Windows Shared Hosting

Windows shared hosting services are the only affordable way for most people to make use of what Windows has to offer in terms of web hosting; all other forms of Windows web hosting that are available, such as Windows VPS hosting and Windows dedicated server hosting, are out of the price bracket that most people look for when considering Windows web hosting services. However, for those who consider Windows web hosting as the right form of web hosting for them there are many advantages to be had; Windows offers many features over Linux web hosting services which are incredibly important, especially if you are a Windows web developer or require Windows shared hosting services for a specific reason. Windows shared hosting services normally make use of the DotNetPanel web hosting control panel, allowing web hosting providers to offer highly reliable Windows shared hosting accounts that are sometimes hosted in a cloud computing environment. Windows shared hosting services may put some people off because of how a Windows shared hosting package will cost more than a Linux shared hosting package, purely because of how your web hosting provider has to include the cost of the Windows license fee; however, in most situations people only consider Windows shared hosting services because they require Windows web hosting for a specific reason.

Comparing the many shared  Windows hosting packages that there are available will allow you to find the one that suits your budget, and there are so many extra features that need to be considered with a Windows shared hosting package that it will help you if you down your own research beforehand; in some cases people find that Windows shared hosting isn’t actually what they need, when in fact a much cheaper Linux shared hosting package is more than suitable for their requirements. It is important to take into consideration that you will never be able to get high levels of uptime with Windows shared hosting services, only because your web hosting provider will need to restart the hosting server each time a new application or update is installed; this will mean that every time the server is restarted, your website becomes unavailable for a short amount of time. If you wish to make the most of a Windows shared web hosting package then you should be sure that Windows shared hosting is right for you, meaning for example that you should be looking to host a website that is based on either classic ASP or ASP.NET.

What are the advantages of using Windows shared hosting?

Windows shared hosting services can offer many advantages to users who know they will be able to make the most of their Windows shared hosting package, such as users who wish to host websites based on classic ASP or ASP.NET. The main advantage of using Windows shared hosting is the support for many scripting languages, including classic ASP and ASP.NET; this means that you can host more or less any website under a Windows shared hosting account knowing that ti will function as is intended. A Windows shared hosting package will also have support for Microsoft’s own database systems, Microsoft SQL Server and Microsoft Access; this means that if you have a website which makes use of a Microsoft SQL Server database or a Microsoft access database, Windows shared hosting services will be able to offer you what you require in terms of what is supported. Most web hosting providers are now hosting their shared hosting clients on Windows Server 2008 based servers, meaning that you will be able to make the most of the latest technologies that Microsoft has to offer; if you are already using Windows shared hosting services then your web hosting provider may be able to offer you a free upgrade. In summary, the main advantages of using Windows shared hosting include:

• Support for classic ASP and ASP.NET – although classic ASP is no longer supported by Microsoft and has been replaced by ASP.NET to an extent, many web developers still use for some of their projects because of how easy it is to learn – this means that it is important for website hosting providers to support both classic ASP and ASP.NET on their Windows shared hosting packages, as otherwise web developers will find that their websites won’t function correctly – ASP.NET as a framework is incredibly popular and so it is important for web hosting providers to support the latest version of ASP.NET, purely so customers can make the most of their Windows shared hosting package
• Support for Microsoft SQL Server and Microsoft Access databases – if you are considering Windows shared hosting then the likelihood is that you are also looking to host Microsoft SQL Server and Microsoft Access databases under your web hosting account – although classic ASP and ASP.NET based websites are the main users of Microsoft database systems, other scripting languages such as PHP also have built-in support for Microsoft SQL Server databases meaning that a Windows shared hosting package would be your only choice in such a situation
• Windows Server 2008 hosting - most web hosting providers are now starting to roll out new Windows Server 2008 web hosting servers so that customers are able to make the most of the new features that Microsoft has to offer – this means that you can have your website in an IIS 7 based environment, which not only bring performance and security benefits but also means that you can make the most of what this updated version of the popular web server has to offer – it is a good idea to note that most web hosting providers now make use of the DotNetPanel control panel, and this can be useful to search for if you require a Windows shared hosting package.

The advantages of Windows shared hosting services make it ideal for web developers who wish to test out new websites that they have developed using Microsoft technologies, or simply for someone who wishes to host a website that has been created using Microsoft technologies. Windows shared hosting packages will differ in price depending on the specification of your web hosting package, although you shouldn’t be surprised to find that most Windows shared hosting packages cost more than a Linux shared hosting package or the same or similar specification.

What are the disadvantages of using Windows shared hosting?

Windows shared hosting packages can also have their disadvantages, mainly due to the fact that it is a form of shared web hosting that you will be using but also because Windows as an operating system doesn’t have the best uptime record to date. The main disadvantage of Windows shared hosting is the level of reliability that you can come to expect from your web hosting package, mainly because you are hosting your website in a shared hosting environment; when your web hosting provider installs a new application or update on the hosting server, Windows normally requires that they restart the server for the changes to take effect – each time the server is restarted your website will become unavailable for a short amount of time, but these periods of downtime do add up. A Windows shared hosting package can also be costly when compared to the price of a Linux shared hosting package; it is a good idea to weigh up your requirements against what Windows shared hosting has to offer as the case may be that a Linux shared hosting package will be able to cater for your requirements. Windows shared web hosting services may not always offer good value for money either when you consider the account resources that you get for your money; for the price that you pay for a Windows shared hosting account, you could in some cases buy a Linux VPS server for the same amount of money. In summary, the main disadvantages of Windows shared hosting include:

• Cost – the cost of Windows shared web hosting services puts many people off from considering to use Microsoft technologies for their websites when other scripting languages such as PHP and database systems such as MySQL will cater for their needs to the same level – however, if you have found that Windows shared web hosting is the only form of web hosting that will be able to meet your requirements then you should make sure that you can get the best web hosting package for your money which means making sure that you choose a web hosting provider that can offer you Windows Server 2008 web hosting
• Reliability – Windows as an operating system isn’t known to be that reliable, and this causes problems with web hosting services because each time your web hosting provider installs a new application or updates an application or the operating system then Windows will probably ask them to restart the server for the changes to take effect – each time the server is restarted it will be down for a certain amount of time which will make your website unavailable, and although these bursts of downtime are only small, they do add up which may cause you some problems in the long run
• Value for money - this isn’t something that you are going to get with Window shared hosting services because of the extra costs that are involved that web hosting providers have to factor into the cost of each web hosting package, it also means that they have to reduce the resources that come with each web hosting service – when you compare a Windows shared hosting service and a Linux shared hosting service, both of which will cost the same, you will find that the Linux web hosting package is the one with the greater resource assignments – it is comparisons like these which drive some people away from Windows shared hosting.

The disadvantages of Windows shared hosting show how it is a form of web hosting that should only be considered if you know that it is right for you and have ruled out all cheaper forms of web hosting based on your requirements. Windows shared hosting services can be purchased from a majority of web hosting providers meaning that you can save yourself some money by shopping around; you may find that larger web hosting providers can offer you the cheapest Windows shared hosting packages.

In conclusion, Windows shared hosting services are able to offer Windows web developer and users with sites based on either classic ASP or ASP.NET the web hosting environment they need to ensure that their websites and applications function correctly. Although Windows shared hosting services may be costly, you can normally justify the cost because you require Windows shared hosting as no other web hosting services are able to cater for your needs; just remember to compare the many Windows shared hosting packages that are available so that you can save yourself some money if possible.

Windows Web Hosting

Windows web hosting services are best suited for users wishing to make the most of Microsoft technologies, for example if you have a website based on either classic ASP or ASP.NET then you will want to be considering Windows shared web hosting services, or to make use of applications such as Microsoft Exchange or Microsoft Sharepoint services then you may want to consider Windows VPS hosting or Windows dedicated server hosting. Windows web hosting services are in most cases more expensive than Linux web hosting services, but with Microsoft operating systems you do get the assurance of knowing that there will always be official support available for the operating system, whereas with support for Linux distributions you normally have to rely on communities of users who also use the same operating system – something which in some cases may not turn out well.

Although Windows hosting may be a let down for some in terms of reliability, the main thing to consider is that you are probably only considering Windows web hosting because it is the only form of web hosting that is able to meet your requirements. Although Windows web hosting is the only ideal web hosting platform for classic ASP and ASP.NET web pages, you should also consider the other Microsoft technologies which come available to use with the purchase of a Windows web hosting package; the two main programs in most cases are Microsoft SQL Server and Microsoft Access, both of which are database applications and are used by many as the backends of their websites – as both aren’t available on Linux web hosting services, your only choice if you wish to use either is Windows web hosting. Window web hosting services typically come with control panel access to allow you to manage your web hosting account without the need for any help from your web hosting provider; although Plesk is still one of the most popular control panels for Windows web hosting, some web hosting providers are now choosing to use DotNetPanel instead because of the advance features that it has to offer for Microsoft Exchange Server hosting services and Hyper-V VPS hosting services.

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AWStats is a free powerful and featureful tool that generates advanced web, streaming, ftp or mail server statistics, graphically. This log analyzer works as a CGI or from command line and shows you all possible information your log contains, in few graphical web pages.

The Setup consists of 5 major steps:

1. Installing Perl
2. The AWStats Setup
3. Setup IIS Logging
4. Setup AWStats Config File
5. Scheduling Log File Analysis

1. Installing Perl

Download the Perl binary for Windows.
Grab the MSI version.
Go ahead and run the install.
It will automatically create the Web Service Extension mapping in IIS.
However you need to allow that from IIS manager.

2. The AWStats Setup

Now that Perl is installed, we can get AWStats all setup.

1. Run the Setup. Select all the defaults.
2. Copy the contents of its Bin directory to C:\Perl\Bin Folder.
3. Go into IIS Manager, create the virtual directory named stats under default Website for C:\Perl\Bin.
4. Give Execute Permissions, select Scripts and Executables from the dropdown.

3. Setup IIS Logging

1. Right click the website to be logged, go to properties, and then on the Configuration tab, check off
2. Enable Logging (if it isn’t already).
3. Select W3C Extended Format from the dropdown, and then click Properties.
4. Proceed to the advanced tab and uncheck everything. There are certain items here that we’ll tick back off.

Namely, the following items should be checked:

Date (date)
Time (time)
Client IP Address (c-ip)
Username (cs-username)
Method (cs-method)
URI Stem (cs-uri-stem)
Protocol Status (sc-status)
Bytes Sent (sc-bytes)
Protocol Version (cs-version)
User Agent (cs(User-Agent))
Referrer (cs(Referrer))

The IIS end is now done, the final step is to setup the AWStats.conf file.

4. Setup AWStats Config file

It is already copied in the C:\Perl\Bin Folder directory. Copy the existing config file and save it as awstats.mywebsite.com.conf.

*yourdomain.com = name of the website you want to monitor.

The first parameter to setup is your log file item. The only important part is the final piece at the end with the date time codes.

Here’s the line from my config file below:

LogFile=”C:\WINDOWS\system32\LogFiles\W3SVC1\ex%YY-0%MM-0%DD-0.log”

The config file and documentation say that one should specify LogFormat=2 for IIS. Unfortunately, IIS 6 does not follow this predefined format, so we’ll have to specify our own:

LogFormat=”date time cs-method cs-uri-stem cs-username c-ip cs-version cs(User-Agent) cs(Referer) sc-status sc-bytes”

Then we have to specify the value of Site Domain. Site Domain must contain the main domain name, or the main intranet web server name, used to reach the web site.

SiteDomain=”www.yourdomain.com”

5. Scheduling Log file Analysis

AWStats only analyzes log files when told to do so. It can easily be toggled from the command line, and running a scheduled task to do this is the best solution.

Here’s a command that look like:

c:\perl\bin\perl.exe awstats.pl -config=yourdomain.com –update

All set now, you can access the stats from http://yourdomain.com/stats

While choosing web host you need to consider following important factors of web host.

1: Security and reliability:

While hosting your site with any web hosting provider you must be sure that the servers are fully secured and reliable for your applications. That starts from basic website data protection especially hacking attempts are an important watch-point for web developers while selecting an host.

Security in terms of firewall, security patches, tweaking on server configurations to avoid hacking process,denial of service attacks (DDOS) etc.

Hosting provider or ISP is completely responsible for regular upgrades as well as security measures that are taken on a web server and lastly, daily / weekly backups are also part of their hosting packages to recover from any critical issues.

2:Customer Service

Customer Service is another important concept hosting business. Various Hosts offer a variety of customer services to attract customers. You need to sure that your service provider has 24X7 support on chats, phone and email. Technical expertise and experience are part of customer service.

3:Server Software

UNIX and Windows NT are the most common server software environments provided by hosting provider. server software can also affect a website with their limitation and restrictions. Your web developer should be aware of applications they will be using and assess which software environment will best suit their needs.

4: Internet Connection used by host:

Internet connection is very important while choosing hosting provider.
There are a bunch of variations T-1, T-3, OC-3 etc. A company that offers a T1 connection to the Internet can only allow 1.544 Mbps , T3 can allow up to 45 Mbps. An OC-256 can allow 13,000 Mbps, having ability to transfer much more information at a higher speed before getting down.

5: Speed:

Server performance and integration with software applications. How fast can they respond to your request ? When we speak of server speed, it clearly means that bandwidth and network connections are an important part. A server that is a host to many sites that are being accessed simultaneously may get bogged down. No matter how fast the connection is this can seriously slow down a viewer’s speed of browse a site. You can easily test the speed at which a server responds by “pinging” a site from your command prompt. Processor speed is also important. video and audio Streaming, forums and message boards, and highly animated applications all require huge amounts of memory and fast access to the main server. Overloaded processors can slow down a site’s transmission .

Note: Please don’t disable the Windows Firewall unless and until you have the other appropriate firewall software installed on your system

There are mainly three methods for disabling the Windows Firewall. The first method is for any user with administrative privileges on an individual machine not remotely or collectively managed in any way. The other two methods are for use windows Administrators on fully managed systems or Windows Servers.

1) Using the Control Panel

This method is for any user with administrative access to unmanaged systems

1. From the Start menu, select Control Panel, then select Windows Firewall.
2. Select Off, then click Ok.

2) Using Local Policy

This method is for administrators with administrative access to unmanaged systems or locally managed systems where the machine is not part of a Windows 2000 or higher domain.

Go to Start menu >> select Run, here enter gpedit.msc.
Expand the Computer Configuration folder, then the Administrative Templates folder.
Expand the Network folder, then the Network Connections folder, then the Windows Firewall folder.
Select the Standard Profile folder.
Double-click the Windows Firewall: Protect all network connections option.
Select Disabled, then click OK.
Select the Domain Profile folder.
Double-click the Windows Firewall: Protect all network connections option.
Select Disabled, then click OK.
Close the Group Policy dialog box.

3) Using Group Policy

This method is for administrators with administrative access to managed machines that are part of a Windows 2000 or 2003 Active Directory domain.

Create a new Group Policy object, and give the object a descriptive name (for example, ITS-Turn off Windows Firewall).
Select the newly created group policy.
Right-click on the newly created policy and select Edit.
Expand the Computer Configuration folder, then the Administrative Templates folder.
Expand the Network folder, then the Network Connections folder, then the Windows Firewall folder.
Select the Standard Profile folder.
Double-click the Windows Firewall: Protect all network connections option.
Select Disabled, then click OK.
Select the Domain Profile folder.
Double-click the Windows Firewall: Protect all network connections option.
Select Disabled, then click OK.
Close the Group Policy dialog box.
In the Security Filter section, click Add.
Search for the objects that this group policy will be applied to, then click OK.
Close the Group Policy editor.

What is Web-Based Email ?

Web-Based Email is an Internet-based email system that lets you send and receive
email messages from a Web browser. All you need to use Web-Based Email is an Internet
connection and the Internet Explorer Web browser (Internet Explorer v5.5 or later).
How do I access my Web-Based Email account ?
You can log on to your Web-Based Email account from your Web browser by going
to the Web address for your account. The Web address is the same as your domain
name, except you replace “www” with “email”. For example, if your Web address
is “www.example.com”, your email address is “email.example.com”.

The event logs contain the most important information for diagnosing application and operating system failures, determining the health and status of a system and verifying that system and applications are operating properly.

Windows systems store all logs in binary .Evt files and there are three basic event logs: Application (AppEvent.Evt), System (SysEvent.Evt), and Security (SecEvent.Evt). Windows 2000 (and later) servers may contain additional event logs: DNS Server (DNSEvent.Evt), File Replication Service (NtFrs.Evt), and on Active Directory domain controllers, Directory Service (NTDS.Evt).

System log tracks miscellaneous system events like startup, shutdown and events like hardware and controller failures. The Application log is an important source for application status information. When properly integrated with the Windows operating system, applications can report their errors to the Event log by recording an event entry into the Application log. Security log tracks events such as logon, logoff, changes to access rights, and system startup and shutdown.

Windows event logs can be useful for ;

-Securing your network from internal attacks

-Monitoring availability of your critical applications

-Centralized eventlog management integrated with your network monitoring software