| Apache | | | | method to upload or download files from a web |
| Free and open source web server software - and | | | | server. |
| probably the most commonly used web server | | | | IMAP |
| software. The web server software is what allows | | | | IMAP is an email protocol that allows users to receive |
| the web server to accept and respond to requests | | | | using an IMAP email client. The biggest difference |
| for web pages from users. | | | | between POP and IMAP is that with IMAP all email, |
| Backups | | | | folders, etc are stored on the server, rather than on |
| A backup system automatically makes copies of the | | | | the client's local computer. |
| files that make up a website as well as other | | | | IP Address |
| important files, with the goal of allowing a quick | | | | A numeric address on the Internet. Every web |
| recovery in case of a loss of data whether through a | | | | server will have at least one IP address. In some |
| security problem or some sort of hardware/software | | | | ways they're analogous to a phone number - to call |
| failure. There's a lot of variance in what sort of | | | | another phone, you need it's phone number. |
| backups that web hosts offer - from none at all to | | | | LAMP |
| nightly or even more regular backups. Generally | | | | Stands for commonly used set of web software: |
| there's a cycle that allows for a range of files from | | | | Linux (operating system), Apache (web server |
| different dates to be available. | | | | software), MySQL (database software), PHP |
| Bandwidth | | | | (scripting language). Variants include MAMP (Macintosh |
| "Bandwidth" is typically used to refer to the amount | | | | operating system) and WAMP (Windows operating |
| of data transfer allowed in one month under a web | | | | system). |
| hosting plan. This is usually measured in gigabytes. | | | | MySQL |
| Whenever a visitor accesses your website, at least | | | | MySQL is a popular free and open source database |
| one (and usually lots more) files will be transferred | | | | application, commonly used on linux-based web |
| from the web server to the visitor's computer. | | | | servers. It allows web applications to store and |
| Generally the web host has a limit on the total | | | | manipulate data, and is used by a very wide range of |
| allowed size of the files transferred - and excess | | | | free web-based applications such as WordPress and |
| usage is charged at some predefined rate. | | | | Joomla. |
| Control Panel | | | | PHP |
| A "control panel" is a web-based system that allows | | | | PHP is a very commonly used programming language |
| a user to more easily control their web hosting | | | | used to build websites. It is arguable the most |
| account, allowing things such as setting up email | | | | popular such language used today, and has a huge |
| accounts, adding databases, changing apache | | | | amount of free software available for it. |
| settings, etc. There's a wide variety of control panel | | | | POP |
| software, and often the functionality will vary based | | | | POP is an email protocol that allows users to receive |
| on what the web host allows their customers to do | | | | email using a POP mail client such as Outlook. |
| with their site. | | | | Reseller |
| Colocation | | | | A reseller is someone who purchases a hosting plan |
| Colocation or "equipment colocation" allows a | | | | with the intention of "splitting" it into smaller web |
| company or organization to place their equipment in a | | | | hosting plans and reselling them. Web hosts often |
| web hosts data center, essentially renting space, | | | | create special plans for these kinds of customers, |
| power, bandwidth etc - but not renting an actual | | | | giving the plans tools to help manage multiple |
| server. This allows the company to use their own | | | | sub-accounts, more disk space, etc. |
| custom equipment, but take advantage of the | | | | Shared Hosting |
| benefits of the web host's data center (reliability, | | | | "Shared Hosting" is one of the more common forms |
| security, 24/7 staffing, etc). | | | | of web hosting, in which many customers "share" the |
| Dedicated Hosting | | | | resources of a single server - and also sharing the |
| When a single client has their own web server | | | | cost of the server, making it more affordable than |
| dedicated to their sole use, it is dedicated hosting. | | | | other kinds of web hosting. Generally if a web host |
| Dedicated Server | | | | doesn't specify what kind of hosting they're offering, |
| A web server that is dedicated to the use of a single | | | | it's probably shared hosting. |
| customer. | | | | SSH |
| Disk Space | | | | Stands for "Secure Shell" - a network protocol that |
| This is the amount of space allocated to the | | | | allows a secure console-based connection to a |
| customer's use under a web hosting plan. Typically | | | | remote machine. SSH allows a user to login to a |
| measured in megabytes or gigabytes (one gigabyte | | | | machine and use the command-line to execute |
| is about one thousand megabytes). | | | | commands. It is typically used for web development |
| DNS | | | | and server administration. |
| "Domain Name Service" - this is the network of | | | | SSL |
| servers that allow the user's browser to translate a | | | | "Secure Socket Layer" - a protocol that allows |
| domain name into an IP address which it can use to | | | | end-to-end encryption of traffic between a user's |
| contact the web server that hosts the site at that | | | | browser and a web server. Critical if a website plans |
| domain. Some hosts allow users control over their | | | | to do anything that involves information that should |
| own DNS servers, which allows for a greater level of | | | | be kept private, such as ecommerce. |
| control over their domains and subdomains. | | | | VPS (Virtual Private Server) |
| Domain Name | | | | Special software can be used to allow a single server |
| A domain name is actually an alias to an IP address. | | | | to host multiple "virtual" servers. Each virtual server is |
| Every web server will have at least one IP address | | | | totally independent of the others, and is essentially a |
| that visitors use to visit the website(s) hosted on | | | | dedicated server. This provides more reliability, |
| that machine. The domain name acts as a more | | | | isolation, and flexibility than a standard shared hosting |
| easily remembered "name" for that IP address, and | | | | account, but is still usually cheaper than a "real" |
| the translation from domain name to IP address is | | | | dedicated server. |
| handled behind the scenes. | | | | Web Server |
| FTP | | | | A web server is a computer that is set up to accept |
| Stands for "File Transfer Protocol" - a common way | | | | and respond to request for web pages that remote |
| to exchange files between two computers over the | | | | users make using their web browsers. |
| Internet. It is probably the most commonly used | | | | |