Webpage Hosting - Account Features

For individuals who are new to hosting, expressions like "200 MB of Disk Storage Space" and "CGI Support" might not hold a lot of meaning. We've listed some basic definitions of the most common hosting features so that you can get a better understanding of what you are really getting with your hosting plan.

Definitions Of Web Hosting Account Features

• Active Server Pages (ASP) - A server-side scripting technology developed by Microsoft used to dynamically create web pages. ASP technology comes bundled with Microsoft web servers and therefore typically runs on a Windows platform. Sun Microsystems, however, offers a product called Sun ONE Active Service Pages that allows the deployment of ASP on a variety of non-Windows platforms.
• CGI Capabilities - CGI scripts are web applications that perform basic interactive functions. Almost all hosting providers will have CGI capabilities. There are some CGI-based programs that have gained such popularity and ubiquity that many web hosts offer them preinstalled in customers' accounts. Examples include guestbook and bulletin board applications, hit counter displays, email response forms, and simple site search engines.
• Cold Fusion - A server side scripting language from Macromedia used to develop dynamic web pages.
• Control Panel - A private web page that allows point-and-click, web-based administration of your account.
• Daily Backup - Hosts should make daily tape backups of all their server data. In effect, this backs up your web site. This is very important for sites that operate databases or produce dynamic content.
• Disk Storage - This refers to the amount of server disk storage specifically allocated to your account. This space is used to store your html files, graphics, audio clips, email messages, pdf's, and other files that make up your site.
• Data Transfer - In general, any outward-bound traffic from a web site, with the exception of e-mail, is considered to be data transfer. Each time a web page, image, midi file, quick time video, etc. is loaded from your account, data transfer is generated. Hosts will charge for sites that exceed their data transfer limits.
• Email Forwarding - This feature allows you set a your domain's email address (you@yourdomain.com) to automatically redirect the email messages it receives to a different email address.
• Email Autoresponders - This feature sets your domain's email address to automatically responds to incoming emails. You can customize the text of the response.
• FrontPage Support - If you want to employ FrontPage's most advanced and powerful features in developing your web site, your hosting provider must fully support FrontPage and allow you to setup FrontPage extensions on your account. Always check to make sure they support your specific version of FrontPage (98, 2000, or 2002).
• File Transfer Protocol (FTP) - This is used to transfer files between your computer and your hosting account. The most common FTP programs are CuteFTP and WS-FTP.
• Java Server Pages (JSP) - A server-side technology, Java Server Pages are an extension to the Java servlet technology that was developed by Sun Microsystems as an alternative to Microsoft's Active Server Pages. JSPs have dynamic scripting capability, and are not restricted to any specific platform or server.
• Mailing Lists - Specific software for managing lists of email addresses and distributing their messages.
• Microsoft SQL Server - A powerful database server used by high traffic, database-driven web sites. You must choose a Windows platform in order to use the Microsoft SQL Server.
• MS Access - Web sites requiring simple database integration often employ Microsoft's low-end database solution, Access. For high-traffic or fully database-driven web sites, SQL Server is a more robust, powerful, and full-featured alternative. You must choose a Windows platform in order to use an MS Access database.
• MySQL - This is an open source database server often used as an alternative to its more expensive counterparts by Microsoft and Oracle.
• PHP Support - Like ASP and Cold Fusion, PHP is a server-side scripting language in which the code is intermingled with the HTML of a web page, then dynamically produced when a visitor loads the page from your site.
• POP3 Email Accounts - POP3 emails provide you with a true email address that can be accessed from anywhere when you have access to the Internet. These will be in the form of you@yourdomain.com. With enough POP3 email accounts, you can have a sales@yourdomain.com, info@yourdomain.com, support@yourdomain.com, etc., and one for each member of your company or family.
• Server Side Includes (SSI) - These are HTML or text files that are included into the HTML of a web page from the server. They allow you to write commonly used code once and have the server insert it into the pages for you. These are a great time-saver when building web pages that use the same elements over and over again. Your web host must support SSI in order for you to make use of Server Side Includes on your web site.
• Shared SSL Certificate - Employing strong encryption algorithms, SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) allows web site visitors to securely send information to and receive it from the web site, guarding its content from malicious intent. Shared SSL allows a web site operator to use the SSL features already paid for and installed by the web host, and is a significantly cheaper and easier alternative to purchasing, installing, and configuring SSL oneself.
• Streaming Audio/Video - You will require media streaming capabilities from your web host if you plan on broadcasting music or video to your site visitors.
• Telnet/SSH - A common utility program that allows a user to remotely login to a hosting account and execute commands. It is typically used for the remote execution of administrative tasks such as installation and configuration of software, file management, and account maintenance. SSH (or "Secure Shell") is similar utility program, but a much more secure tool; all communication between the server and client is encrypted.
• Web-Mail - The ability to access your POP3 email accounts using a web browser.

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Additional Webpage Hosting Resources

• Low Cost Web Hosting Guide - A directory of hosting providers that charge as little as $5.00 / month!
• Glossary of Web Hosting Terms - A rather comprehensive glossary from FindMyHosting.com.