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The second part of this article outlines the concepts behind the domain name system (DNS) whilst concluding with an introduction to the broad categories of hosting that are available on the market. Domain Names & DNS A domain is basically a path or space on the internet that is reserved for use by a registered domain holder. A domain name is the part of an internet service’s (usually a web site’s) URL (Uniform Resource Locator) that precedes the slash and designates the address of the reserved domain and often the type of service that is associated to it in a format that is meaningful to humans. Examples include, "www.world.com" or "www.britain.co.uk". Its syntax and the system for translating it to the true physical address of a server, the IP (Internet Protocol, e.g., 192.23.19.8) address, is known as DNS (Domain Name System). Where a domain name is associated with an IP address it becomes what is called a hostname. Domain names follow a hierarchical structure from right to left, starting with the Top Level Domain (TLD) which can either take the form of a geographical country code (ccTLD) such as “.uk” or a generic code (gTLD) such as “.com”. To the left of the TLD is the Second Level Domain (SLD) which may be the brand or name of the organisation for the site (“world” in the first example above) or a further qualifier such as “.co” in the example "www.britain.co.uk". To the left of these, there can be further lower level domains that provide more information on the organisation or brand, such as “britain”. The first part of the domain name can be used to determine the type and function of the server that the domain name is associated with. The examples above use “www” to indicate a web server but other examples could include “ftp” and “mail” for file transfer protocol and email servers respectively. Domain names need to be registered (for a fee) with a domain name registrar, an organisation that each country has entrusted to keep a list of the users of their ccTLD. In the UK (for “.uk”) that body is Nominet. There are however many domain resellers that will provide a service whereby they 1) purchase and reserve the domain on behalf of a registrant and 2) arrange for the domain to be assigned to the IP address of the relevant web server; ensuring that any internet users going to addresses on that domain will be directed to the correct server and so see the correct web site. Hosting Packages Once familiar with the fundamentals of web architecture, the next step is to take a look at some of the common types of hosting platforms that can be used for web services. A key feature of a hosting platform is the level of support that the provider offers. Hosting packages that include support and assistance are commonly referred to as managed hosting, although in reality each managed hosting package can vary slightly from one provider to the next in regard to the specifics of the support on offer. Another aspect that needs consideration is the type of server the hosting package includes and whether that meets the requirements of the site. These can range from shared servers, that host multiple sites using shared hardware and software, to Virtua l Private Servers (VPS), where the site lives on a separate software partition but shares hardware, to dedicated servers, which reserve the use of an entire server for one site. The much mentioned idea of cloud hosting is a manifestation of shared hosting where the site is spread across vast networks of servers to minimise the risks of downtime. The more dedicated resource that a site has access to, including software, hardware bandwidth and human support, (the more hosting will cost but) the more secure the site will be and the better it is likely to perform in terms of uptime and speed. Ultimately, the type of hosting best suited to a web site will depend on the demands of that site, from traffic volumes, to security risks, to the number of functions and amounts of data it handles. © Stuart Mitchell 2012 I'm a small business owner. If you want to find out more about web hosting platforms then visit Dedicated Hosting.
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