Apache Web Hosting
Apache Web Hosting
Apache, which is known in the server world as ‘httpd’ because of its service name is the world’s most popular web server software, having around 60%-70% of the overall web server market. Apache can be run on both Linux and Windows web servers, meaning that it is suitable for all forms of web hosting. However, it isn’t compatible with Microsoft-only technologies such as classic ASP or ASP.NET. Although by default an Apache installation can have a large memory footprint, it is easily tweaked when installed on both Linux and Windows meaning that is can be a very economical web server to run. Apache is open source which means that it is free to use commercially; it is this one factor that has attacted Linux web hosting providers into using Apache as their main web server, meaning that Apache web hosting is now widely common amongst web hosting providers big and small. If a web hosting provider doesn’t have to pay any licensing fees for the right to use one of the worlds best web servers, such as Apache, then they are able to maximise the profit that can be made from each individual web hosting server; this is one other major factor that has help make Apache web hosting very popular amongst web hosting providers and consumers.
Unlike a majority of other web servers, Apache is open source meaning that it is free to use commercially and that the source code of the web server is freely downloadable meaning that you can edit the source code to Apache to make the web server work in the way that you want it to. If you are an individual running a small web hosting server then you may not want to tweak Apache at all, but if you are a large business that requires Apache to function in a specific way or want to lower its overall memory footprint then tweaking Apache then recompiling it could be very benefitial. If you choose to purchase another application that makes use of Apache, such as a web hosting control panel, then you will probably find that the application concerned uses its own modified version of Apache meaning that you don’t need to make any modifications yourself to enable Apache to work with other applications. Apache web hosting is reliant on the stability of the web server since Apache web hosting isn’t any use when the servers concerned are unreliable and are going to crash on a regular basis.
Apache web hosting can be used in conjunction with the cPanel control panel meaning that web hosting providers are able to offer a reliable web hosting solution for customers that also includes easy management on their behalf using one of the web hosting industry’s leading control panels for Linux web hosting. cPanel as a control panel is currently designed to run on Linux servers only, meaning that it is compatible with a wide range of freely available Linux applications that are required to enable the control panel itself to function correctly. By using multiple free applications for Linux web hosting, cPanel provides the perfect solution for web hosting providers who are looking to make the most of Apache web hosting for those who require it. Some of the best web hosting providers around use cPanel on the basis that it is reliable and secure, both of which are two factors that consumers take into consideration as well when searching for a web hosting provider that will be able to suit their requirements and budget. The Apache web hosting server in conjunction with the cPanel control panel provides web hosting providers with one way in which they can offer professional web hosting services to their customers at a price that is affordable for the consumer and the provider.
Apache is one service that is able to run on a VPS or dedicated server in peace, since although it may be resource intensive in some cases, it can certainly run without having to use any large amounts of server resources when it has been professionally tweaked. This means that if you are an experienced Linux server engineer who is looking for a basic testing server, a low cost Linux VPS hosting server will be more that sufficient to run a basic installation of the Apache web server. Because of this, VPS server hosting and dedicated server hosting are two forms of hosting that can be categorised under the term ‘Apache web hosting‘ which is one factor that can attract businesses and individuals who need a web hosting solution that provides them with Apache web hosting. Shared hosting packages are normally provided with access to Apache web hosting, just as long as you choose a shared web hosting package that is based on the Linux cPanel web hosting combination; the same can also be said for reseller web hosting packages. It is important for you to use Apache web hosting in some cases since it could be the difference between your website functioning correctly or not.
The Apache web server is only able to handle certain file types, most specifically those which are open source and have had extensions written that integrate them into the Apache web server. This means that if you wish to run classic ASP or ASP.NET scripts or web pages on an Apache web hosting package then you may need to think again since both are Microsoft products meaning that they won’t run on the Apache web server. In order to execute classic ASP or ASP.NET scripts and web pages, you need to use a Windows web hosting package or have access to the IIS web server since this is the only one web server capable of running ASP pages and scripts. However, with modification Apache web hosting accounts are very capable of running and executing web pages and scripts that have been designed or written using Linux native languages such as Perl or PHP. Java server pages can also be run by Apache with modification of the web server, meaning that the use of the Tomcat Apache add-on is required to enable java pages to be run on Apache web hosting servers. Tomcat itself can be very resource intensive meaning that you require a dedicated server in most cases if you want to run it.
Since Apache is open source, several different versions of the popular web server have appeared that are still Apache at heart but have had major modifications to make them run or act in a different way. One of the most popular examples of a modified version of Apache is LightHTTPD. As the name suggests, it still uses Apache’s HTTPD daemon at heart but the overall system has been overhauled to enable it to use less system resources than a typical installation of Apache would do when running. Having Apache run without the need for high resources is important, since you want to be able to ensure that the maximum amount of system resources are free so that all applications that are hosted are able to access extra resources if they need to. Apache web hosting is normally more reliable when the service has been tweaked since it is important for web hosting providers to ensure that their servers are running in a stable way.
In terms of the operating system that is normally used by web hosting providers, you will probably find that a majority of Apache web hosting providers will be using Linux distributions on their servers since this will maximise the uptime available because this pair makes the best web hosting combination available. As you probably already know, there are many different versions of Linux available which are either known as ‘distributions’ or ‘flavours’, but they are all the same at heart because they all use the Linux kernel as their base. The most popular Linux versions used by Apache web hosting providers are Ubuntu and CentOS, but the likelihood is that your Apache web hosting account will be provisioned on a web hosting server running the CentOS Linux operating system. However, some web hosting providers may use a completely different version of Linux altogether.
In conclusion, Apache web hosting can be a good investment if you are after a reliable web hosting service that is going to guarantee that your website will be up for the maximum amount of time possible. Since the Apache web server is open source it means that web hosting providers are able to use it on their web servers for free and not have to pay any cost which means that Apache web hosting is bound to be the cheapest form of web hosting service around. In order to find the right Apache web hosting provider for your needs, you need to ensure that the provider concerned uses high specification servers with multiple levels of network and hardware redundancy to maximise uptime, and finally you should ensure that they are able to provide you with the support that you need, and not anyone else.
