What is Web Hosting?

A web hosting is a service that provides individuals, organizations and users with online systems for storing information, images, video, or other content. These informations can be accessed by the World Wide Web.

Introduction to Web Hosting

Who are Web Hosts?
Web hosts are companies that provide space on a server for hosting a website. They own large space on the server, which they share it to their customer's providing Internet connectivity, typically in a data center.

Scope of Web Hosting
The most basic is webpage and small-scale file hosting service, where files can be uploaded via File Transfer Protocol (FTP) or a Web interface. The files are usually delivered to the Web . Many Internet service providers (ISPs) offer this service for free to their subscribers and also obtain such hosting cheaply. Web page hosting is generally sufficient only for personal homepages. Complex website uses more comprehensive package to provides database support and forum's etc. These facilities allow the customers to write or install scripts for applications like forums and content management. For e-commerce, SSL is also required. The host also provides a Web interface control panel ( e.g. cPanel, Hosting Controller, Plesk) for managing the Web server and installing scripts as well as other services like e-mail.

Hosting Reliability and Uptime
Hosting Reliablity and Uptime is very important. The Uptime refers to the percentage of time the host is accessible via the internet. Many hosting providers state that they provide 99.9% uptime. If the server goes down the website will not be accessible through internet. There may be server restarts or maintenance in any web hosting environment which affects the Uptime.

Types of hosting

Free web hosting service
This is free hosting mostly advertisement-supported web hosting. It is extremely limited when compared to paid hosting.

Shared web hosting service
In shared web hosting, Web site is placed on the same server as many other sites. It may range from a few to hundreds or thousands wbsites. All domains share a common server resources, such as RAM and the CPU and IP.

Reseller web hosting
Reseller web hosting allows clients to become web hosts themselves. Resellers are those who take affiliate with as a provider and serve as web host.

Virtual Dedicated Server
Here a server is sliced into virtual servers. Each user feels like they're on their own dedicated server, but they're actually sharing a server with many other users.

Dedicated hosting service
In dedicated web hosting, the user gets his or her own Web server and gains full control over it. The user gets the root or administrator access according to Linux or Windows hosting.

Colocation web hosting service
It is similar to the dedicated web hosting service, but the user owns the server. The hosting company provides physical space for the server and takes care of the server.

Clustered hosting
Clustred hosting uses multiple servers hosting the same content for better resource utilization. This make the website easly accessible and fast.

Specific Web services

File hosting service
Hosting service to hosts files not web pages.

Image hosting service
Hosting service to hosts images only.

Video hosting service
Hosting service to hosts video only.

Blog hosting service
Hosting service to hosts blogs.