To successfully achieve the objectives of an Internet project, a high speed of the site and continuous access to information are required. These factors, first of all, are provided by the hosting of the site, i.e. the quality of the server on which the site information will be located and the bandwidth of the Internet communication channels.
The hosting service provides the site owner with disk space to place information on the server. Hosting includes a certain amount of hard disk space (which hosts your website files, email, databases, etc.). In addition, certain software must be installed on the hosting, which ensures the operation of the site, mail and other services and services (for example, DNS).
Hosting operating systems
Hosting providers usually offer two operating systems for hosting Internet projects – Unix and Windows. The choice of these systems, first of all, is determined by the programming language in which your site is written and the ability to use various modules or frameworks. There is virtual hosting, virtual dedicated server (VDS or VPS), dedicated server (DS).
Shared hosting
Shared hosting is the cheapest option. In this case, one server can host from several tens to several thousand users, among which virtual resources are distributed. You need to understand that the excess load on the server by one of the users will inevitably affect others, so hosting providers impose severe restrictions on consumed resources and hard disk space for shared hosting users. This option is suitable for small business card sites with minimal traffic.
Virtual Private Server
Virtual Dedicated Server is the next-level solution. In this case, the server is also divided into several users, but their number is significantly less than in the case of shared hosting. In addition, each VPS user receives his own virtual server (virtual machine) in which he can independently configure hosting settings and limits on consumed resources (as part of the tariff plan). This option is suitable for most visited resources, corporate sites, online stores.
Dedicated server
A dedicated server has the highest quality, but is also the most expensive solution. In the case of renting or placing your own server (colocation) in the racks of a hosting provider, the owner receives his own server for his needs. You can install any software on it and make any settings. This option is suitable for visited resources (more than 100,000 visitors per day), or for resource-intensive projects (for example, if you need to make some complex calculations).