subject: Shared Web Hosting Packages In Brief [print this page] This hub is the first of two providing an overview of the various types of web hosting available on the market. The focus in this first part is on the various forms of hosting which rely on shared web servers within data centers to host multiple websites.
The following summaries mention some of the benefits and drawbacks of each type of hosting platform and it is important to bear in mind what you actually need from your hosting provider when you weigh these up. Broadly, the two areas to consider are performance and uptime, whilst of course offsetting these against cost.
Data centres are purpose built facilities which are designed to house servers which meet these aims at affordable costs for the clients. They offer complex security and safety systems to ensure that the servers are not compromised whilst they are running and also have extensive systems in place to generate the optimal conditions (heat and humidity etc) for the servers to run smoothly and efficiently.
Depending on the type of hosting package in question, the other features to consider are:
the ability to control and customise hardware and software if the site needs bespoke or non-standard configurations.
the access to bandwidth - high bandwidth connections allow large amounts of traffic to flow quickly to and from the web server and so are more important for websites which experience high traffic volumes (i.e., page requests) or need to display a lot of content
the amount of disk space (i.e., storage) on offer which will determine how big the site can grow and how much content can be stored
the digital security of the platform, especially for sites that are obtaining or using sensitive data such as ecommerce sites.
Shared Hosting
The "shared" in shared hosting refers to the fact that the web server that hosts the site is shared between numerous clients and their websites. It is the typical "entry-level" option for small scale non-critical and non-sensitive (data) websites.
Features:
Client rents a portion of a server
The shared server also hosts other clients" websites
Benefits:
Inexpensive in comparison to other hosting platforms
Simple hosting platform for clients with limited hosting expertise
Physical security of data center location
Physical safety of data center location
Drawbacks:
Higher risk of security issues spreading from other websites
Higher risk of software failures caused activities by other clients etc
Limited physical resources such as bandwidth and disk space
Limited scope for configuration of the software platform (operating system etc)
Virtual Dedicated Servers
Usually shortened to VPS, this type of hosting still shares a single server across multiple sites/clients but each site has its own operating system partition and so it offers more control and security whilst remaining cost effective.
Features:
Client rents a virtual partition on a server
The shared server also hosts other clients" websites on separate partitions
Benefits:
Inexpensive in comparison to other hosting platforms
Allows greater customisation of each operating system
Physical security of data center location
Physical safety of data center location
Drawbacks:
Some risk of security issues spreading from other websites
Some risk of software failures caused activities by other clients etc
Limited physical resources such as bandwidth and disk space
Cloud Hosting
Cloud hosting essentially uses a large pool of physical hardware and resource to build virtualised hosting environments which are therefore not restricted to physical limitations. It can provide a solution for those who want a flexible platform where complete control and customisation is not a requirement.
Features:
Client rents virtual hosting resource
Hardware resource taken from multiple servers
Hosting resource (bandwidth, disk space etc) supplied on demand
Benefits:
Not reliant on one server - less risk of failures/downtime
Clients only pay for what they use
Seamlessly scalable - extra virtual resource can be assigned as and when it is required
Drawbacks:
Limitations on the ability to configure the platform
No scope for customising hardware
Risk of security issues spreading from other websites
