From businesses and bloggers to social media enthusiasts and creators, everyone needs a good online presence to generate the desired ROI. This is where reliable web domain and hosting services have become increasingly desirable.
To host a website on the internet, you need multiple resources, features. And most importantly, a robust web hosting.
This beginner’s guide discusses the basics of web hosting sites. Let’s discuss the basics of web hosting functionality and the different types.
Understanding Web Hosting Services and Functionality
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Resource Allocation
Resource allocation is one of the most important web hosting components that determines the quality of the web hosting services offered. Web hosting requires a few basic resources, which include CPU, memory, storage and bandwidth.
- A CPU processes various commands and requests sent by users. These requests include running scripts, reading and writing data, handling user interactions, loading pages, regulating tasks and more.
- The Random Access Memory (RAM) offers access to temporarily stored data to save energy and time.
- Storage is where all your website’s files, media, databases and other data are stored on the server.
- Bandwidth, on the other hand, is a software resource. It refers to the server’s capability to transfer a certain amount of data between your website and its users over a limited time period.
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Domain Registration
You need to buy a domain and web hosting package to register your preferred domain, i.e., www.yourbusiness.com. Domain registration allows you to secure a unique identifying address.
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Website Deployment
Website deployment includes website files, content, contact information, information about your business, products and services and more.
With the help of a good web hosting service provider and web developer, build a good website.
After that, with the help of the web hosting resources provided by your provider, deploy the website on the internet.
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Server Management and Maintenance
As a website owner, you get to choose between managed and unmanaged web hosting services.
If you opt for managed services, managing your web hosting server is your provider’s responsibility. If not, you need to gain expertise in it and carry it out diligently.
Management and maintenance include regular software updates, data backups, monitoring reporting, security audits and other tasks.
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Security Protocols
Since website and server security is a mess all over the world, you must take extra precautions to ensure your data’s safety and protection.
Cybersecurity is possible with optimal security protocol. Implementing security measures like firewalls, antivirus software, anti-malware software, DDoS protection, intrusion detection and more is important.
Types of Web Hosting Services
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Shared Hosting
One server hosts multiple websites by sharing hosting resources.
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Virtual Private Server (VPS) Hosting
Virtualisation technology partitions one physical server into multiple virtual servers to host multiple websites. Every website receives exclusive and dedicated hosting resources.
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Cloud Hosting
Cloud computing technology provides a network of physical and virtual servers with hosting resources for your website when needed. As a result, you get the best web hosting experience.
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Dedicated Hosting
One physical server, i.e., the bare-metal server, houses one website. The server provides all its web hosting resources to a single website. It is considered one of the best web hosting services, typically used to host resource-intensive and high-traffic websites.
Conclusion
Whether you host a large-scale business website or a small personal blog, understanding the basic concepts of web hosting services is paramount. Understanding the different types of web hosting services and the basics of their functionality will enable a better and more informed decision.