Windows Web Hosting Service

Windows web hosting provides developers with an alternative web hosting platform to use if they feel that they don’t want to use Linux based web hosting services for one reason or another. In a majority of situations, Windows web hosting is able to host the web applications that users are hosting on their Linux web hosting packages because Windows can support many of the same services/scripting languages that are supported by Linux web hosting services. Windows web hosting services tend to be more expensive than Linux web hosting services, the main reason being that a majority of web hosting providers have to pay extra for some of the services that are needed to make sure that you have a reliable Windows web hosting experience - such services would normally be available for free on Linux servers. Windows web hosting can also be used for the hosting of websites which have been designed using Microsoft applications, therefore meaning that they can’t be hosted on any other platform because of the programs needed. Windows web hosting is only really suitable for those who need, but if you want to host a very basic website then you will probably find that a Windows web hosting package is too much for you and that you should consider a lower level web hosting package.

Windows web hosting can provide a Windows web developer with many advantages when compared to Linux web hosting services, although as a Linux web developer you may find that Windows web hosting isn’t to your liking. Windows web hosting tends to be aimed towards specialist Windows web developers who build their websites and applications using Microsoft products and languages such as ASP.NET and Microsoft SQL Server since these aren’t available on any other web hosting platforms. Such advantages include:

• the support for Microsoft technologies that you may be using in your websites - if you have developed your websites and applications using Microsoft technologies such as ASP.NET and Microsoft SQL Server then you can only use Windows web hosting services because these technologies aren’t compatible with other web hosting platforms and operating systems
• access to Windows only services - if you require specialist components of certain Windows services to make sure that your websites and applications are able to function correctly, then Windows web hosting can provide you with the advantage that you don’t need to worry about your websites not functioning correctly as is the worry with many who are using Linux web hosting services
• access to a reliable control panel - a majority of web hosting providers now allow you to make use of the Plesk control panel so that you can manage the different aspects of your Windows web hosting account, and the Plesk control panel is seen as the most reliable Windows web hosting control panel available.

Windows web hosting is able to provide you with the best advantages if you are a Windows web developer, however if you are looking for a web hosting package that is both reliable and able to provide you with a future upgrade path then considering Windows web hosting services may be advisable.

Windows web hosting packages are bound to cost more than Linux web hosting services because web hosting providers have to pay a license fee in order to have the right to use the Microsoft Windows Server 2008 operating system that they have installed on their servers; Linux distributions are free to use commcerically. Having the necessary support staff for Windows web hosting can also be costly since server experts that have enough knowledge to be able to manage Windows web hosting servers are few and far between, therefore meaning that web hosting providers have to pay more in order to have the support staff with the right qualifications. Developing using Microsoft technologies can also be more expensive, meaning that if you are able to justify and afford developing using Microsoft technologies then you can probably afford a standard Windows web hosting account with ease. Certain Microsoft technologies such as Microsoft SQL Server can also cost web hosting providers a lot of money if they decide to go with the higher end Standard and Enterprise editions that allow them to host Microsoft SQL Server databases on a large industrial scale. If you feel that you will be unable to justify the cost of a Windows web hosting package, then Linux web hosting services will be able to provide you with a basic way in which you can host your website website within the context of a secure and reliable web hosting environment.

Some tend to argue that Windows web hosting services aren’t as secure or as reliable as Linux web hosting services, although this is only a myth in reality. If managed correctly then Windows web hosting servers can easily be as reliable and as secure as Linux server hosting, although the uptime and reliability of any web hosting server does depend on its load at a given time as well as its specification. However, there are certain factors that can easily effect the reliability and security of a Windows web hosting server. Such factors may include:

• viruses - Windows web hosting servers are more susceptible to viruses and other related security threats, meaning that if a virus or some sort of malicious attacker manages to gain access or similar to a Windows web hosting server then the security and reliability of that web hosting server could be compromised
• high loads - Windows web hosting servers aren’t able to manage high loads as well as Linux web hosting servers, meaning that if a Windows web hosting server does suffer a high load then it is highly likely that the server concerned will crash
• DDOS attacks - like with other security threats, Windows web hosting servers don’t tend to be cable to cope with DDOS attacks as well as Linux web hosting servers, because of this it is important that you have a backup web hosting provider you can make use of in these sorts of situations.

If you don’t think that such factors will effect your Windows web hosting experience, then you will probably find that Windows web hosting is more than sufficient for your needs. If you need Windows web hosting for specific reasons then it may be better if you considered using a specialist web hosting provider that is able to provide you with specialist Windows web hosting services.

Windows web hosting isn’t worth considering if you are looking for a low cost web hosting package that you only need to host a small website on which won’t receive many visitors. Windows web hosting normally provides web developers and professionals with a solution that they may need in order to ensure that their website or application is able to function correctly, whereas someone with a small website would be better off considering a small shared Linux web hosting package. Such situations in which you should consider Windows web hosting may include:

• if your website has been coded in classic ASP or ASP.NET since this means that your website will only be able to function on a Windows web hosting package, and it is of the utmost importance that your website is able to function correctly
• you need a web hosting package which will allow you access to Microsoft SQL Server hosting if for example your website’s database backend has been built using this database hosting server
• you want access to the Plesk web hosting control panel, since some people know how to use one web hosting control panel better than they know how to use another - if you are new to web hosting, then the Plesk web hosting control panel may be a good starting point for you.

If one of the above is similar to the situation that you’re in, then considering a Windows web hosting package may be best for your overall needs. At the end of the day you need to find a web hosting package that is going to suit your needs.

In conclusion, Windows web hosting provides Windows web developers with a way to host their websites and applications in a publicly accessible environment which not only allows them to test their websites before deployment, but also allows them to host their websites in a live environment so that they can be viewed by men. Windows webhosting is not recommended to those who only want to host one small website on their web hosting account since it is seen as a complex form of web hosting that is only manageable by those who know what they are doing, and in the case of a small website, a Linux web hosting plan would more than suffice. Windows hosting does tend to be more expensive, but for those who need it, paying that bit extra provides them with a reliable and secure web hosting service which is what they need to make sure that they can get their websites and applications to function correctly in a live environment. Almost every web hosting provider sells website hosting these days, meaning that finding a suitable package won’t be hard.