Website Hosting » Red Hat

What is Linux Enterprise Web Hosting?

DN — Mon, 08 Nov 2010 05:47:19 +0000

Although Linux is not a popular operating system for personal computer users, it is commonly used in the web hosting industry to manage server environments. During the past decade Linux web hosting has surpassed Windows web hosting in the amount of user, primarily because of the low cost and open source compatibility.

Because Linux is an open source software that can be modified and expanded upon easily by any developer with the desire to do so, it can be especially beneficial for companies that need custom software configurations for their corporate web sites. Out of this concept Linux Enterprise web hosting arose, and this hosting type is now being offered by many reputable web hosting providers. If you are curious about Linux enterprise web hosting then you may want to review the following summary of Linux Enterprise web hosting.

Corporate Benefits of Linux

Linux comes in many flavors, some of which are specifically designed to accommodate the needs of a corporation or large web site. Red Hat Enterprise Linux is often used to manage powerful dedicated servers and VPS hosting plans that are used to host large corporate web sites. Since your web hosting plan operates using the Linux operating system, you’ll be able to customize your user interface with the assistance of an open source Linux developer. There are a lot of programmers and developers that specialize in creating software for the Linux hosting environment. Unlike Windows web hosting, Linux is much more flexible and can be amended for compatibility with new software fairly easily. Most corporations use an open source custom operating system that is based on a corporate distribution of Linux such as Red Hat Linux.

Small Businesses and Linux

Linux also has distributions that are perfectly suitable for small business owners that need a way to manage a few smaller web sites. Most small online business owners lack the skills needed to correct an error within their web hosting operating system, so they will need the assistance of the web hosting provider. Unfortunately, many bugs in the Windows operating system can only be fixed by Microsoft, which means you would have to wait until Microsoft fixes the bug, which would most likely take months. With Linux hosting the small business owner does not have to stress, because any bug within the open source operating system can be fixed rather quickly by an in house technician.

Conclusion

If you are looking for a cheap, popular and flexible operating system for your next web hosting plan then you should strongly consider the benefits of Linux over Windows. However, it is important to note that in order to use some Microsoft web applications you will need to have Windows web hosting. Most web hosting providers will offer both Windows and Linux web hosting, however only a few of the larger web hosting providers offer Linux Enterprise hosting, which is actually a type of dedicated hosting. To circumvent the restrictions of being limited to one operating system, many Linux web hosting users utilize virtualization software in order to run Linux and Windows simultaneously on their web server.

Original: What is Linux Enterprise Web Hosting?

Microsoft Launching an Open-Source CMS?

DN — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 16:46:31 +0000

(From Website Hosting)

Though best known for its extensive suite of proprietary commercial products, as of late, Microsoft has been dabbling a lot more in the field of open-source development. Many suspect that this is due to rising competition from major open-source players such as Red Hat, Adobe and Google. It has just been revealed that Microsoft is working on a new content management software application along with a set of reusable compatible components. Going by the codename of Orchard, the software details will be shared at the TechEd Europe event. Perhaps the most surprising part about all of this is that Orchard is said to be a free open-source web CMS set to rival with popular systems such as Joomla, Mambo and Drupal.

While Microsoft is being tight-lipped and secretive about the project, we were able to gather some details on what is currently known about the Orchard CMS.

Orchard Overview

Orchard is Microsoft’s latest effort to distribute free open-source software with reusable components and a fully featured application capable of creating a wide variety of types of websites. The company’s core team of expert ASP.NET developers is actively seeking contributions and guidance from the community of .NET programmers to help get the project off on the right in the early goings. According to a representative from Microsoft, Bradley Millington, who has been anointed as Engineering Lead for the Orchid project, will be spearheading interactive discussions to invite the community to get actively involved on the ground floor. Millington will be accepting input to get better understanding of what developers would like to see in the project, the components they envision for their own applications, and how to encourage the community to contribute to make the project a success. Microsoft remarked that is open to discussing strategy, logistics, functionality and whatever else developers bring to the table.

Apparently, Orchard is not Microsoft’s first attempt in the open-source content management space. A while back, it was reported that the company was working on a CMS project called Oxite. In December of 2008, Microsoft made an alpha version of the Oxite source code available under the MS-P1 (Microsoft Public License). Mary Joe Foley of ZDNet hinted that Orchard could be right on time and become one of the first projects announced for the CodePlex Foundation. Created to allow for the exchange of code and collaboration among software vendors and the open-source developer community, the Foundation recently released the first working draft of its Project Acceptance and Operation Guidelines. When Foley asked if Orchard was simply a revamped version Oxite under a different name, Microsoft did not respond.

We all know that Microsoft is very skilled at keeping secrets and rolling out big surprises. Therefore, we just might have to wait until the TechEd Europe Session takes place on November 11 to get more comprehensive details on the Orchard project. As soon we get something more concrete, we will surely try to pass along the news.

Original: Microsoft Launching an Open-Source CMS?

ISPmanager Control Panel Review

DN — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 16:58:22 +0000

(From Website Hosting)

ISPmanager is a powerful, but easy to use control panel designed for automating the management of shared, VPS, VDS (virtual dedicated server) and dedicated hosting environments. Originally launched by ISPsystem in 1998 as an in-house solution, it has become one of the leading server control panels on today’s market. A few clicks of the mouse is all it takes to create web hosting plans, manage user accounts, mailboxes, databases and much more. ISPmanager takes a centralized approach that enables streamlined administration from a single location in a fast and intuitive way.

ISPmanager Features

ISPmanager is used by major hosting providers all over the world, giving them the automated power to efficiently manage their servers while allowing clients to easily administer their own websites. The software has four login levels that give administrators, clients, domain owners and mail users extensive control of their respective environments. Aside from management capabilities, ISPmanager offers a host of features that make it one of the most complete control panel solutions available.

Core Features

- Support for all major Linux distributions including, Red Hat, Fedora, CentOS and Debian. ISPmanager also supports Unix-based operating systems such as FreeBSD and Microsoft Windows as well.

- Support for both Apache and nginx web servers.

- Support for a wide range of mail servers, including CommuniGatePro, Exim, Postfix and Sendmail.

- Support for MySQL and PostgreSQL database servers.

- Multilingual support

- Flexible API and plugins allow for the integration of various new services.

Management Features

- Ability to automatically update time zones and other network settings.

- Compatible with PHP and Perl programming languages.

- Built-in cron job management facility.

- Ability to create and manage mail lists.

- Integrated file manager complete with extensive editing capabilities and data backup support.

- Instantly configure websites and updates application settings.

Advantages of ISPManager

There are both pros and cons to using ISPmanager as a server control panel. One of the greatest advantages is that the software acts a multi-server solution that enables the streamlined management of web, database, FTP and mail servers. It is also much lighter on system resources than other control panels and installs easily without needing changing your operating system configuration. End-customers benefit as well with a host of useful features such as one-click application installers, database management with PHPMyAdmin, web stat tools and much more.

Disadvantages of ISPmanager

The major downside to ISPmanager is that the software does not come cheap. If you want the Pro version, a one-year license will cost you a steep $453.16. You can save yourself a lot of money with the lifetime license for $333.20.

Conclusion

ISPmanager is a fully featured control panel that offers plenty of advantages to the web host, server administrator and web hosting customer. Though already equipped with an extensive set of features, ISPsystem is constantly incorporating new additions in its continuous mission to the make the software more powerful and easy to use. Track record means a lot in the hosting business, and this mature control panel has the solid reputation you can count on.

Original: ISPmanager Control Panel Review

Open-Source Software to Watch for in 2009

DN — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 21:11:42 +0000

(From Website Hosting)

When big companies launch their new commercial software, they do so with press releases, conferences and other hoopla that adds to the hype. When new open-source products are introduced, even some of the popular ones are launched with far less fanfare. The community involved with this type of software are usually too busy developing and testing their projects to roll out all the bells and whistles that come along with a marketing campaign. This is often the case with some of the most remarkable programs. Although we have already zoomed through a good portion of 2009, there are still a number of big open-source projects that have yet to be released. We have gathered up some of the most notable in this article.

New Linux Platforms

Linux fans have a lot to look forward to as there are major plans in the works for this open-source operating system. Already launching Ubuntu 9.04 in April of this year, the Ubuntu development team is also looking to introduce 9.10 in October 2009. Some of the new features promised are integration with Amazon’s EC2 API, which will allow users to set up their own cloud with open tools, and a kernel mode for enabling a seamless, flicker-free startup. In addition, Red Hat is slated to release Fedora 11 sometime this summer, complete with many new updates. According to the developers, the system will boot up and shut down faster and also include improved support for fingerprint readers.

Scripting Tools and Languages

In December of 2008, the development communities of Merb and Ruby on Rails made an agreement to merge instead of maintain parallel development initiatives. Their goal was to preserve the advanced features and flexible configuration of Merb along with the ease of use and enhanced productivity that has made Rails such a hit among developers. Called Rails 3, the new project will incorporate various features and concepts of Merb, including its JavaScript libraries, object relational models and template languages. Although Rails 3 didn’t make its May 2009 beta release date, developers may want to keep their ear to the ground to see when it does hit the market.

More Open-Source Projects to Keep an Eye On

MariaDB – This project is a community-developed branch of MySQL. The brainchild of Michael “Monty” Widenius, MySQL AB and Monty Program AB founder, the database is said to be powered by the Maria storage engine.

CodeIgniter 2.0 - Designed for coders who desire a more user-friendly and elegant toolkit, CodeIgniter 2.0 is a PHP framework that leaves a minimal footprint and allows developers to create full-featured web-based applications.

Dojo 1.3 – This tool set is an all-in-one solution for developers who need to create dynamic web applications, particularly those who want to become masters at DHTML and JavaScript coding. Said to be released in the very near future, Dojo 1.3 offers a new lightning fast CSS selector query engine as well as all new widgets and components.

There is a slew of open-source software projects set to hit the market and we haven’t even scratched the surface. Others include software for mobile platforms, business apps, enterprise collaboration and many more. With so much on the plate, there is bound to be an open-source application you’ve been looking forward to coming very soon.

Original: Open-Source Software to Watch for in 2009