When you’re considering starting or upgrading a web hosting plan, you may want to consider the benefits of using databases to manage and structure the data you are collecting or displaying on your website. Using a database in conjunction with a web hosting plan can provide significant benefits. To use databases within a web hosting plan requires the use of structured query language (SQL) and you will see that different plans allow the use of MySQL and MS SQL.

What is the difference between the two and which is right for me?

MySQL is open source software – freely available to use without restriction. MS SQL is proprietary software, owned and licensed for use by Microsoft. Some would argue that this gives a benefit in that MS SQL is well supported and frequently updated. MySQL benefits from the fact that it costs nothing, and that a host of support is available on the web.

Both kinds of SQL are great for creating dynamic web content – and if you have ever visited commerce-enabled sites then you have probably interacted with web databases using these technologies. If you are using a Windows based server and you are familiar with products like Access, then MS SQL will probably make your life easier. If you are familiar with Linux and the operation of MySQL already, you will know the benefits this powerful application can bring you.

CWCS web hosting plans provide for the use of both MySQL or MS SQL, so you can choose a plan that is going to be suitable for you. If you have any doubts about which version of SQL is the best for you, our customer services representatives can help give you the information you require to make an informed decision.

Intrusion Detection Systems (IDS) and Intrusion Prevention Systems (IPS) should be an important part of any security services you use when running a secure and mission critical site. There is a subtle but important difference between the two different systems which can dramatically affect your choice in which one to use. In our examples we will discuss the widely used SNORT open source application which is capable of both methods.

With an IDS, your system will detect any suspicious internet traffic going to your site/servers. The software can run on its own machine either in front of your web server, beside your web server on the network or be installed on the same machine. If you have a small number of sites this can be very effective as it will report all traffic that could be suspicious and allow you investigate further and if needs be, plug any security gaps within your code or server software. The main disadvantage is that an IDS will not actually stop an attack from happening so in some instances, by the time you have checked the reports and repaired the problem, the damage has already been done.

Setting up an IPS is a little more intrusive. You need to add it in front of the server on its own separate machine for it to be fully effective (usually as a network bridge). This will then block and report any traffic which looks to be dangerous and prevent it reaching the server. This is an excellent way to secure your server and web site(s) from attack, however it can prevent genuine sites working if you receive a “false positive”. It also adds a point of failure to your system so that if it crashes or needs to restart, then it can take down your websites with it. CWCS would always recommend this method despite the drawbacks though as it offers a much more rounded and secure option.

Things are going really well. Your website has taken off and your business is expanding. You are thinking of taking the next step. You’ve even purchased your own server and are contemplating setting up your own data centre. How much will it all cost? Can you really afford to do it? What are the things you need?

There are a host of things you need to consider, apart from the expense and infrastructure required for the physical building and connectivity. Security, back-up power supplies, access, technical support and fire and flood protection, to name just a few! Luckily, colocation web hosting services can give you peace of mind while providing you with everything you need to keep your hardware up and running, your data safe, secure access to your server 24 hours per day, 7 day per week, while also protecting you from the kind of disasters that could seriously impact on the survival of your business.

With colocation web hosting you are spared the expense of setting up the infrastructure to support your server. It has been proven to be an extremely cost effective way of gaining the benefits derived from owning and operating your own hardware, with the added benefits of security, access, safety and support being provided by the colocation service.

CWCS colocation web hosting provides a service that keeps your hardware secure in a state-of-the-art secure data centre in Nottingham featuring the best modern security and safety provisions, while also allowing you full access to your hardware 24/7. If you are considering further expansion of this kind, give us a call.

You may have noticed that CWCS virtual dedicated servers come with a host of functional software, including the most popular web server in the world – Apache. Tomcat is also available and can be installed on request – but what is Tomcat and why would you use it?

If you want to use JSP pages or servlets on your website, you must use a servlet container such as Tomcat because Apache does not support these. Servlets are Java technologies that extend the usefulness of web servers. They are platform and server independent – meaning that you can choose specific servlets to enhance the usability and functionality of your site. Servlets are generally thought of as one of the best ways of creating interactive web-based applications such as browsing online catalogues, and commerce enabling applications like shopping carts and checkouts. Many example servlets are freely available on the web – java.sun.com is a good place to start.

Apache is written in the C/C++ programming language, which makes it blindingly fast at doing what it does best – serving up web pages. Tomcat, on the other hand, is written in Java, interpreted at runtime, and therefore somewhat slower. The good news is you can link both servers together, so gaining the functionality of Tomcat to parse servlets and JSP pages, while retaining the speed of Apache when serving standard HTML and PHP pages.

CWCS web hosting will install Tomcat on your Virtual dedicated servers on request. Full functionality is achieved by the use of recommended operating systems and some additional software.

If you are new to web design and are making use of a web hosting plan to give your business a net presence for the first time, it is easy to fall into the trap of trying too hard. Yes, you want your website to be eye-catching and modern, and you want to take advantage of the latest technologies to show that you are at the cutting edge of technology, but you don’t want the whole thing to look like a design disaster.

One of the most common mistakes that new designers make is to take advantage of all the ‘bells and whistles’ that are available, regardless of whether they are suitable to your specific situation. Rotating icons and flashing banners are a good example of things which can look great for ten seconds, but become very annoying after a very short period of time.

The best designers use web hosting to try to balance functionality, usability and aesthetics. Functionality assumes that interfaces to online queries, forms or database functions are easy and simple. Usability means that users should be able to access the information and features they require without a problem. Finally, aesthetics is the imperative to give your site a professional look which remains in keeping with your branding and sales requirements.

CWCS web hosting plans give you access to a wide variety of professional web creation tools, operating system software and bandwidth choices, allowing you to create good looking sites that will add cachet to your business and increase your sales of goods and services.

What is it that people want to see when they access your business online? Obviously they would like to be able to gain the information that they need to make informed decisions about the goods or services that you offer. To that extent your website needs to contain this information in a way which is accessible – but more than that, your site needs also to be well designed. A professional looking site will say a lot about you to your existing and future customers.

There are also requirements that you need for selfish reasons. Having a graphics-heavy site which looks good, but which is very difficult to update without relying on a design team to do the work may be counter productive. On the other hand, a site which is easy to update but which looks less than compelling will not draw new customers. Getting the right balance between these is not always an easy task.

These are some of the things you should bear in mind when thinking about a new site, or if you are upgrading an existing web presence. Technologies are now available that can make your web pages look good, while also allowing ease of maintenance. Three of the most useful of these web technologies are PHP, ASP and MySQL. You should ensure that any web hosting package gives you full access to these useful features.

CWCS web hosting plans provide access to the widest range of tools, allowing your designers to get just the right balance between functionality, ease of use and eye-catching design. Come to CWCS for your web hosting needs.