Web
Hosting Glossary
ASP:
Active Server Pages. Active Server Pages are HTML
pages that contain embedded scripts. IIS (Internet
Information Server) and third party providers offer
server software that interprets Active Server code.
ASP pages contain either server side or client side
scripts which performs functions such as database
access, page personalization, or interactive functions.
Scripts act similar to CGI scripts. Pages should
end in .asp.
Auto responder: An auto responder will
send a pre-made message to a certain person when
they email to an address. This could be useful for
registration, purchasing, or other information.
Bandwidth:
The amount of data that you are allowed to transfer
in a monthly.
CGI: Common Gateway Interface. CGI allows HTML pages
to interact with programming applications.
Control
Panel: Control panel included in web hosting
packages is an online web-based application that
allows you to easily manage different aspects of
your account. Most control panels will let you upload
files, add email accounts, change contact information,
set up shopping carts or databases, view usage statistics,
etc.
Database:
A database is a collection of information stored
in a computer in a systematic way, such that a computer
program can consult it to answer questions. The
software used to manage and query a database is
known as a database management system (DBMS). The
properties of database systems are studied in information
science.
Data
Transfer: This is the amount of data you
are allowed to deliver from your site in a given
month. The limit is usually calculated in GB with
1 GB usually amounting to 30,000 - 50,000 page views.
Dedicated
Servers: A single server dedicated to a
single customer. Most appropriate for users that
require lots of disk space or data transfer, as
well as sites that are database intensive or have
specific software requirements.
Disk
Space: The amount of disk storage space
assigned to a plan.
Domain
Name: A domain name is the text name corresponding
to the numeric IP address of a computer on the Internet.
A domain name must be unique. Domain names are hierarchical.
Domain's suffix indicates which TLD (top level domain)
it belongs to, for example .com, .gov, .org, or
.net.
Email
Forwarding: When email sent to different
email addresses is automatically sent (forwarded)
to another specified email address.
FrontPage
Extensions: A set of programs and scripts
that allow specific features of a Web site created
with FrontPage to perform, adding dynamic functions
to a Web site.
FTP:
File Transfer Protocol. FTP allows files to be transferred
from local machines to servers and vice versa.
GB:
Gigabyte. 1024 Megabytes.
IMAP:
Internet Message Access Protocol. An email protocol
that provides management of received messages on
a remote server.
IP
Address: Internet protocol numerical address
assigned to each computer on the network so that
its location and activities can be distinguished
from other computers. IP addresses consist of four
numbers ranging between 0 and 255, separated by
dots (e.g. 76.162.77.95).
KB:
Kilobyte. 1,024 bytes
Linux
Hosting: Linux is a free open-source operating
system based on UNIX that is used to run Web servers.
MB:
Megabyte. 1,024 kilobytes
Microsoft
Access: Microsoft Access is a relational
database management system that can use data stored
in Access/Jet, SQL Server, Oracle, or any ODBC-compliant
data container.
MySQL: An open source relational database
management system that uses Structured Query Language
(SQL). Linux hosting plans often include MySQL databases.
Perl:
A programming language that allows database interactivity
and dynamic content on a web site.
PHP:
Hypertext Preprocessor. A server-side, cross-platform,
HTML embedded scripting language that lets you create
dynamic web pages.
POP:
Post Office Protocol. A protocol used to retrieve
e-mail from a mail server.
RAID: Redundant Array of Independent Disks
is a standard for connecting multiple disks to the
same server for higher security, speed and performance.
Server:
A computer that handles requests for data, email,
file transfers, and other network services from
other computers, including requests for Web pages.
Shared Web Hosting: Multiple sites hosted
on a single server that share the system resources.
Each web site is allotted a specific amount of resources.
Shared Web hosting is the most common (and cheapest)
hosting option.
SMTP:
Simple Mail Transfer Protocol is a protocol used
to send and receive email.
SQL:
Structured Query Language is a database access language
used for sending queries to databases for the purpose
of retrieving information.
SSL:
Secure Sockets Layer. Provides encrypted, authenticated
communications over the Internet. E-commerce web
sites use SSL to process payment transactions.
Static
IP Address: An IP address that is fixed
and never changes.
Sub Domain: A sub domain is a subdivision
of a larger domain. For example, a sub domain of
http://www.somedomain.com is http://abc.somdomain.com
TB:
Terabyte. 1,024 gigabytes
Uptime:
How often a Web site is accessible.
Virtual
Private Servers: The practice of partitioning
a single server so that it appears as multiple servers
in which each is allocated its own amount of dedicated
resources.
Web
Statistics: Web hosts provide reporting
programs that include information about visitors
to your Web site.
Windows
Hosting: Web hosting on a Microsoft Windows
Server platform, which allows web pages to use ASP
and .NET
