Archives 2017

After designing of website next important thing is to get it hosted on the internet. The task is not at easy as there are so many companies offering various types of web hosting packages like shared web hosting, dedicated web hosting, managed web hosting etc. Now the problem is which one to use?

In general it is considered a good idea to go for shared web hosting if the user is in a small business and wants to save cost. However before finalizing the deal it is good to know what is shared web hosting service and what are the merits and demerits of shared web hosting.

Defining shared hosting:

If extremely high performance and high bandwidth are not the points in question, then shared web hosting service can be a most convenient and economic way of hosting web sites.. As name implies, in case of shared web hosting service, the web server that hosts the web pages is shared by several other websites. Talking about number of websites on a shared hosting server, they can be in thousands. Now due to the fact that just one server is fulfilling the requirements of many other websites, the plus point is they can offer cheap prices for their server.

As there are so many websites hosted on a single web server, still there is no pint of worry for the user as the web hosting providers will not compromise on any kind of security and performance issues in case of shared hosting servers. Not only that, shared hosting web servers are operated, monitored and look after around the clock by IT professionals, so as to minimize server downtimes.

Shared hosting servers run on UNIX or other multi-user operating system and each website hosted on the web server is provided a separate account in the operating system. These websites hosted on shared servers are provided unique shared IP addresses and are provided with a fix amount of web resources.

The following are some of the merits and demerits of shared web hosting:

Merits:

1. Cost effective: Due to the fact that many websites are hosted on a single web server, web hosting providers provide economic shared web hosting services. Generally, the cost is as low as $5-10 per month for shared web hosting services. Now-a-days due to cut throat competition in web hosting industry, one can find several web hosting companies offering huge web space and bandwidth with as high as 1000 MB disk space and 40 GB bandwidth.

2. Feasible: Due to the fact that shared hosting web servers are operated, monitored and look after around the clock by IT professionals, who are experts in their respective field, one can concentrate more effectively on his/her web business and the problem of downtime and maintenance will not bother him/her any more.

3. Utility options: In case of shared web hosting, though web resources are shared, utility options are provided by the hosting company so that user can manage his/her website using control panel or similar tools. User is having an option to upload files, modify /remove web pages, add database, check web statistic etc. Not only that, user is also provided facility to create domain name specific e-mails accounts.

4. Efficient: Now-a-days shared web hosting service usually comes with web space and bandwidth that are more than sufficient for small business websites. Efficiency lies in the fact, that in addition to above, one can add more resources and can even overrun the web space or bandwidth usage.

Demerits:

1. Problem with response time: As the web server is shared, websites in the shared web hosting have to face problem of slower server response time as compared to dedicate server hosting.

2. Problem of Reliability: In case of shared web hosting, problem of reliability remains as usually web hosting providers may take care of the security and performance of the shared server but it is also possible that some of websites hosted on the shared server run a nasty program or script or over-utilize the resources, resulting in bringing down the web server. Thus due to fault of one all websites have to suffer downtimes and inaccessibility in case of shared web hosting.

3. Problems related to sharing: As discussed above also, due to fault of one all users have to face the problem for example if there is any one “bad” website in shared web server, due to it all websites on the server can be banned altogether by ISP or search engine due to shared IP address. However it is worth to note that one can always pay extra to get a dedicated IP address to avoid the above problem.

4. Problems related to Security: As many websites shared one server, problem of security always remains in case of shared web hosting as it is quite easy to hack one’s sensitive datas by another on the same server.

Thus in conclusion it can be said that before deciding to deal with shared web hosting, one should consider all the merits and demerits of shared web hosting as highlighted above. One should not forget the success of his/her business depends upon his/her website which in turn depends upon good host provider.

Source by Web Hosting

Despite increasingly heightened security by merchants and service providers, credit and debit card fraud is still on the rise. Perpetrators are using even more sophisticated methods of infiltration to access sensitive payment card information. The financial cost of fraud to any sized corporation can be huge and the price of preventing it is vast.

Any company which stores, processes or transmits payment card data bearing the logo of the five major payment companies has to comply with the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards (PCI DSS). These five companies include American Express, Discover, JCB, MasterCard and Visa. These standards were devised in 2004 to provide a common set of industry tools for the storage of payment card data in order to prevent, detect, and react to security incidents.

As well as merchants or banking institutions, compliance is required by any third party who accepts or processes payment cards. This includes call centres who receive cardholder data which they are unable to delete. If merchants use payment gateways to process transactions on their behalf, compliance is not required but they must ensure contractual obligation from the third party that they comply with PCI DSS and are responsible for the security of cardholder data.

Fines for non-compliance or security breaches can be huge, reaching $500,000. High profile cases involving huge corporations have hit the headlines. Some card brands have threatened huge fines against larger merchants of up to $25,000 per month until compliance is obtained. In severe cases, they have even threatened to remove the ability to process credit card payments, which could be economically fatal for any merchant.

While Visa reports that the majority of security breaches occur in small enterprises, any company that stores, processes, or transmits card information has to comply with a strict set of guidelines. Although intended to create a global standard which protects both consumers and corporations alike, these guidelines can be time consuming, costly, and complex to implement. Corporations that require PCI DSS compliance are prevented from storing sensitive credit card information, including security codes, track data from the magnetic strip, and PIN numbers. Information which can be stored includes credit card numbers, expiration dates and customer details, but the method of storage needs to meet certain requirements.

How to obtain PCI DSS compliance

The recommended first step to obtaining compliance is to hire the services of a Quality Security Assessor, who can advise on steps needed to reach compliance as well as completing the official assessments required. Smaller companies that process less than 80,000 transactions per year are permitted to complete a self-assessment questionnaire.

Compliance covers 6 areas of security:

1. Construction and maintenance of a secure network – including installation of a firewall to protect cardholder data

2. Protection of cardholder data – including encryption during data transmission

3. Vulnerability management – with regular updates of anti-virus software

4. Access control – to prevent and restrict access to sensitive data

5. Regular monitoring and testing of networks

6. Maintenance of an information security policy

The latest updated guidelines for PCI DSS are due for release in October 2008.

The benefits of PCI DSS compliance

? Protection from PCI related fines if compliant at the time of breach

? Increased customer confidence in data protection

? Advice on how to remediate any data security risks

? Advice on how to prevent service providers from putting your business at risk from data security

? Increased protection from fraudsters

? Protection from unwanted negative media attention

With this said, there is no question as to why PCI DSS compliance is as important as it is. It both protects the consumer and the merchant, making transactions considerably safer than they would be otherwise.

Source by Amy Nutt

There are many advantages to hosting a site on a server that is dedicated to your website. One advantage is that you have a greater degree of control. In addition having more web space as well as bandwidth dedicated to yourself means that you can handle a larger amount of traffic. Response times are faster and if you really are in a business where you are earning several thousand dollars on the internet in a year or if your offline business is very large, it makes sense to host your website on your own server.

When you host your site on a dedicated server, you can choose the OS, hardware and more. In addition if a significant spike in your site traffic has resulted in slow loading, it is time to go for a dedicated hosting server. Remote configuration is possible with dedicated servers. There are many reasons for websites with significant traffic and earnings to opt for dedicated servers. However it should be remembered that running your own dedicated servers requires knowledge. If you wish you can opt for managed dedicated servers.

The primary disadvantage of dedicated servers is the cost. The other disadvantage is as mentioned – the technical skills needed to manage your own server. When you decide to buy a dedicated server, it is important to check the credibility of the hosting company. Is it secure, safe from hackers and otherwise credible? Some of the larger hosting companies display logos like McAfee Secure, BBB Accredited, HACKERSAFE and TRUSTe. A website carrying these logos is judged or made trustworthy by the big names that spell trust.

Virtual Private Servers are like dedicated servers in that they run their own operating system and they offer the advantages of a Dedicated Server. However they are lower on cost. The reason is that there may be ten virtual private servers on one dedicated server. Although they are in close physical proximity, they do not exist for each other, so to speak. So if you are looking to upgrade your hosting, it may be a good idea to consider a VPS instead of dedicated hosting right away. The hosting market is competitive and it is not too difficult to find a good deal. Luck!

Source by Code 2 Infiniti

Load balancing, by definition, is the process of spreading the amount of work that is conducted by a computer system between a number of different computer systems to increase the speed that the work is completed in. There are several different methods in which load balancing can be accomplished by and the technique can use many different types of computer components, including both hardware and software applications. Load balancing is typically completed using a cluster of computer servers that may or may not be located in the same location. Some load balancers provide a mechanism for doing something special in the event that all backend servers are unavailable. This might include forwarding to a backup load balancer, or displaying a message regarding the outage. Load balancing can be useful when dealing with redundant communications links.

There are many different companies that see the benefits of using load balancing and implement the procedure for their companies. Companies that conduct business transactions in large numbers using the internet are prime candidates to use load balancing to ensure that all of their clients and customers will be able to conduct their transactions in a quickly and accurately manner. Companies that need to network a great deal of computers for individual users also typically use load balancing to ensure that all computers will work properly and have the right amount of power to be able to perform the functions that they are intended to perform. It also ensures that the company will still be able to do business if one server becomes corrupted or goes down for an extended period of time.

There are several different methods that are widely used for load balancing. One of the most popular methods of load balancing is Global Server Load Balancing. This technique distributes the incoming tasks to a group of servers in a particular geographic location. This technique is widely used by companies that have a global presence and have a need to satisfy customers or employees in many different geographical locations. Using Global Server Load Balancing ensures that the work load is distributed throughout the entire server system in an easy to manage manner and ensures that all geographical locations are obtaining the correct information from the correct set of servers.

Another load balancing technique that is commonly used is called Persistence Load Balancing. This technique assigns each new client to a different server in a round robin (distributed page requests evenly to one of three Squid cache servers) type of allocation. This client is then assigned to this specific server for the future of their relationship with the business. This ensures that no one server is overloaded with a particular type of client, such as those in a certain geographical area or use a specific type of service and ensures that the clients are distributed evenly through out all of the servers that the business possesses. These server assignments are typically monitored by using the customers IP address as the customer’s unique identification code.

Source by Amy Nutt

As business develops, growing e-commerce and high traffic volume may lead your company to consider a managed hosting service. How do you know if you need managed hosting? It’s a viable option for businesses?small to large?who don’t have the time and manpower to administer their own server. With managed server hosting, you’ll decrease server downtime and increase backups and data redundancy.
What is a Managed Hosting Service?
Your company may already have a dedicated server providing you with the robust bandwidth you need, and that’s great. If you’re tired of dedicating excessive hours, energy and technical staff to server administration, though, it’s time to look at managed hosting.

There are many practical and logistical benefits to hiring a managed hosting service. They include:

·    Premium security: Your hosting service installs firewalls and other security measures to ensure that your data?and your customers?are protected against attacks, viruses and hacking.

·    Rental Equipment: If you don’t own your own server equipment, a managed hosting service will provide it for a monthly rental fee. And, when your host decides to purchase equipment upgrades?you’ll reap the benefits.

·    IT Support: Managed server hosting reduces the burden on your tech staff. The hosting provider will supply connectivity, monitor servers, manage traffic loads, deal with equipment failures and offer necessary server backup.

·    Service Cost: While you’ll have to pay monthly for a managed hosting service, it will reduce out-of-pocket costs for equipment maintenance and manpower. In addition, you’ll benefit from a faster, more reliable web presence.

There’s no “one-size-fits-all” in server hosting. Instead, you can create your own service package based upon your company’s strategic objectives and available budget. If you’re considering the switch to fully managed hosting, check out reputable companies in your area. After discussing your company’s hardware, software, speed and security requirements, they should supply you with feasible, affordable solutions that fit your hosting needs.

Source by Scott Randolph

As per study conducted by the Forrester Research, the current market is an ideal one for the emergence new web hosting companies, currently there is “positive — if modest — growth for Web hosting and managed IT services, at both the enterprise and SMB levels.”

It is an ideally suited business if one indulges as a web designer or rather IT consultant. This business suits best for small consulting firms. Now the question arises why to ignore such services which several small businesses potentially require? Hosting is a supreme source of revenue on monthly basis.

If one talks about the flourishing sectors of Internet then name of hosting industry will be among one of them. Several corporations such as Yahoo are in the race of providing web hosting services. Anyone who wishes to join this highly profitable business is always welcome and has the right to grab his/her financial share, except when he/she can rightly perform his/her duty.

For a dream web hosting company, one should adopt two tested and wrathful rules as mentioned below:
1.) The prime aspect of the user should be on offering high-quality services in a two-tiered pricing schedule.
2.) The user should know about the importance of an automated infrastructure for development of self-sufficient customers. In the case of marketing, it is very important for the user to increase the chances of accurate opportunities.

The facility of automation will not only enhance the self-sufficiency of the client but also will reduce the expenses of the user to a low level. For the purpose of giving level best services, the prime thing which user requires is at least the following processes to be automated:
1.) Order forms (in case of new customer account set up or existing customer updates),
2.) Billing system,
3.) Administration system,
4.) End-user control panel, and
5.) Technical support interface.

Order Forms:

It is mandatory that the front end of user’s order form should provide a minimum of the four key functional aspects given below:
a.) It should ensure the information of domain for registration purposes,
b.) It should legalize entered results,
c.) It should provide the facility to process the customer’s credit card or else provide creation of an invoice,
d.) It should register customer’s information into billing database for the future prospects.

It is must that the backend of the order form must process the domain registration, in case it is required by the customer and should generate the Web hosting account.

Administration System

One should know that the administration system is quite an essential factor in the purpose of managing ordered accounts. The user might require manually adding or eliminating several new domains, change passwords, etc.

End-User Control Panel

If one wants his/her customer should manage his/her account, then an end-user control panel is necessary. At the end, the customers should be in the condition where they can set up their own e-mail accounts, view Website statistics and can manage files etc.

Billing System

Another very important thing is the presence of automated billing system. The billing system should not only perform the functions like making e-mail invoices, charging credit cards, suspend overdue accounts etc, but should also enable user to issue credit or discounts as per requirement.

Technical Support Interface

There is a wrong opinion that technical support interface is merely a system that generates trouble rather it is an effective tech-support interface that automatically generates an FAQ-interface that customers can look out for before submitting trouble tickets. The advantage of these interfaces is that they can reduce technical support requests by a factor of 10.

Not only that, the company with which the user go with offers the option of taking care of technical support on his/her behalf but branded with user’s brand. Thus one can concentrate his/her potential on other parts of his/her business which requires greater attention.

How to maximize good marketing opportunities

If one knows about what platform to use, what packages to offer and set up a tiered pricing schedule and automated systems. So now how one does maximizes good marketing opportunities through new hosting service?

Pay per Click

This facility allows user to reach to a large segment of customers. In this case although one needs not to pay to list his/her site, he/she does pay when a customer clicks on one’s listing and connects to user’s site. Now an important question arises in one’s mind i.e. how does one gets his/her site high on the results lists? One option is user must engage in a bidding war over how much he/she is willing to pay for each person who clicks through to his/her site. Recently the prices of bidding have grown too high, so one needs to act careful. There are cases where one clicks into one’s site but didn’t convert into a new account. Thus, one needs to be sure to just select targeted keywords and not contending with everyone else for the same keywords. It is not at all an easy game, so one should find his/her role.

How to host Directory Sites?

There are plentiful Web sites known as hosting directories that intend to attract Web hosting customers. The utility of these directories lies in the fact that they are an excellent place to advertise, but one needs to be selective in his/her placement. There are several sites offering banner placement, spotlights, search enhancements, and other forms of advertisement. A key tip in this case would be one should always keep in mind that banner ads are considered much better for building brand recognition rather than generating new accounts, so one should advertise based on his/her budget, and should not just focus on his/her expectation for new customers.

How to influence current Client Base?

If one is running an established Web design firm, information portal, or domain registration service, he/she can quickly start marketing to his/her current clients. For him/her its not easy to generate clients as by sending a simple e-mail to his/her current customer base he/she can immediately generate a large number of accounts. Talking about marketing strategies, there are permission-based email marketing services that work best for earning more revenue from one’s current customers and gaining additional customers. Thus, one should try a free trial of one or more of these services to find one that works well for his/her needs.

How to retain customers?

One should always keep in mind that in order to retain his/her customer; one has to develop and offer new products and services and to make them feel better. This will not only help in retaining customers but also to generate additional revenue. But the most important factor is quality should not be compromised as it is in reality a key to success.

Source by Web Hosting

Planning, creating, and building a data centre can be one of the most expensive tasks an IT director can face. In order to maximize cost effectiveness and achieve optimum performance, reliability is key.

Data centre size can range from one room in an office to an entire building, but there are some basic requirements which must be implemented to ensure system reliability. When designing a data centre, efficient planning is very important. A number of areas must be addressed to ensure a dependable and efficient system which is capable of continued operation.

Understand the potential causes of failure

There are a number of areas cited as the most common causes of data centre failure:

? Environmental problems
? Software failure – for example, memory leaks
? Hardware failure – such as storage or processing problems
? Operator or procedural error
? Poor network reliability
? Security breaches – for example hacker attack

Environmental considerations

When planning a data centre, there are a number of physical and architectural design features which must be implemented to ensure reliability:

? Adequate Air Supply: temperature must be maintained between 20 and 25 ºC and humidity between 40 and 60 %. Too much humidity can cause water to condense on internal components. However if the air is too dry, this can cause static electricity to discharge. Malfunction is likely if the above ranges are not maintained. This is one of the prime causes of data centre malfunction. Implementation of adequate air conditioning and correct architectural design to allow for air circulation between units is vital. Particular care needs to be taken to prevent “hotspots” from occurring.

? Safeguard against power loss: external environmental factors such as hurricane or snowstorm can cause power black outs. It is vital to have a generator to ensure continued function, as well as an uninterruptible power supply (UPS) for emergency power. These should be of sufficient size to power cooling systems.

? Fire protection systems: the simplest forms of fire protection are smoke detectors, for early detection of a fire. It is also vital to ensure fire containment to prevent the spread of a fire to the entire data centre. For example: Contained sprinkler systems or gaseous fire suppression.

Software, hardware or network failure

Tested and quality assured hardware and software from reputable brands can help increase reliability. Common malfunction in one component, such as an internal fan or storage disc, can quickly lead to failure in another. Ensuring network performance and reliability can also have a huge impact on the performance of the data system.

Operational procedures

It is impossible to completely rule out human error and operational issues. However, devising an operations procedure to not only maximize performance but also track reliability and malfunction is key. Conduct regular back-ups on each production server to ensure quick file repair in the event of damage. Provide adequate operator training to implement protocol and avoid the most basic of errors such as leaving discs in drives, which would prevent an auto-reboot in the event of system failure.

Data security

Particularly important in large data centres with sensitive information, is to ensure adequate physical security. Corporations may consider outsourcing their data centre to an off-site location with 24 hour security guards and video surveillance. System security also requires keeping up-to-date with the latest security and anti-virus software.

Avoid single point of failure

One final key consideration is to avoid having a single point of failure. Test the system before it goes operational and ensure that if one component fails there is sufficient backup to ensure the data centre can still function. Back-up will make sure that your important data is never lost.

Source by Amy Nutt

Software solutions the term covers a wide range of services and developments offered by the growth of information technology in today’s world. To start with the websites are designed today for the growth and marketing of any business and forms an integral part of online marketing presence. There is web designing done using HTML, XHTML, CSS, Javascript, PHP, ASP, NET, Java and Flash. The websites developed are dynamic and provide easy navigation to the users with rich content. The web applications developed provide automation process for different sectors and industries which are used by them to increase their efficiency from time to time.

The process of web application development goes through the procedure of functional testing, load testing, accessibility verification, and code validation. The solutions provided these days are highly customized to adapt to the time needs. They can be changed accordingly if required so that they fit in the development process. These solutions include Customer Relationship Management systems, E-Commerce systems, and Intranet, Extranet and Portal solutions, Database application, Payment and Financial applications. These applications are developed with graphic user interfaces which are user friendly and with the functionality that can be grasped easily by the clients or the customers.

Then there are web hosting solutions providing Windows .net server 2003, Cold Fusion, LINUX ES 3.0 and E-mail hosting options. An efficient web hosting solution certainly reduces the cost with an increase in the market space and high level sales. There are multiple software solutions available. There are a number of web hosting services in use like free web hosting, shared web hosting, dedicated or managed hosting services .The user can choose the services as per the requirements. Finally it can be said that multiple software solutions have not left any field untouched by its impact whether you take a growing organization into consideration or small industries trying to pace up with the IT revolution.

Source by Rakhi Chowdhary

Ever wonder what type of server is in the rack at the data center used by your company? How about server brand trends around the country? Look no further: The four most popular brands of servers, in descending order, are Hewlett Packard, Dell, IBM, and Sun Microsystems.

Shifting Brand Loyalty

As data center development has changed over the past couple of decades, brand loyalty has also shifted. Up until recently, IBM was the number one IT vendor in the world, unmatched by any other brand in terms of sales numbers or revenue. However, just like everything in the IT world, things are changing.

HP has recently surpassed IBM in popularity. Now focused on the data center market, HP is getting ready to meet the increased demand that goes with producing data center servers. HP’s popularity increase seems to know no bounds. In fact, some recent surveys show that over 40% of IT professionals prefer HP servers to any other brand.

About Servers

A server is the hub of a network, and it is a data center’s responsibility to have a high quality server in order to maintain its business. Rather than processing power, purchasers of servers focus RAM and hard drive speed to handle the network traffic. Energy efficiency is also becoming a major concern in purchasing decisions.

What Makes a Good Server?

So what influences the server buying decisions of data center professionals? Choice of a server depends on many factors, including availability and price, but most IT professional find these qualities to be extremely important:

– Quality: IT professionals report that a good server has high quality parts, a major factor in server reliability. A server is arguably the most important part of a data center infrastructure, and data center business is very closely linked to reliability and a high level of availability. Having a server with high quality parts is of the utmost importance.

– Support: Similarly, IT professionals require their servers to have an excellent support team. If the server does go down for some reason, every moment matters in trying to repair it. Having a good support team on your side can be the difference between hours of server downtime and days or weeks of lost usage and revenue.

– Performance: Server performance is another important factor considered by IT professionals when buying servers for a data center. Often, IT professionals avoid server brands that have caused past problems for their data center. Negative reviews from other professionals also have an impact on performance-based buying decisions.

– Customization: Another important factor in choosing a server for a data center is the ability to customize the equipment to fit individual needs. Standard specifications may not be appropriate for all applications.

Future of Data Center Servers

With the current focus on environmental responsibility, data centers are making every attempt to go green. The amount of power used by a server may become more of a factor in purchasing decisions as energy costs rise. Server efficiency may soon be one of the top qualities IT professional prize in their server purchasing decisions.

In today’s difficult economy, server power usage is likely to become a major issue. Many companies are struggling to shore up the bottom line, and more efficient servers help them reduce their operating budget. In addition, new environmental laws are likely to make the “greenness” of a server one of the main purchasing considerations.

Source by Amy Nut

A free hosted SharePoint application to manage the Request for Proposal process is usually included with SharePoint hosting plans for Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 hosting. Such hosted SharePoint application sites capture common functionalities, roles, and requirements of specific business processes or sets of tasks in groups and organizations. They can be applied to common business tasks, such as competitive analysis, planning product and marketing requirements, or tracking marketing campaigns, or managing manufacturing processes, or organizing new store openings, setting up a discussion group, or for scheduling employee training, to easily creating useful web-based applications. You can get basic Microsoft SharePoint hosting for less than $9 per month for unlimited users and with that package forty free SharePoint hosting templates for business that were developed by Microsoft.
The Request for Proposal (RFP) hosted SharePoint application template helps to manage the process of developing and releasing an RFP, soliciting and collecting submissions of proposal responses and formally accepting the selected proposal from amongst those submitted. The SharePoint hosting site also helps simplify the process of informing individuals about the status of the RFP and submitted proposals.
The online SharePoint hosting templates are easy to activate and are free when one signs up for a basic hosted SharePoint plan. One can select SharePoint hosting site and workspace templates when setting up a new hosted SharePoint site via the Create page. The default templates that are included with SharePoint WSS 3.0 hosting are arranged under two tabs in the Template Section area of the new hosted SharePoint Site. The SharePoint hosting templates can be modified and saved under a different name. Thus, instant and free hosted SharePoint applications for your organization are available easily.

Keywords: free hosted SharePoint application site, hosted SharePoint application, free hosted SharePoint application, free hosted SharePoint site, free hosted application site, SharePoint application site, hosted SharePoint site, hosted SharePoint site, free SharePoint Hosting site, SharePoint Hosting site

Source by Adrian Gates