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{{short description|Service for hosting websites}}
▲{{pp-semi|small=yes}}
[[File:Paris servers DSC00190.jpg|thumb|An example of [[rack mounted]] servers]]
{{Internet hosting}}
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Typically, web hosting requires the following:
* one or more [[server (computing)|server]]s to act as the [[Host (network)|host(s)]] for the sites; servers may be physical or [[hardware virtualization|virtual]];
* [[colocation centre|colocation]] for the server(s), providing physical space, electricity, and [[Internet]] connectivity;
* [[Domain Name System]] configuration to define name(s) for the sites and point them to the hosting server(s);
* a [[web server]] running on the host;
* for each site hosted on the server:
** space on the server(s) to hold the files making up the site;
** site-specific configuration;
** often, a [[
** software and [[
** [[email]] connectivity allowing the host and site to send email to the client.
== History ==
Until 1991, the [[Internet]] was restricted to use only "... for research and education in the sciences and engineering{{Nbsp}}..."<ref>March 16, 1992, memo from Mariam Leder, NSF Assistant General Counsel to Steven Wolff, Division Director, NSF DNCRI (included at page 128 of [http://www.eric.ed.gov/ERICWebPortal/search/recordDetails.jsp?ERICExtSearch_SearchValue_0=ED350986&searchtype=keyword&ERICExtSearch_SearchType_0=no&_pageLabel=RecordDetails&accno=ED350986&_nfls=false Management of NSFNET], a transcript of the March 12, 1992, hearing before the Subcommittee on Science of the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, U.S. House of Representatives, One Hundred Second Congress, Second Session, Hon. [[Rick Boucher]], subcommittee chairman, presiding)</ref><ref name="tib1">{{Cite web|url=https://www.tibus.com/blog/the-history-of-web-hosting-how-things-have-changed-since-tibus-started-in-1996/ |title=The history of web hosting|website=www.tibus.com|access-date=2016-12-11}}</ref> and was used for [[email]], [[telnet]], [[FTP]] and [[USENET]] traffic—but only a tiny number of web pages. The World Wide Web protocols had only just been written,<ref>{{cite news| url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/5242252.stm |title=How the web went world wide| first=Mark| last=Ward|work=BBC News| access-date= 24 January 2011|date=3 August 2006}}</ref> and
To host a [[website]] on the [[internet]], an individual or company would need their own [[computer]] or [[Server (computing)|server]].<ref
As the number of users on the World Wide Web grew, the pressure for companies, both large and small, to have an online presence grew. By 1995, companies such as [[GeoCities]], [[Angelfire]] and [[Tripod.com|Tripod]] were offering free hosting.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.biztechmagazine.com/article/2012/02/history-web-hosting-infographic|title=A History of Web Hosting [Infographic]|date=2012-02-24|newspaper=BizTech|access-date=2016-11-04}}</ref>
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===Static page hosting===
Free web hosting service is offered by different companies with limited services, sometimes supported by advertisements,{{Update inline|date=October 2022|?=yes|reason=Is this still a thing?}} and often limited when compared to paid hosting.
Single page hosting is generally sufficient for [[personal web page]]s. Personal website hosting is typically free, advertisement-sponsored, or inexpensive. Business website hosting often has a higher expense depending upon the size and type of the site.
Commercial services that provide static page hosting include [[GitHub Pages]], where the website version control is tracked using [[Git]].
{{Excerpt|Peer-to-peer web hosting}}
===Larger hosting services===
A complex site calls for a more comprehensive package that provides [[database]] [[Data center management#Tech Support|support]] and application development platforms (e.g. [[ASP.NET]], [[ColdFusion]], [[Java Platform, Enterprise Edition|Java EE]], [[Plack (software)|Perl/Plack]], [[PHP]] or [[Ruby on Rails]]). These facilities allow customers to write or install scripts for applications like [[Internet forum|forums]] and [[content management]]. Web hosting packages often include a [[web content management system]], so the end-user does not have to worry about the more technical aspects. [[Secure Sockets Layer]] (SSL) is used for websites that wish to encrypt the transmitted data.
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[[File:KN-Servers2.JPG|thumb|A typical server "rack" commonly seen in [[colocation centre]]s]]
Internet hosting services can run [[web servers]]. The scope of web hosting services varies greatly.
* '''[[Shared web hosting service]]''' – One's website is placed on the same server as many other sites, ranging from a few sites to hundreds of websites. Typically, all domains may share a common pool of server resources, such as [[RAM]] and the [[CPU]]. The features available with this type of service can be quite basic and not flexible in terms of software and updates. [[Reseller
* '''Reseller web hosting''' – Allows clients to become web hosts themselves. Resellers could function, for individual domains, under any combination of these listed types of hosting, depending on who they are affiliated with as a reseller. Resellers' accounts may vary tremendously in size: they may have their own virtual dedicated server to a colocated server. Many resellers provide a nearly identical service to their provider's shared hosting plan and provide the technical support themselves.▼
* '''[[Virtual private server#Hosting|Virtual Dedicated Server]]''' – Also known as a [[Virtual Private Server]] (VPS), divides server resources into virtual servers, where resources can be allocated in a way that does not directly reflect the underlying hardware. VPS will often be allocated resources based on a one server to many VPSs relationship, however virtualisation may be done for a number of reasons, including the ability to move a VPS container between servers. The users may have [[
* '''[[Dedicated hosting service]]''' – The user gets
▲One's website is placed on the same server as many other sites, ranging from a few sites to hundreds of websites. Typically, all domains may share a common pool of server resources, such as [[RAM]] and the [[CPU]]. The features available with this type of service can be quite basic and not flexible in terms of software and updates. [[Reseller|Resellers]] often sell shared web hosting and web companies often have reseller accounts to provide hosting for clients.
* '''[[Managed hosting service]]''' – The user gets
* '''[[Colocation center|Colocation web hosting service]]''' – Similar to the dedicated web hosting service, but the user owns the colo server; the hosting company provides physical space that the server takes up and takes care of the server. This is the most powerful and expensive type of web hosting service. In most cases, the colocation provider may provide little to no support directly for their client's machine, providing only the electrical, Internet access, and storage facilities for the server. In most cases for colo, the client would have
▲=== Reseller web hosting ===
* '''[[Clustered hosting]]''' – Having multiple servers hosting the same content for better resource utilization. Clustered servers are a perfect solution for high-availability dedicated hosting, or creating a scalable web hosting solution. A cluster may separate web serving from database hosting capability. (Usually web hosts use clustered hosting for their shared hosting plans, as there are multiple benefits to the mass managing of clients).<ref>{{Cite book |doi = 10.1109/HPCC.2008.172 |arxiv = 0808.3558|chapter = Market-Oriented Cloud Computing: Vision, Hype, and Reality for Delivering IT Services as Computing Utilities|title = 2008 10th IEEE International Conference on High Performance Computing and Communications|pages = 5–13|year = 2008|last1 = Buyya|first1 = Rajkumar|last2 = Yeo|first2 = Chee Shin|last3 = Venugopal|first3 = Srikumar|isbn = 978-0-7695-3352-0| s2cid=16882678 }}</ref>▼
▲Allows clients to become web hosts themselves. Resellers could function, for individual domains, under any combination of these listed types of hosting, depending on who they are affiliated with as a reseller. Resellers' accounts may vary tremendously in size: they may have their own virtual dedicated server to a colocated server. Many resellers provide a nearly identical service to their provider's shared hosting plan and provide the technical support themselves.
* '''Grid hosting''' – This form of distributed hosting is when a server cluster acts like a grid and is composed of multiple nodes.{{cn|date=October 2022}}▼
▲Also known as a [[Virtual Private Server]] (VPS), divides server resources into virtual servers, where resources can be allocated in a way that does not directly reflect the underlying hardware. VPS will often be allocated resources based on a one server to many VPSs relationship, however virtualisation may be done for a number of reasons, including the ability to move a VPS container between servers. The users may have [[Root access|root access]] to their own virtual space. Customers are sometimes responsible for patching and maintaining the server (unmanaged server) or the VPS provider may provide server admin tasks for the customer (managed server).
▲The user gets his or her own web server and gains full control over it (user has [[Superuser|root access]] for Linux/administrator access for Windows); however, the user typically does not own the server. One type of dedicated hosting is self-managed or unmanaged. This is usually the least expensive for dedicated plans. The user has full administrative access to the server, which means the client is responsible for the security and maintenance of his own dedicated server.
▲The user gets his or her own web server but is not allowed full control over it (user is denied root access for Linux/administrator access for Windows); however, they are allowed to manage their data via FTP or other remote management tools. The user is disallowed full control so that the provider can guarantee quality of service by not allowing the user to modify the server or potentially create configuration problems. The user typically does not own the server. The server is leased to the client.
▲Similar to the dedicated web hosting service, but the user owns the colo server; the hosting company provides physical space that the server takes up and takes care of the server. This is the most powerful and expensive type of web hosting service. In most cases, the colocation provider may provide little to no support directly for their client's machine, providing only the electrical, Internet access, and storage facilities for the server. In most cases for colo, the client would have his or her own administrator visit the data center on site to do any hardware upgrades or changes. Formerly, many colocation providers would accept any system configuration for hosting, even ones housed in desktop-style [[minitower]] cases, but most hosts now require [[rack mount]] enclosures and standard system configurations.
▲This is a new type of hosting platform that allows customers powerful, scalable and reliable hosting based on clustered load-balanced servers and utility billing. A cloud hosted website may be more reliable than alternatives since other computers in the cloud can compensate when a single piece of hardware goes down. Also, local power disruptions or even natural disasters are less problematic for cloud hosted sites, as cloud hosting is decentralized. Cloud hosting also allows providers to charge users only for resources consumed by the user, rather than a flat fee for the amount the user expects they will use, or a fixed cost upfront hardware investment. Alternatively, the lack of centralization may give users less control on where their data is located which could be a problem for users with [[data security]] or [[privacy policy|privacy]] concerns as per [[General Data Protection Regulation|GDPR]] guidelines. Cloud hosting users can request additional resources on-demand such as only during periods of peak traffic, while offloading IT management to the cloud hosting service.
▲Having multiple servers hosting the same content for better resource utilization. Clustered servers are a perfect solution for high-availability dedicated hosting, or creating a scalable web hosting solution. A cluster may separate web serving from database hosting capability. (Usually web hosts use clustered hosting for their shared hosting plans, as there are multiple benefits to the mass managing of clients).<ref>{{Cite book |doi = 10.1109/HPCC.2008.172 |arxiv = 0808.3558|chapter = Market-Oriented Cloud Computing: Vision, Hype, and Reality for Delivering IT Services as Computing Utilities|title = 2008 10th IEEE International Conference on High Performance Computing and Communications|pages = 5–13|year = 2008|last1 = Buyya|first1 = Rajkumar|last2 = Yeo|first2 = Chee Shin|last3 = Venugopal|first3 = Srikumar|isbn = 978-0-7695-3352-0}}</ref>
▲This form of distributed hosting is when a server cluster acts like a grid and is composed of multiple nodes.
▲Usually a single machine placed in a private residence can be used to host one or more websites from a usually consumer-grade [[broadband]] connection. These can be purpose-built machines or more commonly old PCs. Some ISPs actively attempt to block home servers by disallowing incoming requests to [[Transmission Control Protocol|TCP]] port 80 of the user's connection and by refusing to provide [[static IP address]]es. A common way to attain a reliable DNS host name is by creating an account with a [[dynamic DNS]] service. A dynamic [[DNS]] service will automatically change the IP address that a [[URL]] points to when the IP address changes.<ref>{{Cite journal |doi = 10.1109/TCE.2006.1605033|title = An integrated home server for communication, broadcast reception, and home automation|journal = IEEE Transactions on Consumer Electronics|volume = 52|pages = 104–109|year = 2006|last1 = Intark Han|last2 = Hong-Shik Park|last3 = Youn-Kwae Jeong|last4 = Kwang-Roh Park}}</ref>
Some specific types of hosting provided by web host service providers:
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==Host management==
[[File:Floridaserversfront1.jpg|thumb|
The host may also provide an interface or [[Control panel (Web hosting)|control panel]] for managing the [[web server]] and installing scripts, as well as other modules and service applications like e-mail. A web server that does not use a [[Control panel (Web hosting)|control panel]] for managing the hosting account, is often referred to as a "headless" server. Some hosts specialize in certain software or services (e.g. e-commerce, blogs, etc.).
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== Security ==
Because web hosting services host websites belonging to their customers, [[Computer security|online security]] is an important concern. When a customer agrees to use a web hosting service, they are relinquishing control of the security of their site to the company that is hosting the site. The level of security that a web hosting service offers is extremely important to a prospective customer and can be a major
Web hosting servers can be attacked by malicious users in different ways, including uploading [[malware]] or malicious [[code]] onto a hosted [[website]]. These attacks may be done for different reasons, including stealing credit card data, launching a [[Distributed denial of service attack|Distributed Denial of Service Attack]] (DDoS) or [[spamming]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.instantshift.com/2011/02/11/a-guide-to-web-hosting-security-issues-and-prevention/|title=A Guide to Web Hosting Security Issues and Prevention|last=InstantShift|website=InstantShift - Web Designers and Developers Daily Resource.|date=11 February 2011 |access-date=2016-10-31}}</ref>
== See also ==
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