

How Much Space?

You'll need to think about how much web space you need. Shared hosting packages provide difference allotments of megabytes for a website. This may not be enough, especially if you are planning to expand your business and perhaps build multiple websites. A dedicated server typically gives you at least 20 GIGS of space, all for your own use and this could very well be what you require to accommodate your expansion plans for the future.

One of the most important deciding factors for you is the fact of how much bandwidth your website is transferring each day. Consider that if your website is transferring more than 1 GIG of traffic on a daily basis, then you need more than a shared web server is giving you. You are in the range of needing all of the server's bandwidth for the needs of your website alone. As your online business becomes more successful, a dedicated server gives you the bandwidth power you need to handle the additional traffic. When a shared web hosting plan begins cramp how you do business online, this is a perfect indicator that it is time to have your own dedicated space.

More Control is an Advantage

Most shared hosting providers will restrict you from custom installation of dll's and com objects. When you know that you are at the stage where these features would be beneficial, then you need your own dedicated server. Neither will you have to hold your breath in hopes that your web server is managing your security needs, since you will have control over this area of network administration.

The other big advantage is that as you add more websites to your business profile you no longer have the inconvenience of having to contact your web host every time you need to make a change or add on a new website. As an aside, if you find that you don't actually need all the space you are leasing, you can always resell some of it as private hosting accounts.


The Advantages of a Dedicated Server

By Adam Gufarotti

Similarly to the way you save documents and files on the hard drive of your computer or burn it onto a CD, the data that is the source for your website needs a place to be stored.

The difference between the information stored on your computer and the information stored on a server is this: a server is designed with the technology that permits it to transmit the data to the internet, so that your website shows up when someone views it via their web browser. That is the purpose of a web host - it is the link between your website and the internet.

There are several important advantages to having a dedicated server. You will need this service if you have a very large website with plenty of traffic. It will support large database applications and streaming media. Businesses that use webcast radio or TV need to have this technology.

If you are looking for super high speed bandwidth this will provide the power you require. Many users that have relied on shared hosting have discovered that the consistency of the service varies because of the number of other users on the same server. Using a dedicated service means that you have all the bandwidth to yourself which automatically raises the level of reliability significantly.

Security is another issue that can frustrate users on a shared service, but with a dedicated host you have control over the security measures that are installed, so you can insist they meet your demand. You will also have complete control over all the websites on your server. You will also experience the cost per website decreasing when you can host them all on the same server.

Something else you may need to consider is your need to add POP3 accounts and FTP accounts. A shared host will typically charge more money for these additions, but with a dedicated server you can make these add-ons at no extra charge. And last, but not least, if your website is achieving a very high volume of traffic throughout the day, you will notice a dramatic improvement in your websites performance once you transfer your site from a shared hosting service


Leasing Versus Buying a Dedicated Server System

By Adam Gufarotti

Just as your business and websites are growing exponentially, so does computer and internet technology. Constant upgrading your hardware, software and business applications are already part of everyday business and any avoidable additional expense can slow the impact on your budget. Unnecessary initial investment in equipment can prove costly to smaller businesses especially when they are in the beginning stages of expansion. Just like leasing a car, leasing a dedicated server can keep your business current with the latest models and software with a quick exchange of equipment.

24/7 Support

Instead of having to support your own IT department, most dedicated server suppliers have 24/7 IT support available whenever you need it. These experts can also manage and monitor peak traffic times to ensure the speed and efficiency of your site is maintained so you don't have to. Customer support in the form of an online knowledge base such as FAQs can keep you informed and up to date with the technological advances regarding dedicated servers. Most suppliers also provide online comprehensive and detailed information on all current associated services, applications, software and hardware available.

By investing in a dedicated server of your own you receive connectivity to the internet, redundancy measures, and monitoring plus the hardware and operating system. You can purchase a dedicated server system and maintain it in-house or you can co-locate it in someone else's data center.

Colocation

Colocation is a space saving alternative of your personal dedicated server is a space saving alternative. Colocation hosting is the sharing of a facility by multiple designated servers that is already fully designed, constructed and wired to handle the activity and traffic. This eliminates the need to create a new workspace in your own office environment. Whether it is building a whole new room or adapting a closet it is another hardware infrastructure expense that takes more time and money. The down side is that if you own your dedicated server and something fails you may need to have it shipped out for repair. Dedicated server hosting providers have spare parts on hand and can react quickly to an emergency.

An emerging trend in the dedicated server environment is the re-designing of interior office space to incorporate dedicated servers on racks that are concealed and soundproofed in customized cabinets. These cabinets come in many sizes and in a variety of finishes and colors to blend into your current office decor. Some of these manufacturers even offer a color matching service.


 

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