The internet has become a common way of life for many of us, and every day, more users are starting to realize the benefits. This global network has opened the doors for users around the world to communicate, seek entertainment, shop and conduct business online. Many are leveraging the internet as their medium for connecting with the world – and the same opportunities exist for you. If your plans require awebsite, then you will need web hosting to accomplish those goal.

What is Web Hosting?

Web hosting is a common service designed to serve websites to internet users. Operated by companies known as web hosting providers or simply web hosts, these services are managed out of data center facilities and made available to personal and business customers in various regions throughout the world. Web hosting is composed of numerous elements, and four of the most essential of all are the server hardware, web server, operating system and the hosting provider itself.

Server Hardware

Though technically a computer, a server is very different from your typical PC. The standard home-based computer has a single processor and limited capacity, while a web hosting server usually contains at least two processors, a robust hard drive and larger capacities of other vital hardware components. This allows the machine to execute much faster and simultaneously process more applications. When set up in most environments, this high-powered computer can run one or dozens upon dozens of websites with relative ease. In theory, a server keeps your website available 24/7 with redundant dedicated connections to the Internet.

web server

Often confused with its hardware counterpart, a web server is a software application that plays a critical role in the web hosting process. As the name indicates, it helps the server hardware serve your web pages when they are requested by a visitor’s web browser.

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