A definition of website hosting
As its name hints, web hosting is a service, which entails hosting web content. There are different varieties and types of web hosting, based on the mission and on the objectives. However, they all involve hosting files, which, once hosted, are made accessible through the Internet. A web host is actually a web server that is linked to the World Wide Web and has its very own IP address, which permits users to access it through the World Wide Web. The web hosting server's architecture and its resources are subject to the type of web hosting service it will be used for.
What are the different types of hosting?
Depending on the objective, the professional web hosting service may be:
File Storage Web Hosting - this type of web hosting allows the customers to keep their files on a certain server. With the routine file hosting service, the files that are stashed may only be accessed by the user that's utilizing the service. This web hosting solution mainly is associated with backups of computers , docs, personal files and even other servers. This solution may also include given restrictions when it comes to the disk storage space and the root-level access. There may also be traffic quota limits, but that is dependent on the actual hosting service provider.
Warez Web Hosting - the so-called warez hosting solution is quite similar to the previous hosting service form. Yet, unlike the file hosting solution, the warez web hosting service is utilized for disseminating patented materials without being given the okay to do so by the license bearer. In short - it refers to the illegal transmission of files and documents. There are multiple methods for this to be carried out, but the 2 essential ways are - through simple HTTP downloading and via peer-to-peer connections. The first approach involves either a specific site, or, most commonly, just a directory on a server that's been made available for everyone to access it and thereby download patented files free of cost. The second way entails a P2P connection, using the so-called Torrent web servers, through which users transfer files between each other. There are a few web page hosting corporations that permit that form of web hosting on their web servers, mostly owing to all the judicial entanglements that it involves. Typically such web sites are hosted on personal dedicated web servers that are registered by third-party firms either in the Middle East or in Asia.
Email Web Hosting - this solution is utilized with both shared hosting and dedicated hosting servers, depending on the user's intention. If you wish to run your very own personal SMTP server, then you will need either a VPS server or a dedicated server that offers the level of access needed to complete such an assignment. For typical mail web hosting purposes, though, you can utilize an average shared web site hosting account, to which you can point the mail exchanger records of your domain. This is not a service that's widely famous, because the web page hosting and the electronic mail hosting services are being served by 2 different servers, usually belonging to separate providers.
Site Hosting - the most famous and universally used hosting service at the moment. It's used for hosting site files, whose type depends on the Operating System the web hosting server is using - Linux or Windows. Different kinds of files demand different web hosting server OSs, otherwise they won't be shown correctly on the Web. This form of web hosting may have server storage and bandwidth restrictions, root-level access and CPU usage limits.
Based on the mission and on the functions, the customer should choose the kind of server that he requires for his project, and, of course, the site hosting vendor that's going to supply it. There are several kinds of web hosting servers, based on the configuration and the web site hosting services that they provide. These are:
Shared Web Hosting Server - a shared hosting server supplies a smaller quantity of system resources, which, of course, is reflected on the cost of the service. It can be used for hosting small size and middle scale sites, which do not require large quantities of web storage and web traffic.
Semi-Dedicated Hosting - they function on the very same principle as the shared web hosting servers. However, there are much fewer clients sharing the same web hosting server. That is why, each of them will have a bigger quota of the server's resources like RAM, disk storage, traffic and CPU. Ideal for hosting bulky web sites that do not require complete root access.
Virtual Servers - the private virtual web hosting servers are ideal for middle sized web portals, which do require root-level access to the web server's config files. Usually, there are several private virtual server web hosting accounts sharing the same physical server. Nevertheless, each of them is independent from the other ones and has its own Operating System.
Dedicated Hosting - a fully dedicated web server configured and accessed by you and only you. It ensures a big amount of resources. It also offers full root-level access, which renders it a perfect solution for any kind of site that demands a site hosting solution.
The only question that's left is:
Which site hosting supplier should I choose?
As already mentioned, there aren't many web hosting providers offering warez web hosting solutions due to legal complications. Such hosts are being closed down practically every month. Because of that, if you would like to offer such a service, you should do it on your very own personal computer. The shared hosting service is the most widely spread type of hosting service. Therefore, each website hosting vendor provides it. Not all of them, however, provide solutions such as VPS servers, semi-dedicated servers and dedicated web hosting servers. Most of the small scale web site hosting distributors do not have the resources required for maintaining those solutions. For that reason it's always best to select a larger host that can supply its clients with all the solutions that they necessitate. You can easily ID such web hosting companies by the types of solutions that they are offering and by the manner in which they present them to the clientele. For instance, some web hosts allow you to kick off with a small sized hosting plan and then move to a more advanced one, if you find it necessary to do so. This is extremely suitable, because you do not need to move web pages between servers and there is no possibility of suffering outages because of all the complications that may appear. Hosting companies like Lim Hosting provide all kinds of solutions and possess the adequate web server resources and staff to assure that their customers will not encounter any problems when swapping services, which is what a top hosting corporation is actually all about.