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| Page#4 |
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ADVANCED
QUESTIONS |
| Q1. |
Should I use a Unix (Linux,
SunOS, BSD, etc.) or Windows NT (Windows 2000) based server? |
| ANS |
Which operating
system you decide to use should depend on what features you
need. For example, if you are already using IIS, ASP, VBScript,
Windows Media, Microsoft Access, Microsoft SQL Server, or Visual
InterDev, and you don't have the time to learn Unix-based solutions,
you'll have to choose a Windows NT or Windows 2000-based host.
Just because your desktop is Windows-based doesn't mean you
should use a Windows host. You may notice that Linux-based operating
systems and Apache Web servers are most common among web hosting
companies. This is due to Apache's many shared-hosting features,
a good track record of stability and performance, and because
Linux and Apache are free. In addition to cross-platform products
like Java or Cold Fusion, it is also possible to find hosts
that run unusual combinations that for example let you use Apache
on Windows NT or ASP on Linux.
Even if you use FrontPage and its extensions for your site design,
you can find web hosts that will support these extensions on
a UNIX system. |
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| Q2. |
How much data transfer will
I need? |
| ANS |
You can figure
out how much data transfer you will require by estimating your
average page size (including graphics!) and multiplying it by
the number of page views you expect to have in a month. For
example: with an average page size of 50 KB, and around 2000
page views per day, you will transfer an average of 3 GB per
month. In this case, you should get a plan with 4 to 5 GB of
data transfer limit per month, so you don't have to worry about
overstepping your account's limit, which may cause extra per
GB transfer charges. |
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| Q3. |
Do I need stats? |
| ANS |
Probably not.
If you can access raw logs, you could download them and analyze
them on your home computer with a stats program yourself. However,
the log files can get quite large for popular sites, so having
the server analyze them may be more convenient. |
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| Q4. |
My site is database-driven
and uses 50 GB per month in transfer. Can I simply use a host
with an unlimited transfer plan? |
| ANS |
No. Most hosts
are in business to make money and they would lose money hosting
your site. They have to pay per GB of transfer to upstream providers
themselves. Almost all hosts that have "unlimited"
plans specify in their acceptable use policies that no site
can use an "excessive" amount of resources. If you
use too much disk space, bandwidth, or CPU time, these "unlimited"
hosts will ask you to upgrade or leave. |
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| Q5. |
Can I run my
own software on my site? |
| ANS |
This depends
on a web host and a plan. Most plans will allow running scripts
in languages such as Perl or PHP. Some plans will also allow
you to compile program in C/C++ and run them. Some Unix plans
will also allow you to run "cron" which enables you
to automatically execute programs or scripts at a specific time
and date. However to get a full control over all aspects of
your server, you will need a dedicated or co-located server
instead of a shared plan. |
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| Q6. |
Do I need a
static IP address for my site? |
| ANS |
Maybe. There
are some advantages to having a unique IP for your site. When
you change servers, you can point your users to a new IP, so
they don't have to wait for the domain name change to propagate.
With a static IP, it can also be simpler to upload and test
your site before transferring the domain name to a new server.
Setting up SSL is also much simpler. You may also not want to
share your IP with some sites that could lead to your site being
banned by search engines or spam lists. |
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