Windows vs Linux : Hosting
The Basics of Linux & Windows :
Linux (and its close relation Unix) and Windows 2000 (and
its close cousin Windows NT) are types of software (known
as operating systems) that web servers use to do the kind
of things that web servers do. You do not need to know any
real detail of either to make a decision as to which you
need but here a few guidelines.
Just because you use a windows desktop PC doesn't mean
you have to opt for Windows web hosting (and the reverse
is true as well). The operating system you use on your desktop
has little to do with your choice of web hosts. As long
as you understand how to use your FTP or web publishing
software, your can use either operating system.
But what is important is that you know what you want your
website to do and what you want to offer on it. This is
what will ultimately help determine the type of web hosting
that will work best for you. As mentioned earlier, interactive
websites usually rely on ASP, PHP, or Perl type languages.
Linux Web Hosting or Windows 2000 Web Hosting ? Make your
Choice !
When it comes to Web hosting, Linux has, for some time,
been widely considered the best OS for Web servers. It's
typically found to be the most reliable, stable and efficient
system and, as such, it's commonly used for the demanding
environment of Web and mail servers. Indeed,Most of the
clients websites of aalpha NET runs on the Linux OS precisely
because of this traditional stability.
The million-dollar question is what application are you
looking to use for your hosting? Consider the tools and
scripting languages you plan to use - if you use PHP, Perl
or MySQL, Linux is the way forward. If apps are Microsoft-specific,
then Windows is what you need.
If your site, like most web sites, is what might be termed
"brochure-ware" then Linux servers are ideal.
By brochure-ware I mean a site that offers the kind of information
that in the past might have been provided on paper in the
form of brochures, newsletters or data sheets. Brochure-ware
sites will offer some interaction through enquiry forms
and can certainly incorporate online purchasing and other
routine e-commerce functions.
If however your site incorporates an online searchable
database or interactive chat facilities then Windows 2000
or NT will be a better bet in most cases. It will cost a
bit more but you'll get that back in reduced development
time and simply better functionality.
The following are the advantages of using Linux based web
server compared to Windows based web server :
Stable: Linux/Unix operating systems has traditionally
been believed to be very stable and robust. A web site housed
on a Linux operating system will have very high up-time
(of the order of 99.9%). Of course, other factors such as
power supply, network admin skills, and network load etc.
also matter when it comes to maintaining the system uptime.
Low cost of ownership: The Linux OS comes free of cost
(or at very insignificant cost, usually cost of distribution).
Also, it has full fledged server, and desk top applications
that comes free along with the OS. These server applications
(such as FTP, Web Server, DNS Server, File Server etc.)
being free, are also very stable.
Ease of use :
When it comes to web hosting, it is easy
to host on Linux web servers. The process of uploading and
hosting is almost same for both Linux and Windows web servers.
If you want to use a Windows based tool such as Front Page
for uploading a web site on to a Linux based web server,
make sure that the Front Page extensions are enabled. This
is only required if you are uploading using HTTP feature
(http://www.yourwebsite.com) of Front Page. Front Page also
makes it possible to upload a web site using FTP. You need
to select ftp://www.yourwebsite.com for up loading using
front page FTP option. Note that if you select "Front
Page Extensions" during web site design, you must enable
Front Page extensions on a Linux web server also. These
days, all Linux web servers are coming with installable
Front Page extensions, and this should pose no problem for
hosting on a Linux platform.
You can use almost all types of file extensions (or scripts)
when using Linux web server. Commonly, the following extensions
are supported:
.cgi, .html, .htm, .pl, .php, .shtml, .xml, and others.
Basically it means that you can host web sites that use
different types of server side scripts including .cgi, .pl,
.php, and .asp (with plug-in).
Easy to move between hosts : A web site designed to be
hosted on a Linux based web server can be hosted on a Windows
web server easily, where as the reverse is not always true.
Most widely used : Linux/Unix based web hosting is most
widely used compared to Windows based web hosting.
Scalability : A web site is dynamic. Usually, a web site
starts with a few pages of html and grows over a period
of time to suit the customers requirements. It is preferable
to design a web site keeping this requirements in mind.
A web site designed for compatibility with a Linux/Unix
based web server meets the scalability requirement easily
without making any site wide design changes.
On the downside, Linux based web server is not fully compatible
with Microsoft technologies. If you are using any specialized
applications or VB for development of your web site, it
is preferable to host with a Windows based web server.
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