Understanding how web hosting is put together is often a mystery to most new computer users. However, this complexity is often removed when the core functionality is explained. A website consists of documents that are located on a central computer. When a web address is typed into a browser, the exact address of where these documents are located is returned and the information can then be retrieved.
All computers speak to each other by means of an IP address. To locate a website, a computer needs to know which IP address to use. However, instead of entering an IP address, a domain name is entered. This name is then queried against a domain registrar database which provides the website hosting details. This information is called the DNS record and is a necessity in terms of finding web content.
Domain registration is provided by most web hosting companies as part of their service offering. The process involves you choosing a unique domain name and a DNS record being created at the domain registrar. The registrar can be seen as a gigantic database storing the name and IP address of your website. The IP address refers to the hosting server that will store your web pages.
The basic building block of a website is called a web page. It is stored with your hosting company information and written in a language which is called HTML (Hyper Text Markup Language) which is understood by all internet browsers such as Internet Explorer, Firefox, and Safari among others. These files are stored on computers that are called web servers which can be viewed as powerful machines that are able to share information.
A web server comes equipped with specialized software which allows it to manage websites. Popular web server applications include Apache and Microsoft IIS. Apache is very popular as it offers a very low cost option compared to the Microsoft alternative.
A domain that is very busy is said to experience a lot of traffic. A higher bandwidth is needed to accommodate high traffic sites. Bandwidth can be seen as the measure of how much information is being supplied and viewed by visitors to your site. Most hosting companies provide limited bandwidth options to their clients and this requires that bandwidth be carefully monitored to ensure that the limit is not exceeded.
High-end companies often need to have very specialized websites. ASP.NET and PHP are two very prominent languages that can be used for advanced development. These coding languages allow the use of a database which can be used to access and store information. Dynamic websites are often the result when using a database. They allow for web pages to be created on the fly with information retrieved when needed.
Most website hosting companies allow clients to administer their own resources by means of an internet based control panel application. Clients are now able to access their website files directly. By using FTP, files can be uploaded to the website. It is however best to utilize the services of a web developer when using the control panel to ensure that proper controls and standards are maintained.
