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What to Opt? Windows or Linux Web Hosting |
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In case one is a newbie and his site is non-revenue generating with static HTML pages created from boxed software, then it is most probable that he is hosted on a Linux server. In such circumstances it is considered as a best solution for a user as Linux hosting costs less and one can work with the features provided, as there is no need of advanced services. Here server operating system is also not a problem and what all is required is just to have a good host provider.
The problems start when one decides to have his site up with most complicated features like member’s only area, e-commerce, live help etc. In that case the server operating system is important because interactive features rely on server side programs that process one’s site visitor’s input and returns with important result. In addition to server there are many other useful things like choice of ASP, PHP and Perl.
Is O.S important for selecting web host?
In case user is running windows desktop it doesn’t mean that he must opt for Windows web hosting. It is true for vice versa as well. User should avoid this misconception and should keep in mind that the operating system has nothing to do with the hosting services, what makes a point to consider is one should understand his FTP or web publishing software, and then any operating system can be his host.
Objectives of Website
Thus instead of O.S what is most important to keep in mind is the objective of one’s website. One should know why he has developed that site and what he wants to offer on his site. This point will serve as a best while selecting a right type of hosting. As stated above, interactive sites usually rely on ASP, PHP or Perl type languages and each of this programming language has it’s own plus points as well as weak points. It is quite often that one programming language can serve the purpose of the user while other not. However it is not in every case. PHP and Perl are Linux based and ASP Windows.
In case one opts for ASP to power his web site, then one needs to use Windows hosting. Again there is one important point, which a user should keep in mind that ASP is available on Linux hosting packages. However one should keep in mind that it is not always the same that the working on Linux is same as on Windows. One can have PHP or Perl on a Windows web host, but they are not developed for Windows and might not work there as well properly. In addition there are other disclaimers as well, for using these languages on Windows servers.
There are several hosts who have successfully implemented these programming languages for the different platforms. However it is important to act carefully while using the scripts, as the server configurations for Windows are totally different from that of Linux. Due to this malfunction can come in the scripts. Thus it is always advisable to opt for that programming language for which the operating system is built.
Security
As a general rule UNIX based servers are considered to have better security. It is mainly due to the fact that these operating systems have a good and reliable background as against Windows, which is having a bad background because of exploitation. One should keep in mind that it hardly matters how secure the operating system is, is one’s site cannot be secured, if one’s host has not configured it correctly and has not updated it often.
In terms of speed and performance they both are good performers. However hardware is considered as a big factor. It is advisable again that one should look to his host and should check if they upgrade well ahead or do they just max out the resources before doing so?
To conclude with, one can say that, the key that decides if one should go for a Windows or Linux host is the purpose of site for which it is built as well as its future prospect and purpose.
About the Author:
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Web Hosting 
