Joe
10-14-2002, 10:09 AM
How Web Hosting Works
What you need:
Domain name
Web Hosting ServerDomain Name:
A domain name might be your own, or it could be a subdomain from someone else's domain. Usually you'll have your own. You can purchase the right to use a domain name from a domain registrar. Payment is in terms of years. You will have to renew the domain name in order to continue using the domain past one year. You may also choose to register a domain for longer than a year.
Domain names are split into pieces. For instance, domain.com is actually three pieces. There's the root level, the top level, and the second level. The root level is an implied but invisible part of the domain name. It is represented by a period on the end of a domain:
domain.com.
As you have probably noticed, nobody uses the period on the end, but it is assumed and represents the root of the domain name system (DNS).
Second Level: domain
Top Level: com
Root: .
In some cases you can purchase the right to use a third level domain:
domain.co.uk is such an example.
Subdomains are another way to host a web site. You may know someone with a domain and a name server of their own. If so, you can become a subdomain off their domain:
sub.domain.com
You don't have to be on the same server, nor even on the same network. As long as the administrator of the domain has control over the name servers for the domain, they can route the subdomain to your web site.
DNS:
The Domain Name System is a world-wide group of computers that convert names into numeric addresses. On the Internet you can only use numeric (IP) addresses to contact another computer. The DNS gives your computer a way to convert names into numeric addresses. When you visit someone's web site, two DNS servers are involved, the DNS server for your local computer and the DNS server for the destination computer (web site). Your DNS asks their DNS for the numeric address for the domain name. Then your computer can route you there.
Your local DNS is usually assigned to you by your Internet Service Provider (ISP). The web site's DNS is assigned by the domain registrar and is usually referred to as a "name server." When you register a domain name you tell the domain registrar what DNS servers (name servers) are going to answer questions about your domain.
Because it takes time for one DNS server to constantly be asking questions of another DNS server, most DNS servers remember what they've been told. This speeds things up later when somebody asks for the same information. The period of time they remember varies from hours to days and is called Time To Live (TTL). This is also the cause of propagation, or the period of time it takes for your domain name to be usable once a change has been made to the name servers listed at the domain registrar. When you tell the domain registrar that you are changing the name servers that are going to answer questions for that domain, you have to wait for all the "remembered" answers to expire on all the other name servers before they ask the question again. Then they receive the new answer and remember it all over again.
Web Hosting Server:
In addition to a domain name, you need a place to keep the files that comprise your web site and also serve mail for you. Dixiesys is a web hosting company that rents space on it's servers just for that purpose.
You'll have a control panel to manage your administrative tasks. In the control panel you can create mail boxes, other users, change passwords, etc. Control panels vary, but they all accomplish just about the same thing.
Most of your interaction with your hosting server will be in the form of other servers: Web server (Displays your web pages)
FTP server (Gives you a method to transfer files up and down)
Mail server (Receives your incoming mail, sends your outgoing mail)
DNS server(Answers questions about your domain for other DNS servers)Web Server:
Not much you really do to set up a web server but to upload (send) files to the server for displaying to the general public. Some files may be simple web pages with text, others may be complex interactive pages or scripts.
There are two primary types of web server. Name-based and IP-based.
Name-based is the most common. Every web site on the server shares the same numeric (IP) address and the server knows which web site the visitor is looking for by asking the browser for the URL (Uniform Resource Locator, a complex name for web site domain name and file to deliver).
IP-based is less common but available. This is where a single numeric (IP) address is assigned to your web site that no other computer in the world has. No asking of the browser for a URL is necessary. IP-based sites are usually created for hosting secure web pages (SSL/HTTPS) where a certificate is issued by a certificate authority proving your web site actually belongs to you. Certificates are issued to a single IP address for control.
FTP Server:
The only real configuration here is to set up your password. It is usually configured for you when you sign up for service. FTP servers are used to upload (send) files to your web site and download (receive) files from your web site.
Mail Server:
You use your control panel to create mail users and passwords. You can connect to the POP mail server using the mail server name you were given when you sign up. Optionally you can pick up your mail via your web site.
DNS Server:
This is pre-configured for you. In most cases you will never have to alter the configuration. If you move your web site to another server you will have to change the name servers listed at the domain registrar, but you will not have to change the configuration of your DNS server.
What you need:
Domain name
Web Hosting ServerDomain Name:
A domain name might be your own, or it could be a subdomain from someone else's domain. Usually you'll have your own. You can purchase the right to use a domain name from a domain registrar. Payment is in terms of years. You will have to renew the domain name in order to continue using the domain past one year. You may also choose to register a domain for longer than a year.
Domain names are split into pieces. For instance, domain.com is actually three pieces. There's the root level, the top level, and the second level. The root level is an implied but invisible part of the domain name. It is represented by a period on the end of a domain:
domain.com.
As you have probably noticed, nobody uses the period on the end, but it is assumed and represents the root of the domain name system (DNS).
Second Level: domain
Top Level: com
Root: .
In some cases you can purchase the right to use a third level domain:
domain.co.uk is such an example.
Subdomains are another way to host a web site. You may know someone with a domain and a name server of their own. If so, you can become a subdomain off their domain:
sub.domain.com
You don't have to be on the same server, nor even on the same network. As long as the administrator of the domain has control over the name servers for the domain, they can route the subdomain to your web site.
DNS:
The Domain Name System is a world-wide group of computers that convert names into numeric addresses. On the Internet you can only use numeric (IP) addresses to contact another computer. The DNS gives your computer a way to convert names into numeric addresses. When you visit someone's web site, two DNS servers are involved, the DNS server for your local computer and the DNS server for the destination computer (web site). Your DNS asks their DNS for the numeric address for the domain name. Then your computer can route you there.
Your local DNS is usually assigned to you by your Internet Service Provider (ISP). The web site's DNS is assigned by the domain registrar and is usually referred to as a "name server." When you register a domain name you tell the domain registrar what DNS servers (name servers) are going to answer questions about your domain.
Because it takes time for one DNS server to constantly be asking questions of another DNS server, most DNS servers remember what they've been told. This speeds things up later when somebody asks for the same information. The period of time they remember varies from hours to days and is called Time To Live (TTL). This is also the cause of propagation, or the period of time it takes for your domain name to be usable once a change has been made to the name servers listed at the domain registrar. When you tell the domain registrar that you are changing the name servers that are going to answer questions for that domain, you have to wait for all the "remembered" answers to expire on all the other name servers before they ask the question again. Then they receive the new answer and remember it all over again.
Web Hosting Server:
In addition to a domain name, you need a place to keep the files that comprise your web site and also serve mail for you. Dixiesys is a web hosting company that rents space on it's servers just for that purpose.
You'll have a control panel to manage your administrative tasks. In the control panel you can create mail boxes, other users, change passwords, etc. Control panels vary, but they all accomplish just about the same thing.
Most of your interaction with your hosting server will be in the form of other servers: Web server (Displays your web pages)
FTP server (Gives you a method to transfer files up and down)
Mail server (Receives your incoming mail, sends your outgoing mail)
DNS server(Answers questions about your domain for other DNS servers)Web Server:
Not much you really do to set up a web server but to upload (send) files to the server for displaying to the general public. Some files may be simple web pages with text, others may be complex interactive pages or scripts.
There are two primary types of web server. Name-based and IP-based.
Name-based is the most common. Every web site on the server shares the same numeric (IP) address and the server knows which web site the visitor is looking for by asking the browser for the URL (Uniform Resource Locator, a complex name for web site domain name and file to deliver).
IP-based is less common but available. This is where a single numeric (IP) address is assigned to your web site that no other computer in the world has. No asking of the browser for a URL is necessary. IP-based sites are usually created for hosting secure web pages (SSL/HTTPS) where a certificate is issued by a certificate authority proving your web site actually belongs to you. Certificates are issued to a single IP address for control.
FTP Server:
The only real configuration here is to set up your password. It is usually configured for you when you sign up for service. FTP servers are used to upload (send) files to your web site and download (receive) files from your web site.
Mail Server:
You use your control panel to create mail users and passwords. You can connect to the POP mail server using the mail server name you were given when you sign up. Optionally you can pick up your mail via your web site.
DNS Server:
This is pre-configured for you. In most cases you will never have to alter the configuration. If you move your web site to another server you will have to change the name servers listed at the domain registrar, but you will not have to change the configuration of your DNS server.