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samedi 12 novembre 2016
Choosing a Hosting Plan: The Differences Between Unix and Windows Server Options
Most prospective web hosting customers are familiar with the technology “wars” which have ensued over the past few decades. First, there was the rel="nofollow" href="http://www.wired.com/gadgets/mac/news/2003/01/57280?currentPage=all" target="_blank">war between Macintosh and Windows operating systems on desktop computers; following that, there was a war between web browsers on those computers; and, some time after that, a war ensued between mobile device manufacturers for supremacy in the smartphone industry. In fact, that war rages on as Microsoft, Google, Apple, BlackBerry, and Nokia all vie for the title of the world’s foremost smartphone provider.
In the background, however, a smaller-scale war has been raging for almost the entire length of the web hosting industry’s existence. This is the war between hosting products based on the closed Microsoft Windows Server system and those based on open-source rel="nofollow" href="http://www.unix.org/" target="_blank">Unix and rel="nofollow" href="http://www.linux.org/" target="_blank">Linux alternatives. There are a number of reasons that the war should be no war at all, as these products compete for different types of consumers and offer different advantages that benefit different types of developers. Yet, most people see it as a mere “preference,” and they’re so unfamiliar with the differences between these two options that they frequently pick the one which is least appropriate for their type of business.
There are several key differences between Windows and Unix web hosting plans, and those differences directly correlate with who should use each technology — and why. Knowing these differences will make the web hosting shopping process considerably easier, and it will reveal a key truth: There is no war between web hosting technologies, as they’re simply not in competition with each other most of the time.
Windows Hosting: Business Customers Have Special Considerations When Shopping For Hosting
There’s no secret about the fact that almost every business in the world uses some form of Microsoft operating environment. Whether it’s the company’s mainstream consumer Windows operating system, or the more advanced Windows Server systems, it’s hard to escape the reach of Microsoft among corporate and enterprise clients. For these people, there is a natural way to href="http://www.webhostingsecretrevealed.net/compare-best-five-hosting/" target="_blank">shop for web hosting. That includes choosing products based on Microsoft Windows technologies and communicating over remotely-hosted Microsoft Exchange email servers. It’s a no-brainer because it’s simply so easy to setup and configure.
When an enterprise client is looking for hosting, they’re searching for a product which can seamlessly integrate with their existing setup. The key to this process is to save time and money by investing in something which is essentially “plug and play.” Once the hosting plan is purchased and data is transferred, a few easy settings should be able to be configured and the product will be available to entire base of employees within any one company or enterprise setup. That solution is Microsoft.
First and foremost, the company offers the number one database product among major enterprise customers in the form of rel="nofollow" href="http://www.microsoft.com/sqlserver/en/us/default.aspx" target="_blank">Microsoft SQL. When combined with the rel="nofollow" href="http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/access/" target="_blank">Microsoft Access application which ships as part of the Microsoft Office suite of productivity applications, this data can be easily synced among desktop computers and between those computers and the remote web hosting server itself. This is an especially big consideration, as it would take a great deal of time to make the same functions operate between a Microsoft-designed database and an open source alternative based on a remote server.
In addition to Windows servers’ support of Microsoft’s popular database protocols, these servers also support deep integration with the Microsoft desktop in the form of a remote file server. Most enterprises, before they switched to a Windows web hosting server, simply had their own in-house computer which remotely hosted files for their employees. Moving these files to the cloud is now imperative, as it allows universal access on mobile devices, home computers, and corporate machines.
Microsoft allows these servers to be setup by simply plugging in a few settings via the standard Windows control panel interface. The server is then able to be seen as a native component of the operating system by every Windows computer on the company’s network. That process would take far longer to configure and deploy when choosing an open source alternative.
The most popular method of communicating among major business and enterprises is a combination of the Microsoft Exchange email server software and Microsoft SharePoint collaboration technologies. As these two technologies have evolved, they’ve made it possible for on-the-go communication that syncs between remote and mobile denies as well as company computers and servers.
There are certainly open source alternatives to these technologies, but they’re far less-developed and they take a great deal of time to integrate into the traditional Microsoft environment. Because almost every office uses Microsoft Outlook for its email services, it simply makes sense to choose a Windows host that can immediately plug into that software. On top of it, the web-based interface for these applications closely mirrors the desktop counterpart. That means there’s a very little, if any, learning curve when choosing a Windows server for an enterprise environment.
Simply put, a Windows server is best-suited for business and enterprise customers who are committed to the Microsoft “ecosystem.” That system involves the Microsoft Office suite of applications, easy configuration and integration with Windows, the world’s most popular desktop operating system, and easy deployment and syncing to mobile devices and home computers using technologies like Exchange and SharePoint. While these servers can also be used by individual web hosting clients and those who just prefer Microsoft technologies, it’s highly unlikely that they’d be any better served by a Windows server than one based on Unix. In fact, the Unix method of hosting may be better for their very different needs and requirements.
Unix/Linux Hosting: For the Development And Amateur Hosting Community, A Unix Server Is A No-Brainer
Unlike the “closed” system presented by Microsoft applications and server components, a Unix-based server is constructed entirely with open source software which is updated and maintained by an active community of third-party developers and programming experts. This has a number of great side effects that directly benefit those customers who choose an open source server over one which runs the Microsoft Windows Server operating system.
First and foremost, servers based on rel="nofollow" href="http://www.unix.org/online.html" target="_blank">Unix technologies are exceedingly affordable, especially when compared to the high prices attached to almost every Windows hosting plan and web server online. It’s quite true that most Windows hosting clients pay as much as ten percent more per month for the privilege of using the world’s most popular operating system on their server, while Unix clients enjoy the href="http://www.webhostingsecretrevealed.net/ultimate-cheap-web-hosting-guide/" target="_blank">lowest hosting prices available online. Open source software often comes with a very small licensing fee, or no fee at all, and this savings is passed on directly to consumers.
The second benefit of choosing an open source Unix server is that the software included with this server is more actively developed and rapidly updated. That’s because the community of developers is always submitting changes to the code, adding new features, and working on new ways of performing old tasks in more innovative and efficient styles. Microsoft is more likely to adapt these innovations several months or years later, after they have been “proven.” Its customers are rarely on the leading edge of technological advancements which benefit the web hosting industry. For web application developers and others, this is a great advantage that allows them to be ahead of the Windows “curve.” Because being ahead in technology means being ahead in profits, there’s simply no reason not to choose a Unix web hosting solution.
It’s worth noting that servers based on open source Unix technologies do not sacrifice functionality for price. These servers are a bit more difficult to integrate into today’s standard Windows or Mac OS X operating systems, but their technologies are still appropriately robust and meet the demands of both developer and enterprise clients alike. In place of Microsoft’s popular database technologies, most Unix servers ship with an adept combination of MySQL databases and phpMyAdmin administration tools that make it easy to manage data from a wide range of popular content management and interactive applications.
These servers ship with a number of email server options, which is something that Windows simply doesn’t offer. With a Unix server, the hosting client can choose the email server technology and webmail interface which works best for them, rather than merely being told which option they will use and how they will deploy that solution. Unix is all about choice and, for most people, that’s a key reason to select it over a comparable Windows hosting plan.
There’s another reason to select these open source servers, as well: In a number of key tests, Unix servers have been shown to be more capable of running many simultaneous applications and processes than their Windows Server counterparts. That might not be important to an enterprise customer who only runs Exchange and database applications, but the wider development community does value being able to multi-task in demanding and advanced ways. Those customers would be poorly served by the more crash-prone, resource-intensive Windows Server suite of tools.
Security Concerns: Not Really a Concern in the Current Era
There was one a time when Microsoft was dogged by continual security threats that challenged the integrity of both its enterprise and consumer-grade desktop operating systems and productivity tools. While the company is still the victim of more security threats and loopholes than either Unix or Mac OS X operating systems, the company’s server product is among the most secure it has ever produced. In fact, major web security firms have done extensive tests on both Windows and Unix environments; they’ve found that they’re relatively equal in the number of vulnerabilities, and the strength of their defenses, even when pursued by the web’s most notorious hacking and intrusion methods.
This is one area where it’s refreshing to see that there is little if any difference between the two major technologies that compete for web hosting clients. For far too long, choosing a Microsoft Windows server was considered technologically-smart, but not a good choice for corporate or enterprise security. The change of pace is a welcome one.
Choosing the Right Technology for Your Needs
title="Unix Vs Linux Vs Windows Hosting Platform" src="http://www.webhostingsecretrevealed.net/images/2012/0926-1.jpg" alt="Unix/Windows/Linux Hosting Platform" width="750" />
The differences between Windows servers and those based on the open source Unix suite of applications are pretty stark. Microsoft is almost custom-designed for businesses which need a “plug and play” solution for their remote data storage and syncing needs. The company markets itself as the sensible choice for any office which primarily uses the Windows operating system, with good reason. When it comes to integrating Windows technologies, Microsoft Office applications, and remote web servers, there is simply no better option than a hosting package that runs the Microsoft Windows Server operating system. Anything else would take advanced knowledge, extensive configuration, and lots of tutorials and customer support to master.
Unix, on the other hand, presents a high-technology alternative to Windows hosting which is perfect for web developers of all levels. It combines leading-edge technology with lower licensing fees and monthly costs and lends itself to the development, novice, and budget-minded hosting community which is growing by leaps and bounds on an almost daily basis. While its technologies might not be as familiar as those found on a Windows server, they are at least as capable of performing the same tasks and, in many cases, they can actually perform those tasks in a faster and more efficient way.
Always keep in mind that choosing a web hosting technology should be subject to extensive research and planning for all scenarios. Almost every business will choose a Windows solution, but individual consumers need to keep both their needs and their budget in mind when picking either a closed system or an open source alternative. The need for lower hosting prices must be balanced with the desire for easy of use, with budget and usability winning above all else.
With careful attention to detail and knowledge of where each href="http://www.webhostingsecretrevealed.net/choose-the-right-web-hosting/" target="_blank">web hosting option succeeds and fails, choosing between Windows and Unix need not be a war of ideals. Instead, it can be a victory for the consumer and their unique hosting needs.
Page 23 – Web Hosting Secret Revealed
No Overselling Web Host: What Are Your Options
alt="No Overselling Web Host: What Are Your Options" src="http://whsr.webrevenueinc1.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/money-over-ethics-500x361_c.jpg" />
class="alignright wp-image-5104 size-full" src="http://whsr.webrevenueinc1.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/unlimited-hosting.jpg" alt="Unlimited Hosting vs All-you-Can-Eat buffet" width="280" height="282" srcset="http://whsr.webrevenueinc1.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/unlimited-hosting.jpg 280w, http://whsr.webrevenueinc1.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/unlimited-hosting-150x150.jpg 150w, http://whsr.webrevenueinc1.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/unlimited-hosting-130x130.jpg 130w" sizes="(max-width: 280px) 100vw, 280px" />
Overselling is a concept that ethically is a bit off, but unfortunately happens all too often in the hosting world.
In a shared server scenario, hosting providers are responsible for selling, allocating, and managing the sub-divided server spaces. When you purchase hosting services on a shared server configuration, you are allocated a maximum amount of disk space, RAM, bandwidth, etc.
However, hosting providers know that the majority of their clients will not likely ever need the maximum allocations. Additionally, hosting providers know the average amount of allocations that each shared server client will use.
By finding the gap between the average usage and the maximum allocation, the hosting providers are aware that the server is likely under allocated in comparison to the load it can handle… and so, to get the most return on their investment (and as much profit as possible), they sell that “gap” space; this practice is called overselling.
For those who are looking for names – here are some overselling host that I have reviewed in the past – href="http://www.webhostingsecretrevealed.net/hosting-review/ipage/">iPage, href="http://www.webhostingsecretrevealed.net/hosting-review/ehost/">eHost, href="http://www.webhostingsecretrevealed.net/hosting-review/bluehost/">BlueHost, href="http://www.webhostingsecretrevealed.net/hosting-review/hostgator/">Hostgator, href="http://www.webhostingsecretrevealed.net/hosting-review/webhostinghub/">WebHostingHub, and href="http://www.webhostingsecretrevealed.net/hosting-review/interserver/">InterServer (shared hosting only).
In defense of web host overselling
Yes, it sounds a bit wrong and, href="http://www.webhostingsecretrevealed.net/the-truth-about-unlimited-hosting/" target="_blank">theoretically, it may draw question. However, from a business standpoint, we can all certainly understand where they’re coming from. Personally, I wouldn’t call overselling in web hosting pure evil. When Hostgator first turned into offering unlimited hosting, this is what Brent (ex-Hostgator CEO) said:
I wanted to call the plans unlimited last time around. However, due to staffing constraints, we wouldn’t have been able to keep up with the expected growth. A year later, we are finally OVERSTAFFED and ready to change the plan. Up until now, I’ve been slowing sales down on purpose in order for our support to catch up. If history repeats itself, renaming the plan from essentially unlimited to actually “unlimited” will increase our sales by at least 30%.
In last year, we have been spending more money on recruiting employees than we have on advertising! It has taken us years of hiring and training to get us to the point where we are now. We’ve gone from begging employees to work overtime to asking who wants to go home. HostGator will always have the occasional scheduling gap, but for now, we’re sending over a dozen employees home a day.
– Brent Oxley, href="http://blog.hostgator.com/2008/10/20/all-you-can-eat-hosting/" target="_blank">All you can eat hosting
And, in truth, the practice doesn’t benefit just the web host provider – it also benefits the clients in the way of drastic cost reductions, offering wallet-friendly hosting options to organizations in need of a very discounted and affordable hosting solution.
But sometimes it could be a disaster…
I spoke to Nikola of AltusHost (a no-overselling host) when I was drafting this post:
Those days Web Hosting market is really overloaded with various type of offers.
Offering Unlimited web hosting or doing overselling of your resources if desperate move in order to increase sales and get better ROI. But it’s blade with 2 sides and companies who base their business model on this should be very careful.
Why?
Shared Hosting providers offer “Unlimted” web hosting packages in order to attract buyers. For small web site owners, such feeling of unlimited is great.
However, if they host some bigger website, they will very soon figure out that “unlimited” hosting is actually very limited by many parameters, and there is very high risk of having angry client. Because on the start you promised him “unlimited” and now you trying to limit him by little words you’ve made in Terms of Services, and he didn’t bothered to read :)
Nikola, AltusHost
The majority of the time, overselling doesn’t cause any issues – in fact, most of the time, you’re never any the wiser.
However, there are some web hosts who go a bit overboard and oversell to extremes; this causes disaster (frequent server outage + slow load time = worst nightmare!) for the clients. Just imagine if you went to your friend’s party and there were 50 people in the house with one bathroom. How can that bathroom handle that sort of loads in (say) five hours of heavy eating and drinking? What if there are two or more people have to pee at the same time?
No Overselling Host – Your Options
As mentioned, overselling isn’t “the devil” by any means – it even has its perks – however, if you are dead-set on working only with web hosting provider who does not leverage this practice, we have options for you.
There are numerous, quality web hosts that provide a variety of shared server hosting options for budget-friendly prices. Below please find a list of such providers that provide their services with a no-overselling guarantee.
AltusHost (Reviewed)
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A well-rounded hosting, option, AltusHost has been around since 2008. With numerous hosting configurations available and shared server plans as low as .95 per month, it operates numerous Tier 3 or higher data centers throughout Europe and is headquartered in the Netherlands.
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Visit online: href="http://www.webhostingsecretrevealed.net/go/altushost">http://www.altushost.com/; or to learn more, href="http://www.webhostingsecretrevealed.net/hosting-review/altushost-review/">read WHSR Altushost Review.
A Small Orange (Reviewed)
class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-16365" src="http://whsr.webrevenueinc1.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/asmallorange-homepage.jpg" alt="asmallorange homepage" width="750" height="468" srcset="http://whsr.webrevenueinc1.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/asmallorange-homepage.jpg 750w, http://whsr.webrevenueinc1.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/asmallorange-homepage-300x187.jpg 300w" sizes="(max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px" />
A Small Orange (ASO) was founded in Atlanta more than a decade ago in 2003. Today, the company is headquartered in Austin, Texas, and has a dynamic 80-person team.
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Visit online: href="http://www.webhostingsecretrevealed.net/go/asodiscount">http://www.asmallorange.com/; or to learn more, href="http://www.webhostingsecretrevealed.net/hosting-review/a-small-orange/">read WHSR A Small Orange Review.
Rose Hosting (Reviewed)
class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-10150" src="http://whsr.webrevenueinc1.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/RoseHosting-Homepage.jpg" alt="RoseHosting Homepage" width="750" height="453" srcset="http://whsr.webrevenueinc1.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/RoseHosting-Homepage.jpg 750w, http://whsr.webrevenueinc1.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/RoseHosting-Homepage-300x181.jpg 300w" sizes="(max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px" />
This St. Louis, Missouri-based hosting provider takes pride in being the original Linux host with Linux virtual servers dating back to 2001. With US-based support services and no overselling, there are many reasons this is a great pick – not least of which includes its budget-friendly shared hosting plans that start as low as .95 per month.
RoseHosting founder talked about overselling in our recent interview –
Well, for starters, overselling is pure evil, plain and simple – we’ve avoided it since day one and will continue to do so. Our plans might not be the cheapest ones on the market – and, frankly, we don’t want them to be – but in return, you get exactly what you are paying for and more… but never less.
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Visit online: href="http://www.webhostingsecretrevealed.net/go/rosehosting">http://www.rosehosting.com/; or to learn more, href="http://www.webhostingsecretrevealed.net/hosting-review/rose-hosting/">read WHSR RoseHosting Review.
Non-Reviewed Options
RDO Servers
class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-12848" src="http://whsr.webrevenueinc1.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/rdo-servers-750x392.jpg" alt="rdo servers" width="750" height="392" srcset="http://whsr.webrevenueinc1.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/rdo-servers.jpg 750w, http://whsr.webrevenueinc1.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/rdo-servers-300x157.jpg 300w" sizes="(max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px" />
Lead by CEO David Brown, RDO Servers is a faith based company, where they strive to honor God in everything they do. The company offers a wide range of hosting services including shared, reseller, VPS, and dedicated hosting solutions. Note that RDO Servers’ shared and reseller hosting services are backed by 99.9% uptime guarantee in its TOS. Should your site uptime goes below 99.9%, you may receive one (1) month of credit* on your account.
*Note: Subject to RDO Servers’ approval.
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href="http://www.webhostingsecretrevealed.net/go/rdoservers" target="_blank">http://www.rdoservers.com/
ET Web Hosting
Since 2001, ET Web hosting has provided a variety of hosting options. This privately owned and debt-free provider is based in Blaine, Washington and Surrey, BC. Although not a discount provider, its shared server plans are available for Linux or Windows and start at .95 per month.
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href="http://www.webhostingsecretrevealed.net/go/etwebhosting">http://www.etwebhosting.com/
Nearly FreeSpeech
This hosting provider works a bit differently than other shared plans with a sort of “pay as you go” model. Rather than using bundles, with Nearly FreeSpeech hosting, you pay for what you use. The provider has been in business since 2002, making it a proven and lasting provider, and is headquartered in Lake Mary, Florida.
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href="http://www.webhostingsecretrevealed.net/go/nearlyfreespeech">https://www.nearlyfreespeech.net/
Ocean Host
Though pushing its VPS hosting currently, Ocean Host offers all types of configurations, including shared server hosting. It’s a bit newer to the arena, having launched in 2007, but this South Africa-based provider offers hosting plans for a variety of budget and technology needs.
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href="http://www.webhostingsecretrevealed.net/go/oceanhost">http://www.oceanhost.co.za/
Eleven2
Headquartered in Houston, Texas with servers located around the globe in London, Dallas, and Singapore, Eleven2 got its start in 2003. Though it offers a variety of configurations, its shared server plans provide plenty of technology and scale options to suit every client need – pricing begins at .95 per month.
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href="http://www.webhostingsecretrevealed.net/go/eleven2">http://www.eleven2.com/
Canvas Host
Priding itself in its eco-friendly, sustainable hosting practice – Canvas Host has a long history that dates back to 1998. Based in Portland, Oregon, it runs an on-site data facility and offers numerous web hosting configurations, including shared server hosting with plans starting as low as .66 (sale price).
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href="http://www.canvasdreams.com/">http://www.canvasdreams.com/
Page 12 – Web Hosting Secret Revealed