Online Database Hosting
Online Database Hosting
Online database hosting is important since web developers now like to build a majority of their websites on top of databases so that all the data for the website concerned can be stored in one central location. Web developers and designers need access to databases so that dynamic websites that they have created for their clients are able to function correctly. Online database hosting provides users with a way that they can host their websites and databases under one web hosting account, something which isn’t possible with a web hosting package that doesn’t allow you to create databases. Online database hosting can be purchased for any database system available, meaning that you can find an online database hosting package to meet your needs regardless of the database system that you want to use for your website. Many web hosting providers now allow online database hosting as default on many of their web hosting plans, meaning that even considering the cheapest plan can be of benefit since it will still meet your requirements in terms of the database system that you need to have access to. Online database hosting on the other hand can come with restrictions, for example you be limited with the number of databases that you are allowed to create under one web hosting account.
Your choice of online database hosting package may be affected by the database system that you use to build your websites. There are different kinds of database system around, and each different system can be used on a different online database hosting package with some form of server side scripting language. The main database programs used by web developers at the moment include MySQL server, Microsoft SQL Server and Microsoft Access. Microsoft Access and Microsoft SQL Server are only able to be used with classic ASP and ASP.NET based websites because they are both Microsoft products; however, this means that you will need to consider Windows based online database hosting which could mean that you are paying more than if you used a Linux based web hosting package. On the other hand, if you are using MySQL databases for your websites then you may want to consider Linux based online database hosting for your needs. One thing that is worth considering though is the fact that MySQL databases can also be hosted on a majority of Windows based online database hosting packages. If you aren’t using any databases for your websites, then you only need to consider a very basic Linux web hosting package.
In order to receive a reliable web hosting service, you will want to choose an online database hosting provider that will take regular backups of your databases since you want to make sure that the data which you are storing in them is as safe as possible, since in most situations, the loss of data from a database can prove to be disastrous for some web based businesses. Online database hosting providers also provide other features to ensure that you receive a reliable web hosting service; examples of such features include:
- RAID arrays – this means that the server itself contains multiple hard drives that mirror each other in an array, meaning that for example if the server’s primary hard drive fails there is at least one other mirrored drive to take over to ensure minimal downtime
- 24×7 support and server monitoring – having access to a 24×7 support team is important with online database hosting, since if the database server that your databases are hosted on goes down then your websites are unlikely to function correctly.
Reliable online database hosting is important since a website is the key to the income of most businesses, and without a website those businesses are unable to function correctly. If a business is unable to function correctly, then it looses money.
Although a reliable online database hosting package may be the most important thing you need, there are also other factors that you need to consider when searching for an online database hosting package from a web hosting provider that is able to meet your needs. Although reliable hosting means that you’ll never need to worry about your website being down, there are other factors that have to be considered in any situation where you are considering web hosting. Such other factors can include:
- support – this is another important factor to consider, since without support you may not be able to get help for your website or online database hosting package when you need it the most – a majority of web hosting provider can now offer 24×7 web hosting support
- control panel used – all web hosting providers offer a control panel so that customers can manage their own web hosting accounts, and in some cases you may have more knowledge on how to use one control panel than other which may be on offer
- Windows or Linux – these are two different operating systems, and your website may not be able to run on one of these whilst it is able to run on the other; however, if your website has been coded with static HTML then it is likely to work on both forms of web hosting.
As with most web hosting packages, there are so many different factors to consider meaning that you should do all the necessary research to ensure that you end up with a web hosting package that will fit your needs, and not a useless one which you won’t be able to use correctly.
As mentioned, support is one of the most important things to consider in online database hosting as it is with more or less any other web hosting package. The support team that your web hosting provider has employed is there to look after you as well as the company’s servers, meaning that they should be able to provide you with a good online database hosting experience. Online database hosting providers are normally able to offer you as the customer 24×7 support, meaning that you can get hold of the support team at any time of the day to discuss any issues you may be having with your web hosting package or your website itself. If you choose a web hosting provider that is able to offer you 24×7 web hosting support then the likelihood is that the same web hosting provider is also able to offer you a reliable web hosting service when compared to other website hosting providers who just leave their servers to run without being monitored. It is also common for some web hosting companies to go as far as not offering any weekend support, meaning that if a server goes down then it remains down for the entirety of that weekend.
Finally, with online database hosting you want to make sure that you are able to manage your databases using an internet browser from any computer that is connected to the internet in the world. In this case, you will want to ensure that any web hosting provider that you are considering is able to provide you with access to a control panel of some form or another so that you can manage your overall web hosting account. Web hosting control panels themselves normally contain other control panels that can be used for the management of online database hosting. Such examples of online database hosting management panels include:
- PHPMyAdmin – this tool is designed for the web based management of MySQL databases and is included with a majority of control panels include cPanel for Linux web hosting and Plesk for Windows based web hosting packages
- ASP.NET Enterprise Manager – this is provided with Plesk as a free management panel for Microsoft SQL Server based databases, and is an easy to use system that provides you with a way to manage your Microsoft SQL Server databases remotely
- MyLittleAdmin – this is a premium Microsoft SQL Server database management system, and can be purchased for use with the Plesk control panel on Windows based servers – although its a premium control panel, it provides users with an easy to use interface.
Managing your databases remotely is important, especially if you are on the move alot. Such control panels provide you with a way that you can from any computer that is connected to the internet. if you are unsure on how to use any of the mentioned database management systems, then you can normally find tutorials on the internet that will be able to help you out.
In conclusion, online database hosting provides you with a way for you to host your websites that are based on databases in a reliable web hosting environment. If you choose a professional web hosting provider then you will be provided with access to a web based control panel that you can use for remote database management which is incredibly important to ensure that your databases remain clean and don’t contain any unneeded records. Hosting your databases in a reliable web hosting environment is important to ensure that any data which they contain is not lost for example, and to ensure that both your websites and databases are available when needed.
