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Windows Hosting
Window Web Hosting Explained
There is a common
misconception that just because you use a Windows operating system on
your desktop, you must use a
window hosting provider for your web presence. The two
are unrelated. Just as your personal computer requires an operating
system, which is more than likely a version of Microsoft Windows, so too
does a web server. Microsoft just so happens to produce one of those as
well.
Though the OS on your
desktop is not a determining factor, there are many instances where a
window web hosting company is necessitated. If, for example,
you use .NET script to compose your website, you will need a window web
hosting provider. If you use MS SQL or Microsoft Access databases, you
will need a window hosting provider. If you use
ASP or ASP.NET scripts for server-side programming, you'll want a
window hosting provider. If you use PHP
scripts and
MySQL databases, you may want a
Linux host.
Window hosting offers
ASP, ASP.NET, and Access Database support,
the MS SQL server database, a IIS server, and is
PHP and
MySQL compatible. Most people using a
Window web hosting server are running Active Server Pages (ASP)
technology. Linux, however, offers
greater support for Perl scripts and CGI programs.
If you use
FrontPage to design and publish
your website, you'll find better support on a window hosting provider
than a Linux or
Unix based provider. Likewise if you plan
to have Windows Streaming Media on your site, or use Visual Interdev.
If, on the other hand, you expect to use remote interactive access via
SSH or telnet, you'll only find support from
Linux servers.
Linux is also an Open Source code, rather
than a proprietary code like Microsoft's Windows products, which gives
it a versatility and malleability that window hosting lacks. If you
enjoy programming custom applications, or scouring the net for
innovative free web tools, Linux may be just your thing. But if you'd
rather rely on the expertise and experience of a stalwart team in a
highly competitive industry, if you'd prefer neatly interlocking,
integrated modules with point-and-click simplicity and minimal
programming knowledge on the part of the user, then window web hosting
is probably for you.
Although a windows server
can be quite expensive, it has one of the simplest user-interfaces
available and is therefore a server of choice for new and inexperienced
administrators. Window hosting is also incredibly convenient in that it
is compatible with most other Microsoft products.
Providers with the newest
window hosting version offer window hosting clients a collection of
third party applications called Web Site Starters custom designed for a
Windows environment.
If, heaven forbid, your
database technology and web-building tools are from different platforms
(one
Linux-based, the other Windows-based)
then your first step is probably to determine which you prefer, and
switch over any incompatible web software to the winning platform.
Generic, cross-platform technologies offer you the most versatility, but
often with limited functionality. It's worth doing a little extra
research to find which software systems you prefer, because you'll get
more for your money with a fully integrated web-presence package than
doing it piecemeal. And you'll have a far easier time with the
inevitable, constant updating involved in administering a website.
More Information
related...
Taken from
Hosting Review
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