An explanation of hosting
As its name denotes, web hosting is a solution, which involves hosting web content. There are various varieties and types of hosting, depending on the goals and on the usage. In spite of that, they all pertain to hosting files, which, once hosted, are made available through the Web. A host is in fact a hosting server that is linked to the Internet and has its very own IP address, which enables people to get access to it through the World Wide Web. The web hosting server's configuration and its limitations are determined by the form of web hosting service it will be used for.
What are the various forms of web hosting?
Based on the goal, the business website hosting service may be:
File Storage Web Hosting - this type of web hosting permits the users to lodge their files on a certain hosting server. With the normal file storage hosting service, the files that are saved may only be accessed by the customer that's availing of the service. This hosting service usually is associated with backups of personal computers , documents, personal files and even other web servers. This service may also contain given restrictions in terms of the data space and the root access. There may also be traffic limitations, but that is dependent on the actual web hosting provider.
Warez Hosting - the so-called warez web hosting service is quite similar to the previous hosting service type. Still, unlike the file web hosting solution, the warez web hosting service is used for disseminating proprietary content without the sanction of the patent keeper. In brief - it is associated with the criminal circulation of files and materials. There are numerous methods for this to be accomplished, but the two essential methods are - via simple Hypertext Transfer Protocol downloading and through P2P connections. The first method involves either some web portal, or, most typically, simply a directory on a server that's been made available for everybody to access it and thus download copyrighted documents free of charge. The second approach entails a P2P connection, using the so-called Torrent servers, through which users exchange files between each other. There are very few webspace hosting vendors that permit that form of hosting on their servers, chiefly due to all the judicial problems that it entails. Generally such web portals are hosted on private dedicated web hosting servers that are registered by 3rd party corporations either in the Middle East or in Asia.
E-mail Web Hosting - this service is relevant with both shared site hosting and dedicated web hosting servers, based on the user's intention. If you wish to build your own personal SMTP server, then you will require either a VPS server or a dedicated web hosting server that offers the access level required to carry out such an assignment. For routine electronic mail web hosting purposes, though, you can utilize an ordinary shared web site hosting account, to which you can point the MX records of your domain name. This is not a solution that's very famous, since the site hosting and the mail hosting services are being served by two separate web servers, often owned by different web hosts.
Web Site Hosting - the most famous and immensely used hosting service these days. It's utilized for hosting web site files, whose kind depends on the OS the server is running - Linux or Windows. Different kinds of files demand specific hosting server OSs, otherwise they won't be exhibited appropriately on the Web. This type of web hosting may impose web storage and bandwidth limitations, server root access and CPU usage limits.
Depending on the mission and on the usage, the client should select the sort of server that he demands for his work, and, of course, the website hosting supplier that's going to furnish it. There are various kinds of hosting servers, based on the specifications and the website hosting solutions that they offer. These are:
Shared Hosting Server - a shared web page hosting server offers a smaller quantity of system resources, which, of course, is reflected on the price of the service. It can be used for hosting small sized and middle sized sites, which do not require immense quotas of data space and web traffic.
Semi-Dedicated Servers - they are based on the very same principle as the shared web site hosting servers. Yet, there are much fewer customers hosted on the same server. Therefore, each of them will enjoy a bigger share of the web hosting server's resources like RAM, server space, bandwidth and CPU. Excellent for hosting heavy sites that do not need full root-level access.
VPS - the virtual servers are ideal for middle size web pages, which do need root access to the web hosting server's config files. Usually, there are a handful of private virtual server web hosting accounts accommodated on the same server. However, each of them is autonomous from the rest and has its own Operating System.
Dedicated Servers Hosting - a completely dedicated physical server configured and accessed by you and only you. It guarantees a large amount of resources. It also offers full server root privileges, which renders it the optimal environment for any type of online portal that necessitates a web hosting solution.
The sole question that remains is:
Which webspace hosting provider should I settle on?
As mentioned, there are not many web hosts offering warez web hosting services due to judicial predicaments. Such hosting companies are being shut down almost every month. Therefore, if you desire to run such a service, you should do it on your very own PC. The shared web space hosting solution is the most widespread kind of web hosting service. So, each and every webspace hosting vendor provides it. Not all of them, however, provide services such as virtual private web hosting servers, semi-dedicated servers and dedicated web hosting servers. Most of the small sized webspace hosting firms do not have the means required for maintaining those services. For that reason it's always best to choose a bigger company that can provide its customers with all the services that they need. You can effortlessly identify such hosting companies by the kinds of solutions that they are making available and by the manner in which they present them to the clients. For instance, some hosts allow you to start with a small scale web site hosting plan and subsequently move to a more powerful one, if you find it necessary to do so. This is quite suitable, because you do not have to move web sites between servers and there is no risk of facing downtime due to all the predicaments that may occur. Web hosting providers such as AIDA Host provide all sorts of services and possess the required server resources and personnel to ensure that their customers will not chance upon any problems when changing services, which is what a top hosting corporation is actually all about.