SSH stands for Secure Shell. OpenSSH is the open source version of SSH. But what is it used for?
Secure Shell is a protocol for securing your network connections to prevent hacking, eavesdropping, and other server attacks. It is used to encrypt data that is passed from one computer to another. It is very important when [...]
Browsing Techcrunch this morning, I just found out that Rackspace had a complete outage yesterday at one of its datacenters. For those who do not know, Rackspace is one of the premium managed dedicated server providers in the World, with nine global datacenters.
Upon further investigation, the Rackspace blog starts off with this post [...]
There are different versions of Linux, but they are all essentially the same – at the core, if you will. It started as an open source, ergo ‘free’, software package and it still is. But you can purchase an out-of-the-box solution as well. Those solutions may have additional features that the free open source version [...]
Layered Tech is a web hosting company with specialties in managed dedicated servers and cloud computing. Its CEO is Jack Finlayson, who used to serve as COO of SAVVIS and before that, worked at Motorola and AT & T.
Layered Tech’s data centers include 256,000 square feet in Dallas, Texas, 13,200 square meters in Tokyo, Japan, [...]
There are managed dedicated servers and unmanaged dedicated servers. With managed servers, your host does the maintenance and takes care of the day-to-day management of the server. With an unamanaged server, however, it is your responsibility to keep the server opratational.
The web host’s responsibility in an unamanaged server situation is to simply provide the hardware [...]
A datacenter is a large storage facility with a lot of computers used for storing digital information. One of the largest datacenters in the world exists inside of Google’s huge multiplex – called Googleplex – in Mountain View, California. Inside of Google’s datacenter is where all of the search indexing and ranking of websites takes [...]
One of the main advantages of operating in a cluster environment is that you can minimize your downtime. If you have all of your information stored on one server and that server goes down then your entire operation could be halted. With a cluster server, however, you can often move your information to another computer [...]
When it comes to hosting your website nothing could be more crucial than getting enough bandwidth to keep your visitors clicking; not waiting. In the world of web hosting, there are several factors that can distinguish a good user experience from bad, one of those is bandwidth. Good bandwidth is important for many reasons, but [...]
Cloud computing is not a passing fad. It’s here to stay. And if you haven’t caught the wave yet, now is the time to educate yourself on the benefits and features of great clouds.
So what is a cloud? In its essence, a cloud is a nebulous form. The Internet itself has been described as a [...]
If you want a dedicated server without the hassles of a dedicated server, a virtual private server – also called virtual dedicated server – can meet that need. The VPS acts like a dedicated server, but it’s much easier to maintain.
The primary benefit to a VPS is that you can run your website on one [...]
Dedicated hosting isn’t for everyone. You could benefit from shared hosting and never need anything more. How do you know? What’s the best way to tell if shared hosting is for you?
Here are some tips to consider before deciding to move up to dedicated hosting. You might just as well stay with the shared hosting [...]
Unix and Windows advocates don’t like to hear it, but Linux is the more stable server software of the three. And the combination between Linux and Apache is a powerful one.
The best thing about Linux is the open source feature, which allows developers to customize their own software to suit their needs. While Windows serves [...]
A Server Side Include (SSI) is a piece of code you add to your html pages to create dynamic elements on the page. You can make entire pages dynamic or only small portions of it. You could go somewhere in between the minimal or the maximum.
An example of an SSI script is a clock that [...]
Servers provide computing power to facilitate transfer of data across a network to enable applications, operating systems, file transfer, email, printing and communications among client computers. Each particular type of server is generally defined by its configuration and software which enables it to communicate with intermediate client machines.
Whether you are powering business communications, web site [...]
One of the most important server configuration protocols for any business is the SSL Certification. This is an Apache security certification option that allows businesses to secure their information from snoops trying to sneak into the server area to steal or access sensitive data. You don’t want to configure your server without it.
On the initial [...]
Lately I’ve been getting a lot of questions about cPanel. As a web developer I’ve been hearing these questions from people new to the industry who are usually interested in controlling and managing their own website. Typically they’ve registered recently with a host provider and would like to have a website built for them. Inevitably [...]
Microsoft has fought hard to retain its monopoly on desktop software. But there have been inroads made into the desktop software market by some smaller companies and open source systems like OpenOffice. But when it comes to operating systems, Microsoft’s flagship product, Windows, hasn’t done as well. Quite frankly, it’s better for big businesses with [...]
We don’t recommend a lot of web hosting companies, but one we do recommend is Fastservers.net.
The folks at Fastservers.net are friendly and knowledgeable and capable of handling a wide variety of services. Some of the best offerings of the company include:
Dedicated servers for Windows and Linux
Managed exchange hosting
Managed grid hosting
Colocation services
Support for [...]
A dedicated server isn’t cheap. But the benefits to having one are well worth the price you pay. Of course, they aren’t for everyone. But I highly recommend taking a look at the opportunity if you feel that you’ve outgrown your traditional shared hosting plan.
With a dedicated server you don’t have to worry about being [...]
Whether you want to operate your business in a cloud, through a cluster server, leveraging colocation resources, or own your own dedicated server, a datacenter can be a useful resource.
A datacenter may also be called a server farm. It’s a large warehouse, or suitable physical building, where many servers are stored for operational purposes. Note [...]
In the early days of computing, even before home computing, the U.S. government had a supercomputer called Cray. We’ve come a long way since then.
As more and more people and businesses began to acquire the technology to run software and store data at their locations the demand for computing rose. And it rose sharply. By [...]
Cloud Computing is still new enough to be called an infant. It’s first real practical usage was when Salesforce.com opened its doors in 1999. Then Amazon started its Amazon Web Services in 2002. Today, Amazon is considered the leader in cloud computing services.
Other cloud services have arrived on the scene since then, notably Google Docs, [...]
Not everyone needs a dedicated server. We understand that. But a shared host might not be best for you either. That’s when you might need a virtual private server, or VPS.
But how do you know when?
First, let’s define what the virtual private server is. It’s a type of hardware, the server, that operates on another [...]
In the past not much was said about video hosting, but recent trends have made this not only a huge topic, but a profitable one as well. This is due largely in part to services like youtube and googlevideo who provide remote hosting of streaming video with a cookie cutter website integration formula.
Years ago, including [...]
Shared hosting is the most popular kind of hosting for one reason: It’s cheap. I’ve seen plans that go for as low as $1.99 per month, but most cost a couple of dollars more than that. Oh yeah, that’s cheap.
While you’ll pay a bit more for dedicated hosting, it’s well worth a look to go [...]
A large internet service provider said data for as many as 100,000 websites was destroyed by attackers who targeted a zero-day vulnerability in a widely-used virtualization application.
Technicians at UK-based Vaserv.com were still scrambling to recover data on Monday evening UK time, more than 24 hours after unknown hackers were able to gain root access to [...]
I suppose now is a good time to discuss one of my favorite server software projects – Apache.
The good folks at The Apache Foundation have a lot going on. So I thought I’d mention a couple of my favorite Apache projects: HTTP Server and SpamAssassin.
HTTP Server [...]
Dedicated server security is one of the most important considerations for any webmaster. It’s much more important to think about security when you are using a dedicated server than when you are using shared hosting. Under a shared hosting account you are sharing the server with other websites so security concerns are already down the [...]
If you want to build your own dedicated server you will need to ensure that you get the very best hardware that you can find. There is nothing so important as the server where all of the files necessary to run your business are stored. You don’t want to go the cheap route here.
Many people, [...]
When you set up your server configuration there are a few things that should be foremost on your mind. One of those is server security. You don’t want to configure a server without some kind of firewall and protection for you private information. If you are reselling your server space to other who will use [...]
