Hosting Explained

Jon · 07-03-09, 11:40 PM

Hopefully this will explain to you how web hosting works, and figure out what actually is happening.

In simple terms a web hosting service is simply a few programs running on a PC attached to the internet. These PC's are called servers.

Server's can be used to power one site (like we do here on eXceem) as well as being used to power multiple sites.

To add to the list there are Virtual Private Servers (VPS's), which is a server split into segments, with each segment appearing to the internet as a unique server.

I will go through in detail about the common types of hosting that is available.

Dedicated Server

A dedicated server is either used to host one of a few sites (all owned by the server owner) or to power a number of VPS systems, reseller hosting, or web hosting. A dedicated server could also be part of a cloud based system.

A dedicated server is essentially a PC which has been configured to run as a server, meaning it will have none or a very basic graphics card, higher rated power supplies, hard drives and a slightly different case design to ensure efficient cooling. Higher rated compoments are used compared to desktop PC's since servers are online all of the time, while in most cases desktop PC's are only powered on while they are being used.

Dedicated servers are located in buildings, known as data-centres, which are built with the sole purpose of hosting dedicated servers. They will have high security to restrict access, top of the range fire fighting systems, multiple electrical supplies, backup electrical generators and high quality air conditioning systems to keep the servers cool. Importantly they will have very high speed links to the internet to connect the dedicated servers to the outside world.

Disk space, RAM and data transfer are only limited by how big your budget is, and the available space for additional hard drives within the server.

Virtual Private Server (VPS)

A VPS is a "small chunk" of a dedicated server, which to the outside world appears as a dedicated server. A program is ran on the dedicated server which splits the memory, harddrive and processor resources between a number of VPS's running on that one server.

Disk space and bandwidth are limited slightly by how many other VPS's run on the same server, and the configuration of the dedicated server. A VPS is often a step-up from shared hosting, but not a full step to a dedicated server.

Shared Hosting

Shared hosting is the most common form of hosting, were you would pay for a set amount of disk space and bandwidth. In most cases shared hosting is not suitable for hosting that requires alot of processing power, such as a busy forum or blog.

Some shared hosting "oversells" their resources, which can lead to issues in some cases. For example a server could have 4 500Gb harddrives, offering 2000Gb of storage on the server. now if they offer their customers 20Gb of storage space and had 150 customers, that would mean they would need 3000Gb of storage space. The same can also apply to the number of shared hosting accounts on one server, if there are to many then 10/20 popular accounts could affect the performance of other accounts on the same server, or in some cases cause the server to crash.

Some shared hosting also allows you to "re-sell" hosting to other customers, known as reseller hosting. These types of accounts often have more resources than a normal shared hosting account, but less than a typical VPS account.

Free Hosting

Free hosting is a form of shared hosting that has no costs attached to it. Some providers will fund this by requiring adverts to be displayed on your pages, while others will use it as a stepping stone to offer you paid services later on down the line.

Choosing a Host

If you are looking for a simple shared hosting account, or a dedicated server always do some research first. The main points to look for are customer reviews, and if you can find out more about the general setup of their hosting service. You don't want to be stuck on a account from a reseller selling reseller hosting on a server that has been oversold.

mcgrou · 08-03-09, 09:37 PM

When would you reccomend moving from free hosting to a shared/dedicated server?
(i.e. how much activity, traffic, etc)

Cheers Jon

Jon · 08-03-09, 09:44 PM

Personally I wouldn't recommend free hosting, unless you really had no way to pay for the hosting, but there are a couple of points when a move would be suggested if you were on free hosting

- when trafic gets to a point the free host starts complaining to you
- if you notice the website is down or very slow to respond
- when the website is generating you money/greens and you couldn't afford to do with out the money/greens

Larkino · 09-03-09, 08:27 AM

nice post

is this your last ditch attempt to catch up with furbs and arctic?

How much do you think a freebie site webmaster should start paying per month?

Ilikefree · 09-03-09, 08:37 AM

A move to a dedicated server/vps should only be taken when absolutely neccasary. My network of sites are planning on a move to a VPS shortly but thats purely because I am a reseller and I need more space for my revamp which is coming soon.

Unless your site is using 90% of your bandwidth and you can't get more space from shared hosting, don't move to a VPS or Dedicated server.

Well all that is my opinion anyway.

Nice post Jon

messyhead · 09-03-09, 11:07 AM

I think you should also consider the Support that you get from paid hosting. I pretty much know what I'm doing so rarely have to use Support on the free hosts that I use. But I also use paid hosting, and the Support is amazing. Usually replies are within a couple of hours, and on one occasion they even uploaded a newer file to my site as I couldn't access FTP from work.

Jon · 09-03-09, 05:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Larkino

nice post

is this your last ditch attempt to catch up with furbs and arctic?

How much do you think a freebie site webmaster should start paying per month?

Nope, if I focused on freebies then I would loose focus on eXceem, the few websites I have created are more there to use as tutorials rather than for me to actively promote etc

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ilikefree

A move to a dedicated server/vps should only be taken when absolutely neccasary. My network of sites are planning on a move to a VPS shortly but thats purely because I am a reseller and I need more space for my revamp which is coming soon.

Unless your site is using 90% of your bandwidth and you can't get more space from shared hosting, don't move to a VPS or Dedicated server.

Well all that is my opinion anyway.

Nice post Jon

The need to upgrade is different for different people, for me it has always been about the CPU/RAM needed to power things rather than hard disk space/bandwidth

Quote:

Originally Posted by messyhead

I think you should also consider the Support that you get from paid hosting. I pretty much know what I'm doing so rarely have to use Support on the free hosts that I use. But I also use paid hosting, and the Support is amazing. Usually replies are within a couple of hours, and on one occasion they even uploaded a newer file to my site as I couldn't access FTP from work.

So true.

Larkino · 10-03-09, 05:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jon

Nope, if I focused on freebies then I would loose focus on eXceem, the few websites I have created are more there to use as tutorials rather than for me to actively promote etc

I meant rep

digger600 · 10-03-09, 06:07 PM

i was wondering how a hosting guide would help you with freebie hunting jon

Jon · 10-03-09, 06:45 PM

Your mis-understanding me! I am not actively seeking freebies at the moment full stop. Other websites I have links with get me more ££ in return for the time spent. The freebie sites I have created are all there mainly to be used as base's for tutorials etc If they do get me greens then thats all and good

And I can easily fix the rep pecking order if I want to with a couple of clicks

Larkino · 10-03-09, 06:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jon

And I can easily fix the rep pecking order if I want to with a couple of clicks

I was wondering why I have 609 rep points and only 4 blobs

**rider900** · 11-03-09, 08:06 AM

Nice post Jon. I'm happy with my hosting at the moment

Ilikefree · 11-03-09, 09:15 AM

Jon by any chance do you know how long it takes to move a dedicated server to a new subnet? My current host has been down since midnight.

Haggisuk99 · 11-03-09, 09:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ilikefree

Jon by any chance do you know how long it takes to move a dedicated server to a new subnet? My current host has been down since midnight.

Any network change will usually take a maximum of 72 hours to fully propagate the dns around the world. Most of the common countrys close to you will be done within 12 - 48 hours, some of the faster Isps will be done within the hour, however some Isps such as Aol are notoriously slow for picking up the changes etc etc but as a rule all networks will see the change within 72 hours max.

Ilikefree · 11-03-09, 09:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Haggisuk99

Any network change will usually take a maximum of 72 hours to fully propagate the dns around the world. Most of the common countrys close to you will be done within 12 - 48 hours, some of the faster Isps will be done within the hour, however some Isps such as Aol are notoriously slow for picking up the changes etc etc but as a rule all networks will see the change within 72 hours max.

Thanks, the maintenence was only meant to take an hour and a half according to them.... Guess my VPS will have to wait as I still need to get a backup of a database!

Jon · 11-03-09, 11:33 AM

You should still be able to access it directly via its new IP even if the dns information has not propagated across the web.

For reference eXceem's server was moved to a completely different data centre. It to 30 mins to unplug it and package it, 2 hours to courier it, 45 mins to unpack it, configure it for new ip's and plug it in, then it was handed over to me. I updated my nameservers, for some it came across within 30 mins, for others it took longer, though using the opendns service would work for customers of isp's with slow updating dns servers

Ilikefree · 11-03-09, 11:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jon

You should still be able to access it directly via its new IP even if the dns information has not propagated across the web.

For reference eXceem's server was moved to a completely different data centre. It to 30 mins to unplug it and package it, 2 hours to courier it, 45 mins to unpack it, configure it for new ip's and plug it in, then it was handed over to me. I updated my nameservers, for some it came across within 30 mins, for others it took longer, though using the opendns service would work for customers of isp's with slow updating dns servers

havent been given the new ips... I have my vps all configured (i even installed cpanel! nearly broke the damn thing

) and i'm ready to import all the files through ssh but i cant till its up again...

Anyways, as the downtime started 10 minutes before scheduled, do I have a case against them if they didn't back it up? Because Rider and I built half a forum and i was just going to phpmyadmin to back it up and it went.

Jon · 11-03-09, 11:50 AM

if you have the ip's you should just be able to ssh into it, assuming its up and running.

Doubt you would have a case tbh, backups are your responsibility and should be done regularly anyway

Ilikefree · 11-03-09, 11:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jon

if you have the ip's you should just be able to ssh into it, assuming its up and running.

Doubt you would have a case tbh, backups are your responsibility and should be done regularly anyway

I don't have the ips

yes and i do take backups regularly, twice a day to be exact. when an email states "Maintenence will begin at 00:00 on the 11th of March 2009", to me that means midnight, not before.

Jon · 11-03-09, 06:14 PM

Who is your hosting with out of interest?

07-03-09, 11:40 PM	#1
Jon MJ lady with maracas Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Leeds Posts: 12,799	Hosting Explained Hopefully this will explain to you how web hosting works, and figure out what actually is happening. In simple terms a web hosting service is simply a few programs running on a PC attached to the internet. These PC's are called servers. Server's can be used to power one site (like we do here on eXceem) as well as being used to power multiple sites. To add to the list there are Virtual Private Servers (VPS's), which is a server split into segments, with each segment appearing to the internet as a unique server. I will go through in detail about the common types of hosting that is available. Dedicated Server A dedicated server is either used to host one of a few sites (all owned by the server owner) or to power a number of VPS systems, reseller hosting, or web hosting. A dedicated server could also be part of a cloud based system. A dedicated server is essentially a PC which has been configured to run as a server, meaning it will have none or a very basic graphics card, higher rated power supplies, hard drives and a slightly different case design to ensure efficient cooling. Higher rated compoments are used compared to desktop PC's since servers are online all of the time, while in most cases desktop PC's are only powered on while they are being used. Dedicated servers are located in buildings, known as data-centres, which are built with the sole purpose of hosting dedicated servers. They will have high security to restrict access, top of the range fire fighting systems, multiple electrical supplies, backup electrical generators and high quality air conditioning systems to keep the servers cool. Importantly they will have very high speed links to the internet to connect the dedicated servers to the outside world. Disk space, RAM and data transfer are only limited by how big your budget is, and the available space for additional hard drives within the server. Virtual Private Server (VPS) A VPS is a "small chunk" of a dedicated server, which to the outside world appears as a dedicated server. A program is ran on the dedicated server which splits the memory, harddrive and processor resources between a number of VPS's running on that one server. Disk space and bandwidth are limited slightly by how many other VPS's run on the same server, and the configuration of the dedicated server. A VPS is often a step-up from shared hosting, but not a full step to a dedicated server. Shared Hosting Shared hosting is the most common form of hosting, were you would pay for a set amount of disk space and bandwidth. In most cases shared hosting is not suitable for hosting that requires alot of processing power, such as a busy forum or blog. Some shared hosting "oversells" their resources, which can lead to issues in some cases. For example a server could have 4 500Gb harddrives, offering 2000Gb of storage on the server. now if they offer their customers 20Gb of storage space and had 150 customers, that would mean they would need 3000Gb of storage space. The same can also apply to the number of shared hosting accounts on one server, if there are to many then 10/20 popular accounts could affect the performance of other accounts on the same server, or in some cases cause the server to crash. Some shared hosting also allows you to "re-sell" hosting to other customers, known as reseller hosting. These types of accounts often have more resources than a normal shared hosting account, but less than a typical VPS account. Free Hosting Free hosting is a form of shared hosting that has no costs attached to it. Some providers will fund this by requiring adverts to be displayed on your pages, while others will use it as a stepping stone to offer you paid services later on down the line. Choosing a Host If you are looking for a simple shared hosting account, or a dedicated server always do some research first. The main points to look for are customer reviews, and if you can find out more about the general setup of their hosting service. You don't want to be stuck on a account from a reseller selling reseller hosting on a server that has been oversold. __________________ Last edited by Jon; 08-03-09 at 09:29 PM..

08-03-09, 09:37 PM	#2
mcgrou - - - - - - - Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: - Posts: 5,148	When would you reccomend moving from free hosting to a shared/dedicated server? (i.e. how much activity, traffic, etc) Cheers Jon __________________ Spoiler Warning: If you are reading this then this warning is for you. Every word you read of this useless fine print is another second off your life. Don't you have other things to do? Is your life so empty that you honestly can't think of a better way to spend these moments? Or are you so impressed with authority that you give respect and credence to all that claim it? Do you read everything you're supposed to read? Do you think every thing you're supposed to think? Buy what you're told to want? Get out of your apartment. Meet a member of the opposite sex. Stop the excessive shopping and masturbation. Quit your job. Start a fight. Prove you're alive. If you don't claim your humanity you will become a statistic. You have been warned - Tyler

08-03-09, 09:44 PM	#3
Jon MJ lady with maracas Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Leeds Posts: 12,799	Personally I wouldn't recommend free hosting, unless you really had no way to pay for the hosting, but there are a couple of points when a move would be suggested if you were on free hosting - when trafic gets to a point the free host starts complaining to you - if you notice the website is down or very slow to respond - when the website is generating you money/greens and you couldn't afford to do with out the money/greens __________________

09-03-09, 08:27 AM	#4
Larkino Call me Vlad Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: South London Posts: 9,503	nice post is this your last ditch attempt to catch up with furbs and arctic? How much do you think a freebie site webmaster should start paying per month? __________________ Free Xbox 360 S \| Free Wii \| Last.FM

09-03-09, 08:37 AM	#5
Ilikefree Mini Mac Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: London Posts: 5,087	A move to a dedicated server/vps should only be taken when absolutely neccasary. My network of sites are planning on a move to a VPS shortly but thats purely because I am a reseller and I need more space for my revamp which is coming soon. Unless your site is using 90% of your bandwidth and you can't get more space from shared hosting, don't move to a VPS or Dedicated server. Well all that is my opinion anyway. Nice post Jon __________________ *Help an old friend wrap up his freebie-ing by signing up for me in a trade on either Apple FJ or PS3 Kudos! £15 per green!* (pm me and I'll set it up in the trade centre)

09-03-09, 11:07 AM	#6
messyhead iBook Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Glasgow Posts: 2,266	I think you should also consider the Support that you get from paid hosting. I pretty much know what I'm doing so rarely have to use Support on the free hosts that I use. But I also use paid hosting, and the Support is amazing. Usually replies are within a couple of hours, and on one occasion they even uploaded a newer file to my site as I couldn't access FTP from work. __________________ Newbie's - Want to build a Website? Look here for help. Received about £1600 worth so far! Spoiler 16GB Ipod Touch from Ipods.Giveaway 2 x Nintendo DS Lites from Gifts.Kudosnetwork Nintendo Wii from Nextgen.Giveaway Nintendo Wii from Gifts.Kudosnetwork Wii Games - Tiger Woods 09, Mario & Sonic Olympics, PES2008 and Mario Kart Buffalo 1TB Drive from Gifts.Kudosnetwork Sony PSP Lite - from Gifts.Freebiejeebies Phillips Steam Generator Iron - from Gifts.Freebiejeebies £51 Amazon Vouchers - from Gifts.Freebiejeebies £560 in Bank Transfers Free Nintendo Wii \| Free Ipod Touch \| Free PS3

10-03-09, 06:07 PM	#9
digger600 Mini Mac Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: My House Posts: 4,315	i was wondering how a hosting guide would help you with freebie hunting jon __________________ Free iPhone PAYG \| Free Gadgets

10-03-09, 06:45 PM	#10
Jon MJ lady with maracas Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Leeds Posts: 12,799	Your mis-understanding me! I am not actively seeking freebies at the moment full stop. Other websites I have links with get me more ££ in return for the time spent. The freebie sites I have created are all there mainly to be used as base's for tutorials etc If they do get me greens then thats all and good And I can easily fix the rep pecking order if I want to with a couple of clicks __________________

11-03-09, 08:06 AM	#12
rider900 Super Moderator Join Date: Apr 2008 Posts: 7,537	Nice post Jon. I'm happy with my hosting at the moment __________________

11-03-09, 09:15 AM	#13
Ilikefree Mini Mac Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: London Posts: 5,087	Jon by any chance do you know how long it takes to move a dedicated server to a new subnet? My current host has been down since midnight. __________________ *Help an old friend wrap up his freebie-ing by signing up for me in a trade on either Apple FJ or PS3 Kudos! £15 per green!* (pm me and I'll set it up in the trade centre)

11-03-09, 11:33 AM	#16
Jon MJ lady with maracas Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Leeds Posts: 12,799	You should still be able to access it directly via its new IP even if the dns information has not propagated across the web. For reference eXceem's server was moved to a completely different data centre. It to 30 mins to unplug it and package it, 2 hours to courier it, 45 mins to unpack it, configure it for new ip's and plug it in, then it was handed over to me. I updated my nameservers, for some it came across within 30 mins, for others it took longer, though using the opendns service would work for customers of isp's with slow updating dns servers __________________

11-03-09, 11:50 AM	#18
Jon MJ lady with maracas Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Leeds Posts: 12,799	if you have the ip's you should just be able to ssh into it, assuming its up and running. Doubt you would have a case tbh, backups are your responsibility and should be done regularly anyway __________________

11-03-09, 06:14 PM	#20
Jon MJ lady with maracas Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Leeds Posts: 12,799	Who is your hosting with out of interest? __________________