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  • Banfa
    Recognized Expert Expert
    • Feb 2006
    • 9067

    #31
    How are you connecting to the internet? ISPs often provide some free web-space.

    If that is not an option then try the advanced search at http://www.free-webhosts.com/ to find a free web-host with facilities you want.

    The term server is over subscribed, it can mean the hardware or the software and in fact various different kinds of server (like database server).

    On the project I work on we have a server (1 physical machine) which runs a number of different software servers (IIS, SQL Server 2005 plus proprietary communications software). But the system has been designed so that if load increases all the different bits of software can be split out onto separate hardware servers and if it increases more then those servers can be replaced with server clusters, that is several different computers that appear as 1 destination on the network.

    With something like Apache you can use virtual hosts, this is where you direct the server to do different things depending on the domain name or IP address it was contacted through and allows you to set-up more than one web-site with-in the same server.

    And finally with the advent of virtualisation you can use 1 actual computer to run several apparent computers as virtual machines. In fact my company does this to provide subversion servers to different projects the advantage of that being that a low usage server doesn't make full use of the hardware it is on, by putting several virtual physical servers that all have low usage on 1 actual physical computer you can cut down your hardware and support costs with seeing any performance loss.

    Anyway so the term server can mean a piece of software or a shared piece of software or a physical computer or a group of physical computers or a shared piece of a physical computer depending on context.


    Most computers have the ability run run all sorts of server software, running these bits of software is not normally too much of a burden for only a few connections. It is when the software is dealing with large multiples of connections that your hardware needs to get top of the range.


    Whether you set-up your own server at home or acquire space on someone else's server is your choice and is dependent on various factors, like does your ISPs T&Cs allow you to server data through your connection, many consumer ISPs don't what you want from a host how much time you have available to put into running it, how much money you have to spend.

    Comment

    • tharden3
      Contributor
      • Jul 2008
      • 916

      #32
      I don't know if this matters, but Ubuntu technically isn't on a partitioned hard drive. It is installed within Windows using Wubi software. Once it's installed in Wubi on windows, it sets aside a certain amount of space for Ubuntu, and Ubuntu is accessed at the boot screen. So Ubuntu actually runs, looks, and acts as if it is on a partition, but it's not. Will this affect the server I'm setting up?

      Comment

      • tharden3
        Contributor
        • Jul 2008
        • 916

        #33
        Originally posted by Banfa
        How are you connecting to the internet? ISPs often provide some free web-space.

        If that is not an option then try the advanced search at http://www.free-webhosts.com/ to find a free web-host with facilities you want.

        The term server is over subscribed, it can mean the hardware or the software and in fact various different kinds of server (like database server).

        On the project I work on we have a server (1 physical machine) which runs a number of different software servers (IIS, SQL Server 2005 plus proprietary communications software). But the system has been designed so that if load increases all the different bits of software can be split out onto separate hardware servers and if it increases more then those servers can be replaced with server clusters, that is several different computers that appear as 1 destination on the network.

        With something like Apache you can use virtual hosts, this is where you direct the server to do different things depending on the domain name or IP address it was contacted through and allows you to set-up more than one web-site with-in the same server.

        And finally with the advent of virtualisation you can use 1 actual computer to run several apparent computers as virtual machines. In fact my company does this to provide subversion servers to different projects the advantage of that being that a low usage server doesn't make full use of the hardware it is on, by putting several virtual physical servers that all have low usage on 1 actual physical computer you can cut down your hardware and support costs with seeing any performance loss.

        Anyway so the term server can mean a piece of software or a shared piece of software or a physical computer or a group of physical computers or a shared piece of a physical computer depending on context.


        Most computers have the ability run run all sorts of server software, running these bits of software is not normally too much of a burden for only a few connections. It is when the software is dealing with large multiples of connections that your hardware needs to get top of the range.


        Whether you set-up your own server at home or acquire space on someone else's server is your choice and is dependent on various factors, like does your ISPs T&Cs allow you to server data through your connection, many consumer ISPs don't what you want from a host how much time you have available to put into running it, how much money you have to spend.
        Interesting. I was really confused about the term 'server'. I've seen it used to name a physical machine, or several virtual machines, and I got so confused. Thanks for clearing it up though. I guess some company like Myspace would need a huge number of very large servers huh? But Bobby-Sue's Computer Shack down the street could run everything they need on an old desktop.

        I get High Speed Internet from Cox Cable... they provide a router with internet acess and everything. So basically I need to verify with them that I'm allowed/able to set up my own server?

        Comment

        • Curtis Rutland
          Recognized Expert Specialist
          • Apr 2008
          • 3264

          #34
          It's a good idea to verify that you are allowed to, but be prepared for them to tell you that you need to upgrade to a business class connection. (Basically all that is is a static IP.)

          Comment

          • Banfa
            Recognized Expert Expert
            • Feb 2006
            • 9067

            #35
            Originally posted by tharden3
            I get High Speed Internet from Cox Cable... they provide a router with internet acess and everything. So basically I need to verify with them that I'm allowed/able to set up my own server?
            Well basically yes. However they provide free webspace http://www.cox.com/HighSpeedInternet/, I have to say I haven't read every post of this thread so I don't know if you have said what you need in a website. Your first post seemed to suggest it was more a sort of HTML testing ground at this stage than a huge dynamic PHP/MySQL powered website so are your sure you need/want to set-up your own server would the free web space do what you need for now and allow you to get your pages on the web without the delay hassle of setting up a server (actually setting up the web server probably is that big a delay but getting all the external set-up to get traffic directed to your server could take a few days).

            From what I am reading you seem to be jumping onto the "! have to set-up a server" path without considering other options.

            Comment

            • tharden3
              Contributor
              • Jul 2008
              • 916

              #36
              Originally posted by Banfa
              Well basically yes. However they provide free webspace http://www.cox.com/HighSpeedInternet/, I have to say I haven't read every post of this thread so I don't know if you have said what you need in a website. Your first post seemed to suggest it was more a sort of HTML testing ground at this stage than a huge dynamic PHP/MySQL powered website so are your sure you need/want to set-up your own server would the free web space do what you need for now and allow you to get your pages on the web without the delay hassle of setting up a server (actually setting up the web server probably is that big a delay but getting all the external set-up to get traffic directed to your server could take a few days).

              From what I am reading you seem to be jumping onto the "! have to set-up a server" path without considering other options.
              hmm, what's the difference between a server or if I got free web hosting? Is a server strictly for heavy-duty web sites? Your right, all I need is to test or run my Web Sites (simple sites mind you). A server can come later on when I'm serious about it.

              Comment

              • Banfa
                Recognized Expert Expert
                • Feb 2006
                • 9067

                #37
                A server is either for if you want to run you own server, or if you have so much web traffic/such a large site that it makes economic sense to run your own server.

                Otherwise there are plenty of free and/or relatively cheap options out there like using the free webspace you already have available to you.

                Note though that often free ISP web-space is very feature deficient but I posted a link earlier in the thread to a place where you can look you free web hosts with whatever features you want.

                Select something that suites your needs, so I would suggest for now use the free web space your ISP provides you until you get to the point where it can not support your site.

                Comment

                • drhowarddrfine
                  Recognized Expert Expert
                  • Sep 2006
                  • 7434

                  #38
                  Originally posted by tharden3
                  I don't know if this matters, but Ubuntu technically isn't on a partitioned hard drive. It is installed within Windows using Wubi software.
                  That's if you are planning on dual booting with Windows. Ubuntu, itself, is a standalone OS. If you are going to use Linux as a server, you can't be dual booting cause you'll lose the server side when you switch to Windows.

                  Of course, there's no reason you can't just run Linux/Ubuntu and ditch Windows altogether.

                  Comment

                  • tharden3
                    Contributor
                    • Jul 2008
                    • 916

                    #39
                    Originally posted by drhowarddrfine
                    That's if you are planning on dual booting with Windows. Ubuntu, itself, is a standalone OS. If you are going to use Linux as a server, you can't be dual booting cause you'll lose the server side when you switch to Windows.

                    Of course, there's no reason you can't just run Linux/Ubuntu and ditch Windows altogether.
                    Well, I know Ubuntu is a standalone OS. I just didn't know if the way I had it on my system would effect the server. What I really should do is purchase an old computer really cheap, and just use that for all my server needs.

                    Comment

                    • Curtis Rutland
                      Recognized Expert Specialist
                      • Apr 2008
                      • 3264

                      #40
                      Originally posted by tharden3
                      ...and just use that for all my server needs.
                      Well, like Banfa said, are you sure that you really need to have your own? If your ISP provides free webspace, you don't need anything more for simple stuff.

                      You only need your own when you really want to have control, or need to customize your stuff. I run a small server out of my house, but since I have a dynamic IP, it's not great for serious stuff. So I have hosting through 1and1.com, where I keep my real stuff. ($20 for my plan, includes a MSSQL server db)

                      By the way, for local testing HTML/CSS, you don't need a web server. You only need that when you are going to use some kind of server page, like PHP or ASP.

                      Comment

                      • drhowarddrfine
                        Recognized Expert Expert
                        • Sep 2006
                        • 7434

                        #41
                        You have to be careful with free web hosts because they sometimes insert markup that causes IE to go into quirks and other issues.

                        Comment

                        • drhowarddrfine
                          Recognized Expert Expert
                          • Sep 2006
                          • 7434

                          #42
                          Originally posted by tharden3
                          What I really should do is purchase an old computer really cheap, and just use that for all my server needs.
                          Just find someone upgrading to Vista and see if they'll give you their "old" computer for free. That's how I got 3 new desktops and two notebooks in the past year.

                          Comment

                          • tharden3
                            Contributor
                            • Jul 2008
                            • 916

                            #43
                            Originally posted by insertAlias
                            Well, like Banfa said, are you sure that you really need to have your own? If your ISP provides free webspace, you don't need anything more for simple stuff.

                            You only need your own when you really want to have control, or need to customize your stuff. I run a small server out of my house, but since I have a dynamic IP, it's not great for serious stuff. So I have hosting through 1and1.com, where I keep my real stuff. ($20 for my plan, includes a MSSQL server db)

                            By the way, for local testing HTML/CSS, you don't need a web server. You only need that when you are going to use some kind of server page, like PHP or ASP.
                            yea, I figured that. I just think I'll stick with free web hosting for now. I don't need a server at the moment. Probably won't need one for 8 months to a year.

                            Comment

                            • tharden3
                              Contributor
                              • Jul 2008
                              • 916

                              #44
                              Originally posted by drhowarddrfine
                              Just find someone upgrading to Vista and see if they'll give you their "old" computer for free. That's how I got 3 new desktops and two notebooks in the past year.
                              wow, seriously? You just ask around???

                              Comment

                              • tharden3
                                Contributor
                                • Jul 2008
                                • 916

                                #45
                                Originally posted by drhowarddrfine
                                You have to be careful with free web hosts because they sometimes insert markup that causes IE to go into quirks and other issues.
                                I definitely don't need that mess. I need a clean, straight-forward free web host for pretty basic web design. I'll look around for a reliable one.

                                Comment

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