Before discussing the three types of web hosting services in depth, it is crucial to have clear knowledge about web hosting service. Therefore, web hosting service is the service that allows websites to be accessible by the Internet surfers via the World Wide Web (www). This service is usually provided by companies that are dedicated to offer server or a part of a server for web hosting services. Some important terms related to web hosting are data transfer, disk space and bandwidth. Every business organization transfers data via the World Wide Web frequently and web hosting service facilitates this task. The transfer of data is done at a certain speed which has its upper as well as lower limits known as its bandwidth. Also, the company needs to store data about the website in the server for which it requires disk space. Hence, web hosting service providers allow different amounts of disk space, data transfer and bandwidth as per the service type.
· Shared Web Hosting: It is the type of web hosting service wherein multiple websites share the same server and its hardware to get connected to the Internet. Every customer gets a part of the server to broadcast its website. Limited amount of disk space and data transfer is allowed to each of the websites. Control basically lies in the hands of service providers because the selection of the Operating System of the server is made by them. Hence, installation of third party applications and softwares depends upon the OS’s supported softwares. When it comes to security, it is a drawback for shared web hosting because data of one website can be hacked and accessed by maintainers of other website sharing the same server. Also, the websites share the same IP Address so legality befall due to one website can change the fate of all websites sharing the server. However, shared web hosting service is selected by thousands of enterprises because it is the cheapest hosting service available. As multiple websites share one server and hardware properties such as disk space, data transfer, CPU RAM and bandwidth are limited, providers of shared hosting service charge the least monthly charges when compared to other hosting service.
· Virtual Private Server: It is the hosting service wherein a virtual machine is allotted to the client who opts for it. It allows super-user access because clients or appointed IT professionals can install the OS and third party softwares as per their preference and technical support. However, the underlying hardware properties are shared with other VPS so there are restrictions in the amount of data transfer and disk space. Security options in VPS are better than shared hosting services because systems are isolated and data cannot be accessed by other users sharing the same hardware. Service providers guarantee sufficient amount of disk space and data transfer so reliability is appreciable. When it comes to cost, users of VPS need to pay higher monthly subscription than shared hosting service but lesser than dedicated hosting service.
· Dedicated Web Hosting: It is the supreme type of hosting service. With a dedicated web hosting service, the client is provided with an entire server. Hence, users do not need to bargain with the hardware because the entire disk space, data transfer, CPU RAM, etc. are not shared with anyone else. Utmost security is achieved in this server because data cannot be accessed by unauthorized parties. The IP Address is solely dedicated to one website so there is no risk of penalty due to any illegal activity done by other websites. IT professionals who manage the system can install the most appropriate OS as per the requirements of the website. Total control lies in the hands of the user and service providers interfere in least issues. As all the services are of supreme standard, subscribers of dedicated hosting service pay the highest monthly charges when compared to all other types of hosting services.
Shared hosting service is suitable for business enterprises that do not primarily depend on online business and therefore just require sufficient amount of space and data transfer. Also, the firm should have minimum issues related to the security of its website. For business enterprises that need to install specific software, bring timely updates to the website and have limited budget should opt for virtual private server. It is also preferable by firms that like to ensure the security of its data up to a certain extent. Large scale commercial organizations that bring regular updates to its website and demand utmost privacy of its data buy dedicated server to fulfill its needs. However, it is important to check that the budget is not an issue for the subscribing firm because dedicated hosting service providers charge monthly charges higher than other hosting services.
As the properties of every kind of web hosting service differs, business enterprises should analyze their needs and select the most appropriate hosting service for their website. Selection of the accurate hosting service is of utmost importance if the enterprise aims at profit maximization. Choosing wrong hosting service can not only reduce profit of the firm but can also affect its online promotion and reputation. Therefore, before choosing a web hosting service, one must determine one’s budget for hosting service and should thoroughly analyze the properties of various web hosting services, i.e. shared, virtual private server and dedicated hosting.
About CtrlS Data Center Ltd
Incorporated in 2007, CtrlS is India’s leading IT Infrastructure and Managed hosting services provider with offerings comprising of Datacenter Infrastructure, Disaster Recovery, Storage and Backup, Application Hosting, Hardware, Cloud Computing, Platforms, Network and Security solutions. With India’s only Tier 4 Datacenter to its credit, CtrlS provides unmatched hosting capabilities through enhanced connectivity, multiple redundancies, and fault tolerant infrastructure with a guarantee of a 99.995% uptime and penalty backed Service Level Agreement (SLA). For more visit http://www.ctrls.com
