So what’s the difference and how do you choose between the two?  First, you need to make sure your goals are clearly defined.  What do you plan to accomplish with your website?  Will it simply be a static site full of articles or photos?  If so, you may not need a VPS or dedicated server at all.  Besides, most sites are hosted on a shared server, so this is certainly an option you want to keep open.  However, if your plans stem far beyond this, then it may be time to consider a more robust solution.  Once you have established this, making a decision becomes much easier.

Key Shared Qualities

A dedicated server and VPS share many common qualities.  Both give you a tremendous level of control when it comes to customizing your hosting environment.  For example, you typically have root access to the server, which allows you to perform various configurations, install custom software applications, and reboot the system.  These are luxuries you do not get in the shared hosting environment.

A dedicated and virtual private server also provide you with a fixed amount of resources, the former can just give you considerably more.  RAM, disk space, bandwidth and other resources are made exclusive to you, unlike in the shared hosting arrangement where they are shared with other users.  This factor makes these two types of web hosting very similar in terms of performance as each are far more stable than sharing hosting.

Key Differences

Before making a decision, you should know a little more about virtual private servers.

A VPS essentially resides on the same hardware as other virtual servers.  It is not a physical server, but a virtual entity that is simulated within the physical hardware using specialized virtualization software.  Thus, even though a VPS often looks and feels like a standalone dedicated server, it is actually running on a shared server.

The unique quality of virtualization technology is that the software isolates these virtual containers into their own separate compartments, making it so that they have no impact on one another.

The obvious drawback to a virtual private server is that it offers a smaller amount of critical hardware resources.  This is because there are divided amongst a number of other partitions on the  physical machine.  As far as choosing goes, these resources should be one of the major decision drivers.  Look at this way – a VPS hosting package may offer about 512 MB of RAM, but a dedicated server can provide up to 2 GB and often more.  This is a tremendous difference that can have an impact on many of your services and processes.

When it comes to scalability, performance, security and overall reliability, a dedicated server is the clear cut winner.  This type of hosting is ideal for large content-rich community sites, high traffic e-commerce applications, or any site that involves mission-critical operations.  These are website owners who cannot afford to suffer from the potential issues a VPS hosting environment presents.  On the other hand, if your web presence has yet to grow to the point where it warrants an entire server, going virtual could be the solution that provides a happy medium.  Once your site grows in popularity and attracts more visitors, you can then migrate over to a dedicated server to meet that demand.

Price Factor

A VPS hosting plan is often considerably cheaper than leasing a dedicated server, with some packages costing as low as $20.00.  When factoring in that it can provide many of the same benefits, you could say it really delivers great value. Virtual private servers are a big hit among software developers because it gives them a more reliable environment to run their applications while small business enjoy the added dose of power they lacked in their shared hosting environment.  For large companies however, price isn’t a primary concern, as they require the most reliable solution possible.

These factors should all be considered when choosing between VPS and dedicated hosting.  Taking them into account will help to ensure a smoother deployment of whatever type of server you decide on.

Whatever the reason, it is vital to plan out the entire move to ensure it is a smooth and seamless operation without the viewing public even noticing the switch.

Step One

Many web hosting providers will offer to transfer domain names as part of the services offered.  The first thing to attend to is ensuring this does not occur until after all data has been copied over.  Once this detail has been confirmed, the operation of copying over files and folders can begin.

This piece of the switch is relatively easy.  Zip up the web folder within the old web host and download this file to the desktop.

If the current web site contains CGI or Perl programs, it will be necessary to check with the new web host as to the location of Perl on the server.  This might be exactly the same as the old server set up but not knowing can cause script errors to show immediately.  If the location is different than what is currently included into each CGI or Perl script, this will need to be changed prior to uploading the files and folders to the new server location.

Another item to check is pages that utilize PHP and MySQL.  The path to PHP may be slightly different on the new web site and the MySQL database naming structure, user name and password, will be changed as well.  All configuration files should be edited to reflect these changes.

When uploading to the new site, one particularly important piece of advice is to ensure the files are uploaded in ASCII and not Binary mode.  An upload with an incorrect mode setting will cause nothing but blank pages across the entire web site.

Step Two

Once all the files and folders are in place, the next step is to ensure the pages all display properly.  As the domain has not been transferred at this point, the URL to type in will begin with the IP address given with the creation of the new web site.  If relative linking (i.e. <a href=”page.htm”> as opposed to <a href=”http://domain.com/page.htm”>), then all clicked links will keep one on the new web site.  However, if absolute linking is present, any clicked links will take one to the old web site.

Step Three

If all pages and scripts are behaving as they should, at this point the new web hosting provider can be contacted and the request to transfer the domain name can be completed.  When this has completed, it may take up to two weeks for DNS servers to update, however two to three days is standard.  It would also be prudent to run both the old and the new web site in tandem until the update is complete.  After the waiting period, the old web hosting account can be entirely closed out.

Conclusion

Initially, a move to a new web hosting company may seem like a daunting task.  However, a bit of planning is all it takes to ensure a successful and smooth transition to a new web hosting company.  As long as the basics are attended to, old customers, clients and visitors as well as new ones will never see the move.

cPanel and WHM

cPanel is actually two pieces of software combined into one package. cPanel itself is an intuitive interface designed to assist web site owners in managing their online web sites. The initial log in page presents users with a neatly sectioned control panel that enables the quick location of specific tasks.

On the left-hand side of the interface, users will find a search bar, frequently accessed areas and statistics. Within the main area, categories are set to allow fast access to software and services, files, email, preferences, logs and much more. Logged in users can change the overall preferences of how this main page is presented as well by simply choosing “lite graphics,” opting to hide all icons, and even reset the category box order.

The other part of this program is the WHM (Web Host Manager). The WHM automates server management and is designed to be used by server administrators. The interface provided in the WHM program covers every aspect of server administration. The left-hand panel displays server configuration, support, cluster and remote access, account functions, themes, packages and much more. Server administrators can restart web services as needed, work with the DNS zone information, and even add new packages to the server.

cPanel and WHM benefits

First and foremost, one of the best benefits to using cPanel is in how simplified web site managing becomes. There is a lot of work involved in setting up and running a web site smoothly. File uploading, creating web pages, and editing existing web pages are just a few of the web site manager’s tasks. cPanel makes these chores more enjoyable with drag and drop features, a file manager and the ability to use FTP services, as well as create multiple FTP accounts for other co-managers.

Web-based applications such as WordPress, osCommerce, and discussion programs are incorporated within the control panel. cPanel allows web site owners to select and configure the desired applications with a few simple mouse clicks.

The control panel program is built with virus protection. All files are scanned prior to uploading ensuring the security of the web site. Web site owners can restrict outside access to bandwidth, password protect specific areas of a web site and even ban users who have shared password information with non-authorized persons.

E-mail management is covered as well with cPanel. The standard mail protocols are supported – POP, IMAP, and SMTP. To block the possibility of spam, the control panel program is equipped with SpamAssassin and BoxTrapper. All e-mails can be checked via an included web-mail program, allowing web site users to remotely check on their accounts when they are on the go.

WHM allows server administrators the ability to employ support for new technologies with a few simple clicks. Web server software can be changed with ease and the installation of new software modules with no hassle makes the server administrator role a little less hectic.

One big advantage to using WHM is in how it enhances server reliability. If at any time a service goes down on the server, the WHM program will automatically restart it and alert the server administrator of the issue. When disk space becomes limited, the program sends off a notification to the administrator. Overall server loads can be monitored quickly and easily with WHM. All these items are critical issues when it comes to server administration and WHM makes them simple and easy.

Conclusion

Trying to manage a web site without some form of control panel can make web hosting a nightmare. Even more of a headache is attempting to administer an entire server with dozens of different tools. The combination of cPanel and WHM takes away much of this difficulty and helps make both jobs a little easier and a lot more enjoyable.

The web hosting industry is tremendous and there are literally thousands of companies available on the market. While they are all different in their own unique way, these providers specialize in the same basic service, which is offering a way for you to host a website online.

Unfortunately, the vast sea of candidates makes choosing one from the bunch very challenging, especially if this is your first attempt in starting an online business. Thankfully, there is a way to simplify things, and that is by knowing how to approach the evaluation process.

What are the Goals for Your Business?

The first step in finding a web hosting solution for your business is knowing exactly what your business needs and what you intend to achieve with it. Do you want to sell products or services online? If so, then you will need a hosting plan geared towards e-commerce. Do you intend to use a website to establish a basic profile or personal site? If this is the case, then a cheap and simple solution might do the trick. Identifying your goals and requirements will make it much easier to determine the type of web hosting you need.

Types of Hosting

Determining the type of web hosting best suited for your specific needs is where most consumers become overwhelmed. There are a plethora of types of web hosting on the market and this can cause confusion. However, you will serve the selection purpose well by focusing on the primary three which will matter most to you. These options are shared hosting, dedicated hosting and VPS hosting.

Shared hosting is the most common variation, and the cheapest as well. As the name implies, this type of arrangement requires you to share a server and various resources with other users

Dedicated hosting is the exact opposite, as you get the entire server to yourself and have to pay a lot more. It also among the most reliable of any hosting solution you will find.

VPS (virtual private server) hosting is a cross between the shared and dedicated server. This is because it is usually only slightly more expensive than shared hosting, yet this option gives you many of the same advantages as a dedicated server.

If your business needs are moderate, then shared hosting is suitable. If you need the utmost in flexibility, performance and reliability, a dedicated server is the best way to go. If your requirements fall somewhere in the middle, then a VPS solution could be the answer.

Features

One of the best things about web hosting is that most features are just as useful regardless of the type you choose. For example, you don’t have to shell out money on a dedicated server just to enjoy features such as email, FTP (File Transfer Protocol), and databases as they can all be utilized efficiently in a shared or VPS hosting environment.

The list of features on the market is virtually endless and today’s providers offer many of the same items. What you need to do is take the time to determine which features are best suited for the needs of your business. Being that you have unique requirements, there may only be a select group of hosts capable of satisfying them.

Customer Support

Good support is vital in the web hosting industry and the key to the longevity of your business. More than likely, there will come a time when you need to get in touch with someone and if they are not around, then your business could suffer substantial loss of revenues. Most hosting companies offer 24/7 support, which is exactly what you want to look for.

Make sure the web hosting provider can be reached by phone, as well as other methods such as email or live chat. Instead of taking the company for its word, put them through the ringer with a phone call or email to see how they respond before you sign up. This will give you some insight into the overall quality of the service.

Finding a web host for your business does not have to be difficult. Simply knowing how to approach the situation will better your chances of getting positive results.

Overview

Reliability & Uptime

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Space and Traffic overview

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Controllpanel

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Support and price

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Conclusion

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