There’s really no right or wrong answer in the debate over preference and feasibility of PHP and ASP. The argument over which language is better suited for use is completely personal preference and in most cases a product of web developer training and hosting environments.  ASP and PHP are both a form of server side scripts that can enhance a web sites performance and applications. While PHP is currently the more favored script over ASP it’s not necessarily the best.

PHP

PHP is compatible with both UNIX and NT servers. This particular language is generally seen on UNIX hosting plans with a combination of MySQL services.  PHP is known for things like WordPress, Dolphin7, and many different content management systems.  Generally speaking, PHP is easier to learn. There is more documentation on the usage of PHP and that makes finding help easier to do. Also coupled with the fact that hosting is generally cheaper for PHP, it makes it a great platform for just about any business application.

ASP

ASP, or active server pages, is the alter ego for PHP. ASP was developed by Microsoft to run on Windows servers. ASP works in the same manner as PHP but is known to be a bit more difficult to learn and understand than PHP. A lot of this is probably attributed to the dual language approach of writing ASP in which it can be in VB or C#. The benefit to this is one website can run both languages of ASP pages. While it’s not as commonly used as PHP, it does have a large amount of benefits. Microsoft SQL server is one of them.

While most things from Microsoft are not free, it does have its perks for paying for them. PHP has a lot of systems and add ons that are open source. This is great because it’s free. However, free has a cost. Free usually means no support. Microsoft services do have support and that may be way ASP still contends with PHP as a viable substitute.

Honestly, both languages and approaches are great. It all just depends on what language you are comfortable using as a software developer and webmaster. If you prefer UNIX systems, then obviously PHP is your choice. But, if you prefer windows systems, then you may favor PHP. Both systems can do the same thing, making the choice entirely personal preference.

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Original: A Closer Look at PHP vs ASP

Windows is the most popular operating system on the Earth, with millions of computer users undoubtedly logged into Windows right now. However, the web hosting industry is still relatively diverse, with much of the business consisting of Linux web hosting plans. Linux web hosting is cheaper for both the consumer and the web hosting provider, thus it is a much more common web hosting solution. The average webmaster doesn’t know the difference between Linux, Unix, or Windows web hosting, and thus the industry is shaped by the factor of price alone, as consumers and companies choose plans that are the most affordable. However, there are some very distinct uses for Windows web hosting.

Windows Applications

The primary reason to choose Windows web hosting is the need for compatibility with Windows applications. Microsoft has effectively cornered the market and created somewhat of a monopoly in the consumer computer industry. The main problem with Windows applications is that they need to be run in the Windows operating system. If your sites currently utilize Windows applications, then you will need a Windows-based web server to keep your site running smoothly. Since Windows web servers only receive support from Microsoft, consumers have to wait until Microsoft can fix any bugs, unlike Linux which is an open source software. This dependency on Microsoft makes Windows web hosting more expensive, and absolutely necessary in some situations.

The Windows Brand

The second reason why people choose Windows web hosting plans over Linux web hosting plans is the trust in the Windows name. Many average computer users have never heard of the Linux operating system. Many people simply trust the Windows name more than Linux, but does this make it any more powerful or capable than Linux? In technical terms – no. In social terms – yes. In other words, the power and convenience of the operating system is no longer a factor since the Windows brand is synonymous with a large portion of computer technology. It is nearly impossible to buy a good piece of software without having access to Windows or Mac. As Mac web hosting is unavailable, Windows is the familiar name that comes to mind.

Simpler User Interface

Another reason why someone would use Windows web hosting would be the sheer familiarity of the operating system over Linux. If you’re familiar with the Windows operating system then chances are you’d be more inclined to choose a Windows web hosting plan. This however is not always the correct thing to do, as the user interface of a Windows server is not exactly the same, or similar to the Windows operating system. In fact, many people believe the Linux servers contain an easier interface. In fact, many would venture to say that Linux is an overall better value for your money, which would only leave one reason to buy Windows web hosting – the need for Microsoft compatibility with web applications. The entire Microsoft organization is built on this concept; monopolize and conquer.

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Original: 3 Reasons Why Consumers Choose Windows Web Hosting

CP Web Hosting Review: CP Web Hosting offers hosting in two flavors: Unix and Windows. They have Gold, Silver, Platinum set up for each of the hosting environments with the Titanium plan being exclusively for Windows. The basic plan for Unix starts at $ 3.98 and goes up to $ 7.98 for Platinum plan. The Windows on the other hand starts at $ 7.48 and the Platinum is tagged at $ 13.48. With Titanium you are entitled to a bandwidth of 9GB and space of 6 GB.

CP Web Hosting Blurb:

With over 5 years in the Reseller hosting industry offering Reseller Hosting, Shared Hosting and Dedicated Hosting Services, CPWEBHOSTING.NET has grown to become a leader with in the industry. Our expertise within a variety of fields is at your disposal. By offering a wide range of plans and options, this enables you to find a plan with just the right fit.

Our mission is to offer customers industry-leading Reseller Hosting, Shared Hosting or web hosting and Dedicated Hosting services and tools, coupled with superior customer support. We arm our customers with the online capabilities of large corporations without burdensome infrastructure – at an affordable price.

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Original: CP Web Hosting

247-Host Review: 247-Host provides you round the clock support for your queries on maintenance and hosting support. If you are on the look out for affordable Unix Hosting then ou can stop right here.Here’s what they have to say about their services:

Our Web Hosting Services are the most affordable and features rich, such as RvSKin, Fantastico, MS FrontPage, CGI/Perl, MySQL, PHP and best of all 24/7 customer support. Whether you need personal web hosting, business hosting, ecommerce website, blogs, forums or audio and video streaming you will find what you need right here. Low cost hosting is just one factor, with equal emphasis on reliable hosting services.

Based in Montreal, Canada, we are committed to helping our clients succeed with all their hosting needs by offering the highest levels of customer support at affordable prices. 247-Host will allow your business to grow in today’s competitive environment. We understand that our customers seek out 247-Host because the solutions we provide allow their businesses to focus on just that – business.

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Original: 247-Host

There are a number of factors that must be considered when it comes to choosing the web server application you want to utilize.  Elements such as the operating system, the level of security, scalability and price should all come into play when basing your decision.  It can be a grueling process but focusing on these key components will make your choice much easier.

Operating Platform

The operating system you choose to run the server on will have a major influence on the software you decide to go with.  The most popular platforms today are Windows, Unix and various flavors of the Linux operating system.  While all can perform in a multitude of environments, Windows is usually preferred in the business setting while Unix and Linux are designed for more complex and demanding tasks.  There are also other choices such as Mac OS X, but this platform isn’t as common and therefore lacks support from the web community.

Solid Security

Above all, security should be your number one priority in choosing web server software.  Since most websites are public, they make a prime target for hackers and other cyber criminals looking to steal sensitive information.  Even if you decided on a seemingly secure application, keep in mind that the server is really only as secure as its configurations.  For example, it probably wouldn’t be a good idea to leave the default security settings intact because the attackers have already discovered ways around them.  Additionally, you want a server that is easy to patch and update to ensure that the latest security vulnerabilities and issues are addressed.

Easy Scalability

Scalability refers to your web server’s ability to grow alongside the growth of your web operations.  This is an extremely important quality as a slow server could end up costing you new visitors and customers as well as existing ones.  On the web, they say that you only have a few seconds to grab the attention of potential customers.  If your web server can’t perform or slows down after a couple thousand hits, you have essentially set yourself up for failure.

Good Support System

Apache is the most popular and widely installed web server in the world.  The software is freely available and can be downloaded by virtually anyone.  While this is definitely a plus, it can also be a disadvantage considering how you view the situation.  Apache and other open-source programs come at the price of limited formal support.  If you don’t have an experienced IT staff on hand to deal with the server, you may want to choose a product that comes with official support to help out when things get rough.

True Value

Cost is often the first factor many people consider when they want to invest in something.  With a web server, it should be the last thing you consider.  As we mentioned, there are free servers as well those that come with expensive licenses, particularly Microsoft’s IIS (Internet Information Services).  This specific application ranks up there with the best but you could actually hurt your efforts by judging web servers on cost.  Pick the cheap software and you just might end up with a product the lacks the compatibility, scalability and functionality you need to be successful.

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Original: Factors to Consider for Your Web Server Software

Microsoft has placed its stamp on the virtualization phenomenon with the launch of Hyper-V, a new technology that adds to the power of the Windows Server 2008 platform.  Hyper-V represents the next era of virtualization, allowing administrators and hosting customers to get the most out of their sever investments and usage.  What sets it apart from other virtualization platforms is the ability to run a number of different operating systems in parallel on a single physical server.  It doesn’t matter if you prefer Windows, Linux or Unix, Hyper-V allows you to take full advantage of 64-bit computing.

Server Consolidation

Today’s businesses are under a lot of pressure to simplify management processes all while reducing costs and maintaining competitive benefits such as flexibility, scalability, reliability and security.  Hyper-V enables organizations to meet these goals by consolidating multiple servers within a single system while maintaining isolation.  Aside from saving money on individual servers, this type of virtualization also provides for lower processing power, cooling and management costs.  Businesses of various sizes can benefit from an asset standpoint as well as capabilities that allow them to effectively balance workloads across multiple resources.  This results in improved flexibility that allows for the integration of 32-bit and 64-bit operations in the same environment.

Disaster Recovery and Business Continuity

Business continuity refers to the ability to reduce both scheduled and unscheduled downtime.  This includes time lost due to routine operations such as backup and maintenance as well untimely events caused by failures and outages.  Hyper-V offers extensive business continuity features such as live backup and seamless migration capabilities that enable businesses to meet demanding uptime and response metrics.

Disaster recovery is an essential element of business continuity.  Emergencies, natural disasters, malicious physical attacks and even simple configuration issues such as software conflict all have the power to cripple an organization’s vital data before administrators have a chance to back it up.  Leveraging the clustering features integrated into Windows Server 2008, Hyper-V supports disaster recovery across diverse IT environments and data centers.  Fast, reliable disaster recovery and business continuity tools help to ensure minimal data loss and enhanced remote management capabilities.

Improved Testing and Development

Testing and development are usually the first functions businesses take advantage of with virtualization technology.  The use of virtual machines allows development staff to create and test a wide range of scenarios in a secure, self-contained environment that precisely approximates the operation of physical clients and servers.  Hyper-V enables the maximum utilization of test hardware, helping to reduce costs, improve test coverage and life cycle management.  With support for numerous operating systems and checkpoint features, this virtualization solution makes an excellent platform for test and development environments.

Server virtualization is a hot commodity in the IT world for the potential of benefits that can be weighed on the scales of cost and performance.  Already one of the pioneers in web technology, Microsoft can now be credited for enhancing the virtualization concept and enabling businesses all over the world to enjoy a more dynamic IT infrastructure.

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Original: Hyper-V: The Next Generation of Virtualization