Windows vs Linux : Hosting

by: Nandang S Nugraha | Total views: 85 | Word Count: 976 | View PDF | Print View

 by: Teeyes Siva

The Basics of Linux & Windows :

Linux (and its close relation Unix) and Windows 2000 (and
its close cousin Windows NT) are types of software (known as operating
systems) that web servers use to do the kind of things that web servers
do. You do not need to know any real detail of either to make a
decision as to which you need but here a few guidelines.

Just because you use a windows desktop PC doesn't mean
you have to opt for Windows web hosting (and the reverse is true as
well). The operating system you use on your desktop has little to do
with your choice of web hosts. As long as you understand how to use
your FTP or web publishing software, your can use either operating
system.

But what is important is that you know what you want
your website to do and what you want to offer on it. This is what will
ultimately help determine the type of web hosting that will work best
for you. As mentioned earlier, interactive websites usually rely on
ASP, PHP, or Perl type languages.

Linux Web Hosting or Windows 2000 Web Hosting ? Make your Choice !

When it comes to Web hosting, Linux has, for some time,
been widely considered the best OS for Web servers. It's typically
found to be the most reliable, stable and efficient system and, as
such, it's commonly used for the demanding environment of Web and mail
servers. Indeed,Most of the clients websites of aalpha NET runs on the
Linux OS precisely because of this traditional stability.

The million-dollar question is what application are you
looking to use for your hosting? Consider the tools and scripting
languages you plan to use – if you use PHP, Perl or MySQL, Linux is the
way forward. If apps are Microsoft-specific, then Windows is what you
need.

If your site, like most web sites, is what might be
termed "brochure-ware" then Linux servers are ideal. By brochure-ware I
mean a site that offers the kind of information that in the past might
have been provided on paper in the form of brochures, newsletters or
data sheets. Brochure-ware sites will offer some interaction through
enquiry forms and can certainly incorporate online purchasing and other
routine e-commerce functions.

If however your site incorporates an online searchable
database or interactive chat facilities then Windows 2000 or NT will be
a better bet in most cases. It will cost a bit more but you'll get that
back in reduced development time and simply better functionality.

The following are the advantages of using Linux based web server compared to Windows based web server :

Stable: Linux/Unix operating systems has traditionally
been believed to be very stable and robust. A web site housed on a
Linux operating system will have very high up-time (of the order of
99.9%). Of course, other factors such as power supply, network admin
skills, and network load etc. also matter when it comes to maintaining
the system uptime.

Low cost of ownership: The Linux OS comes free of cost
(or at very insignificant cost, usually cost of distribution). Also, it
has full fledged server, and desk top applications that comes free
along with the OS. These server applications (such as FTP, Web Server,
DNS Server, File Server etc.) being free, are also very stable.

Ease of use : When it comes to web hosting, it is easy
to host on Linux web servers. The process of uploading and hosting is
almost same for both Linux and Windows web servers. If you want to use
a Windows based tool such as Front Page for uploading a web site on to
a Linux based web server, make sure that the Front Page extensions are
enabled. This is only required if you are uploading using HTTP feature (http://www.yourwebsite.com) of Front Page. Front Page also makes it possible to upload a web site using FTP. You need to select ftp://www.yourwebsite.com
for up loading using front page FTP option. Note that if you select
"Front Page Extensions" during web site design, you must enable Front
Page extensions on a Linux web server also. These days, all Linux web
servers are coming with installable Front Page extensions, and this
should pose no problem for hosting on a Linux platform.

You can use almost all types of file extensions (or
scripts) when using Linux web server. Commonly, the following
extensions are supported:

Basically it means that you can host web sites that use
different types of server side scripts including .cgi, .pl, .php, and
.asp (with plug-in).

Easy to move between hosts : A web site designed to be
hosted on a Linux based web server can be hosted on a Windows web
server easily, where as the reverse is not always true.

Most widely used : Linux/Unix based web hosting is most widely used compared to Windows based web hosting.

Scalability : A web site is dynamic. Usually, a web site
starts with a few pages of html and grows over a period of time to suit
the customers requirements. It is preferable to design a web site
keeping this requirements in mind. A web site designed for
compatibility with a Linux/Unix based web server meets the scalability
requirement easily without making any site wide design changes.

On the downside, Linux based web server is not fully
compatible with Microsoft technologies. If you are using any
specialized applications or VB for development of your web site, it is
preferable to host with a Windows based web server.

However if you are not sure then email me or call Teeyes
Siva on 00 91 452 3105858 and I'll help you decide by talking through
the issues.

About the Author

Teeyes Siva heads the Sales Operations @ aalpha NET. He can be reached @ siva@aalphanet.com or 00 91 452 3105858. aalpha NET (http://www.aalphanet.com) - is India’s leading domain name registration, web hosting service provider.

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