Linux vs. Microsoft Hosting

  Glossary of common hosting-related terms...

• .Backup - Always backup your own files, of course, but a good host will have a daily backup of all data on their servers too.
• .Bandwidth usage - how much they will let you use before they stick you with extra charges, or shut down your site until the end of the month. (an example: with an average page size of 50KB, with 2000 page views per day will transfer an average of 3GB bandwidth per month)
• Bytes - In round terms, just to give you an idea, "K" or "kilo" means "thousand" or "1,000", and "M" or "mega" means "million" or "1,000,000" and "G" or "giga" means "billion" or "1,000,000,000" ... SO, a host that gives 500GB storage is providing five hundred billion bytes of storage space for your website. If they allow 500MB of bandwith, that's five hundred million bytes of transfer in a month. In other words, much more than the average website will need. (For nit-pickers, a kilo-byte is actually 1,024 bytes, a mega-byte is actually 1,048,576 bytes and a giga-byte is actually 1,073,741,824 bytes)
• C, C++ - two different, but similar, computer programming languages commonly used to write programs or scripts for use on web servers.
• Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) - A 'list of instructions' that governs how your HTML document (webpage) is displayed by the browser. (The current version of CSS is CSS2).
• CGI - (short for Common Gateway Interface) a specification for the transfer of data between a web server and a CGI program. CGI programs are commonly written in languages such as Perl, C++, Java, etc... and include search engines, guestbooks, forums, etc.
• .Control panel - your 'user interface' where all the necessary administrative tasks are set out. 'C-Panel' is one of the best but there are some difficult ones out there, so look for a "Control Panel Demo" and play with it before you commit to a host.
• .Customer forum or FAQ database - Someplace to look for answers to common problems or questions.
• .Customer support - Email support will be good enough for most stuff, but make sure they have an 800-number you can call 24/7 - just in case.
• Dedicated Server - simply a computer located in a data center that's used for a single webhosting account. Very large websites or someone who just wants a little more flexibility would use a dedicated server.
• .Disk Usage or Disk Space - the total amount of space you are allowed for all your data. (to give a general idea, this website, with almost 3000 pages, plus graphics and downloads, uses just under 300MB of disk space.)
• DNS (Domain Name System) Server - the server used by a registrar, isp, or other web entity which maintains a database of domain name information needed for internet navigation.
• Domain - aka: Domain Name - (www.your_site.com) - Most webhosts will provide domain name registration as part of a package, or will provide easy access to a domain name registrar - either way, it's generally a good idea to get your domain name registered first, then purchase your hosting.
• Domain parking - the service of holding your domain name on a hosting company nameserver, most registrars provide this service for free when you register a domain name.
• Domain registration - the process of registering for ownership of your domain name through a certified registrar. Registering a domain name gives you exclusive use of that domain name for a given contract period. (usually 1 or 2 years)
• Domain transfer - moving to a new host and changing the DNS server information listed with the domain registrar to reflect the address of your new host nameservers.
• .Email Auto-Responders - used for an instant acknowledgement of email receipt or to send requested information instantly... much better than trying to monitor your email 24/7
• .Email Filters - keeping some of the inevitable spam out of your POP3 mailboxes.
• .Email Forwarding - simply means having all mail that is sent to one name gets automatically sent on to another address. (which can be helpful, but can also get really confusing!)
• .Email POP3 Accounts - ( Post Office Protocol 3) - that's the "you@yoursite.com" mail addresses... much more 'legitimate' than a yahoo or hotmail address. You need a mail program like Eudora or Outlook Express to access a POP3 account.
• Flash media - a type of graphic commonly used to create web-optimized animations of small to moderate file sizes.
• .Frontpage Extensions - If you use MS Frontpage to build your website you need to be able to upload the pages and have them display the way you wrote them...
• FTP - FTP stands for 'File Transfer Protocol' - with an FTP program you upload files from your pc to the hosts' servers... 'anonamous FTP accounts' allow your visitors to access files (downloads) from your server - most hosts support that, but not all.
• IP (Internet Protocol) Address - the numeric address that refers to a specific location. In most cases when you setup your domain name with a host they will assign a specific IP address for your account to which your domain name will point to. Why? Well, it's just easier... for example: http://219.239.39.104 is much harder to remember than http://www.google.com
• Java - a common programing platform, developed by SunMicrosystems, used for web applications on servers.
• Java Applet - a simple program written in the Java programming language, placed in a web page to add interactivity for visitors.
• Javascript - a simple programming syntax (unrelated to Java) which, once processed by web browsers, is used to perform functions like mouseover effects, time & date functions and other "dynamic" webpage effects.
• Log files - a text record of activity for a certain web account over a specified period. Logs record various information about your visitors... time of visit, ip address, the referring site, visitor's browser type and other helpful statistical stuff.
• .'MySQL' Databases - for forums, message boards, chat, etc. Most hosts allow a limited number of databases, most often more than you will need, but make sure that they have at least three.
• Nameserver - see DNS.
• Perl - possibly the most popular programming language used, you'll want your host to support a current version... at least 5.8 or better.
• PHP - a scripting language used to create dynamic html pages "on the fly". PHP is primarily used for advanced sites, forums, blogs, etc. where visitor interaction and feedback is important.
• .PHP version - PHP, like any other 'programming language', it's in constant evolution. You'll want the host to support at least version 4.2 - or better.
• Registrar - The company that actually registers your domain name... most charge around $10 to $15 dollars a year. Your domain registration must be renewed annually and the domain owner data kept current.
• Secure Servers - Secure server connections allow for personal, sensitive information to be encrypted and sent safely over the internet.
• Server Side Includes - (SSI) - an advanced hosting feature which allows CGI code to be placed inside the html code of your webpage... a web browser 'sees' the SSI code and will access the CGI program.
• "Shared" or "Virtual" hosting - This is the most basic, 'entry-level' type of service - you get your website hosted on a professionally managed server at a low cost because you share the expense of hardware and network connections without sacrificing privacy, performance or preference.
• SSL certificate - a certificate, issued by an encryption technology provider, that allows for a secure server connection between a web browser and a web server with the SSL certificate installed.
• Sub-Domains - that's the www.subdomain.your_site.com part... most hosts will allow some for free and the ability to add more for a small fee. Sub-Domains are useful if you want to organize non-related types of webpages on a single hosting account.
• .Shopping Cart - The program and database that tracks purchases made from your website.
• Uniform Resource Locator - URL refers to the location of an object on the web. In most cases a website URL is simply its domain name. See also IP address.
  
• .Mime Types, Apache Handlers, ht_access, etc - ht_access can limit access to certain areas of your site... MIME types allow a variety of multimedia content, handlers can enhance the functionality of different scripting tools...