Web Hosting Terminology
A - B - C - D
- E - F - G - H
- I - J - K - L - M - N
- O - P -
Q - R - S - T - U
- V - W - X - Y - Z
A
Administrative Contact
The administrative contact is an individual authorized to
interact with the domain registrar on behalf of the domain name registrant. The
administrative contact should be able to answer questions about the domain
name's registration and the domain name registrant.
Alias
Alternate name.
Applet
An applet is an embedded program on a web site. Applets are
usually written in the coding language called Java. They are mainly used for
creating a virtual or 3-dimensional object that may move or interact with the
web site. It is a small executable module, that normally doesn't have the
complete features and user interface of a normal application. Java is the
language most commonly associated with applets. An applet is like a small piece
of executable code that needs a full application to contain it. The applet runs
inside of the application in a "sand box" or "virtual
machine," which is a set of computer resources and instructions that make
up an environment for the applet's execution.
ASP (Active Server Pages)
Active Server Pages enable web developers to make their sites
dynamic with database driven content. The code is mainly written in VB Script,
and it is produced on the server of the web site instead of the browser of your
web site visitors. The server reads the ASP code and then translates it to raw
HTML. This means that the web site owner doesn't have to worry about the visitor
having the right tools to view the web site's dynamic content. The only downfall
to ASP is that since it is run from the server, it takes longer for the pages to
load because there are more steps involved in translating the code.
Audio Streaming
The process of providing audio content on a web site. This
takes up a nice amount of bandwidth, especially if you get a lot of visitors at
your site. Some hosts do not allow audio or video streaming because of this. If
you are going to want audio on your site, you should make sure that your host
supports audio streaming first. This is usually stated in their plans.
Auto Responder
An automated program that acknowledges receipt of an e-mail
message, and then sends back a previously prepared email to the sender, letting
them know it was received or that certain actions are being taken. Most of you
probably already have a basic idea of what this is when you go on vacation and
you create an auto response at your work to let everyone that emails you know
that you will be away for the next week. Autoresponders are frequently used to
handle requests for additional information or to confirm sales or other online
transactions. Once you configure your autoresponder, it sends e-mail with no
further action required on your part, making your web site interactive around
the clock.
B
Backbone
In the general sense, this means the main network connections
that comprise the Internet.
Backups
Web hosts back up data on their servers. Many host packages
offer backups every 24 hours. This is supposed to prevent the loss of data
should something happen to the server.
Bandwidth
This is the amount of data that is sent through a connection
during a set period of time. It is usually measured in bits per second. If you
have a large web site, with many visitors, you will need a lot more bandwidth
than someone with a one page web site that gets 2 visitors a month. Some hosting
plans offer unlimited bandwidth, but most have limits or will just make you pay
for extra bandwidth because if a site is clogging their servers with visitors,
they want to get compensated for that.
Billing Contact
The billing contact is the person designated to receive the
invoice for domain name registration and re-registration fees. The billing
contact must be a reliable, trustworthy source that will pay the re-registration
dues on time. If you decide to register your domain through a host where THEY
fill out the information, please make sure that they specify YOU as
administrative and billing contacts and not THEM.
Browser (Web Browser)
It is software used to locate web pages on the WWW and then
display them on your computer monitor. Once connected to the Internet, your
browser fetches documents from various web servers, translates the HTML, and
displays the results for you.
C
Catch-all Email Account
A lot of hosts offer a Catch-all Email account. This means
that anything@yourdomain.com will go to you. This way, you can have
Sales@abc.com, Support@abc.com, WebMaster@abc.com, and so on - with all of it
going to the root email account. This also helps when a user makes a typo in the
email address, as long as they get the domain correct.
CGI (Common Gateway Interface)
A CGI is a program that tanslates data from a web server and
then displays that data on a web page or in an email. CGI involves the transfer
of data between a server and a CGI program (called a script). This allows HTML
pages to interact with other programming applications. These scripts make web
pages interactive. Page counters, forms, guest books, random text/images and
other features can be driven by CGI scripts. Some servers have
pre-installed/pre-defined CGI scripts, meaning that the scripts are already
installed on the server for you to use on your site. Some servers permit
user-defined or custom CGI scripts, which means the site owner creates his/her
own CGI script and runs this custom made script on the web site. Not all servers
allow user-defined (custom) scripts for security reasons..
Chat Server
The web host will allow you to develop a chat room or other
type of chat service for your visitors. Be sure to check with the web host
company about the details of the chat services offered. Some servers permit you
to configure the service, and others pre-configure everything for you while
others do not allow chat rooms at all.
Click Through
This term is used to describe the ratio of clicks to
impressions on an advertisement, usually a banner ad. If a banner has been shown
100 times and 3 people click on it, it will have a 3% click through ratio.
Cold Fusion
An application which simplifies database queries by allowing
for a simpler programming language to handle functions between the user's
browser, the server, and the database.
Co-location
Basically this is just owning a server but having it at
another location for the use of their internet connection. This is great for
people who want to own their own server, but do not want the hassle or security
risk of maintaining that server in their environment.
Control Panel
An online package of tools permitting easy site management and
editing.
Cookie
A message given to a Web browser by a Web server. The browser
stores the message in a text file called cookie.txt. The message is then sent
back to the server each time the browser requests a page from the server. The
main purpose of cookies is to identify users and possibly prepare customized Web
pages for them. When you enter a Web site using cookies, you may be asked to
fill out a form providing such information as your name and interests. This
information is packaged into a cookie and sent to your Web browser which stores
it for later use. The next time you go to the same Web site, your browser will
send the cookie to the Web server. The server can use this information to
present you with custom Web pages. So, for example, instead of seeing just a
generic welcome page you might see a welcome page with your name on it.
CSS (Cascading Style Sheets)
Used to add more functionality to simple HTML pages. Internet
Explorer 3.0 and up support a good portion of CSS, while Netscape 4.0 and up
supports a small amount of CSS - a fully compliant browser does not exist yet.
D
Database Support
General way of saying the server supports various database
functions. Some commonly used database programs are MySQL, Access, Oracle, and
FoxPro. Databases can be very difficult to configure properly. Before you sign
up with a web host, first inquire if the host can support your database needs.
Data Transfer
This is the amount of data that is transferred from an account
as visitors view the pages of the web site. If you have a web site with lots of
video, audio, and images that gets many visitors per day, you would have to make
sure that you choose a host that will allow large amounts of data to be
transferred. If you choose a host that only allows 200 MB of data transfer per
month, and your site transferred 500 MB per month, then the host may stop half
of your visitors from viewing your site and you could lose potential customers.
Your best bet is to try to find a host that offers unlimited data transfer or at
least a Gig of transfer. A gig is more than enough for most web sites. As a
general rule, 500 MB of data transfer is equivalent to 20,00o page views.
Dedicated Servers
A more expensive type of account in which the web hosting
company provides you with an ENTIRE set-up of server hardware for your use. This
usually means a much faster loading time for your site because the entire
computer is "dedicated" to running the server software. This is
different from most other hosting accounts in which your web site will share
space on a server with many other web sites, called a virtual server.
DNS Parking
DNS service for a domain is provided without there being a web
site for that domain.
Domain Name
The unique name that identifies an Internet site. Domain Names
always have 2 or more parts, separated by dots. The part on the left is the most
specific, and the part on the right is the most general. A given machine may
have more than one Domain Name but a given Domain Name points to only one
machine. For example, the domain names: entrepreneurhost.com
database.entrepreneurhost.com
can all refer to the same machine, but each domain name can refer to no more
than one machine.
It is also possible for a Domain Name to exist but not be
connected to an actual machine. This is often done so that a group or business
can have an Internet e-mail address without having to establish a real Internet
site. In these cases, some real Internet machine must handle the mail on behalf
of the listed Domain Name. Also, just to note, the .com extensions are worth
more in value because they are the most widely used and the most well known. It
is also a smart marketing decision. If your ebusiness should ever move up to
television and/or radio advertising, and even Internet advertising, most of the
general Internet public remembers .com extensions. And if they don't remember
the extension at all but they do remember the domain name, they will more than
likely type the .com in their browser. Technically, the domain name is a name
that identifies an IP address. To most of us, it simply means www.yourname.com.
Because the Internet is based on IP addresses, not domain names, web servers
depend on a Domain Name System (DNS) to translate domain names into IP
addresses. Simply stated, domain names allow people to find your web site by
name rather than by numerical address.
Domain Name System (DNS)
A distributed database of information that is used to
translate domain names into Internet Protocol (IP) numbers (usually looks
something like 123.456.789.101). In other words, computers need numbers in order
to function. The computer itself does not care whether you are ebay.com or
yahoo.com. It has no idea how to find the name, it needs a number that
identifies that name. So when you buy a domain, say www.yourname.com, it is
nothing until you get it hosted somewhere and until that host assigns a number
to your domain
E
E-Commerce
Seems to be an overused term. It usually refers to doing
business on the WWW. E-commerce packages offered by web host companies often
include a shopping cart (lets shoppers select purchases), secure server for
credit card transactions, etc. Other options are often included, such as
software to develop an online product catalog and marketing services.
E-Mail
Electronic mail permits the sending of primarily text-based
information and html across the Internet.
E-Mail Alias
Also called a forwarding account (see below). Allows you to
appear to have an e-mail address on a certain domain, yet in reality the e-mail
is forwarded to your real e-mail account. It allows you to have your e-mail
automatically forwarded to any e-mail address you specify. This is a great way
to get your mail when you're out of town, etc.
E-Mail POP Account
An actual e-mail account on your web host's e-mail server. POP
stands for Post Office Protocol.
Encrypted Password
A password that has been scrambled to protect it from being
discovered and used by someone other than the person to whom it belongs.
Exposure
Term used to describe when a banner advertisement is loaded on
a web page and displayed to a user. Also refered to as Impression.
F
Finger
An Internet software tool for locating people on other
Internet sites. Finger is also sometimes used to give access to non-personal
information, but the most common use is to see if a person has an account at a
particular Internet site. Many sites do not allow incoming Finger requests, but
many do.
FP (Frontpage) Extensions
This simply refers to Microsoft Front Page server extensions.
The FP2K indicates that the server supports the latest version of the program,
MS Front Page 2000. These extensions can be thought of as "mini
programs" that allow features of a web site created with MS Front Page to
operate smoothly. It is possible to use MS Front Page to create a web site and
host that site on a server that doesn't offer FP extensions, however some of the
powerful features of the program cannot be used in these web sites. See
Microsoft's Front Page site for more information.
Front Page
Front Page is an HTML editor made by Microsoft. It is commonly
used to create web pages.
FTP (File Transfer Protocol)
It is a way of uploading and downloading files across the
Internet. Most web sites are uploaded to the Internet by means of an FTP
program. This is how the web site you create on your computer at home is
transferred (uploaded) to the Internet. Some software, such as Microsoft Front
Page, does not require use of an FTP program but the use of most any other HTML
editor requites the use of and FTP Program. There is a free FTP program called
WS_FTP and you can download it at download.com. There are many Internet sites
that have established publicly accessible repositories of material that can be
obtained using FTP, by logging in using the account name anonymous, thus these
sites are called anonymous FTP servers.
G
Gigabyte (Gig)
Equivalent to approximately 1000 megabytes.
H
Host (Name Server)
When you hear the term "host" in the Internet world,
it is referring to an Internet company that has the required servers and
software to connect domain names to (IP) Internet Protocol numbers so that your
site can be viewed by the public when they type your domain in their browser
window. Basically this is where you house your site, and you usually have to pay
a monthly or annual fee for this service. There are free hosts, but in most
cases, in order to use their services you must put one of their advertisement
banners on your site, and most of them limit what you can do with your site.
Sometimes it is better to pay $8/month for a host because it gives you more
freedom and is ad free with the exception of the ads you post yourself.
HTML
Stands for Hyper Text Markup Language. This is the code that
web pages are written in. The next time you visit a web site, go to View >
Source on your browser to take a look at what the coding of a web site looks
like.
HTTP (HyperText Transport Protocol)
The protocol for transfering hypertext files across the
Internet. Requires a HTTP client program on one end, and an HTTP server program
on the other end. HTTP is the most important protocol used in the World Wide Web
(WWW). You see it everytime you type a web site in your browser http://...
Hypertext Link
A way to embed a URL into an object (such as text or an image)
so that when the object is clicked, the browser retrieves the file specified.
When you click them, you are taken to other files or another portion of a same
file or to another website.
I
IMAP (Internet Message Access Protocol)
A protocol for retrieving e-mail messages from an e-mail
server. Some versions allow you to search your e-mail messages for keywords
while those messages are still on your server. Then you can decide which
messages you choose to download to your computer.
Impression
Term used to describe when a banner advertisement is loaded on
a web page and displayed to a user. Also refered to as Exposure.
Internet
A global network of millions of connected computers.
Internet Protocol (IP) Numbers (IP addresses)
A unique number used to specify hosts and networks. Internet
Protocol (IP) numbers are used for identifying machines that are connected to
the Internet. They are sometimes called a dotted quad and are unique numbers
consisting of 4 parts separated by dots, They would look something like this
123.456.789.101. Every machine that is on the Internet has a unique IP number -
if a machine does not have an IP number, it is not really on the Internet. Most
machines also have one or more Domain Names that are easier for people to
remember.
ISP (Internet Service Provider)
A company or institution that provides access to the Internet
in some form, usually for money. They will usually allow users to dial up
through a modem, DSL, or cable connection to view the information on the
internet. Access is via SLIP, PPP, or TCP/IP.
InterNIC
InterNIC was the name given to a project that provided domain
name registration services in com, net, org, and edu. Now that the project has
ended, other companies can now offer domain registration. Companies such as
Network Solutions and Register.com now do what InterNic used to do.
IRC (Internet Relay Channel)
A massive network of text-based chat channels (chat rooms)
across the world.
J
Java (Java Script)
A programming language developed by Sun Microsystems.
Originally was named OAK. Small Java applications are called applets. It is a
scripting language which enables web designers to add dynamic, interactive
elements to a web site.
M
Mailing lists
Many web host providers offer software to assist you in
operating a mailing list. This software usually includes automated subscription
requests and subscriber database management.
Megabyte
Approximately a million bytes or 1024 kilobytes.
MS-SQL
This means that the server offers the components you need to
use Microsoft SQL database in your web site. Other databases of importance are
MySQL, ODBC and Oracle.
MySQL
MySQL is a database server. It is commonly coupled with PHP to
provide a way for users to access data stored in the database from the web. It
is commonly found on Unix servers.
N
Name Server
Also called a host or a name server. A computer that has both
the software and the data needed to resolve domain names to Internet Protocol
(IP) numbers. Most name servers have names like NS1.whatever.com.
NIC Handle
A unique identifier, which can be up to 10 alpha-numeric
characters, assigned to each domain name record, contact record, and network
record in Network Solutions' domain name database. Note that NIC Handles are
specific to Network Solutions and is not a term used for Registrars in general.
NT servers Servers
Computers that run Microsoft NT server software as their
Operating System.
O
Operating System
A program on your computer which runs your other programs and
your hardware. It's what makes everything work from the data you enter on your
keyboard to the output you see on your monitor. It organizes your programs and
data files, and manages your disk drives and peripheral devices. Windows, DOS
and UNIX are examples of operating systems.
P
PERL (Practical Extraction and Report Language)
A popular programming language which has strong text
processing capabilities.
PHP
PHP is another scripting language. Like ASP, it's commands are
embeded within the HTML of a web page. The commands are executed on the web
server, making it browser independant. The web browser only sees the resulting
HTML output of the PHP code.
POP (Post Office Protocol)
It's a method of retrieving e-mail from an e-mail server. Most
e-mail applications (sometimes called an e-mail client) use the POP protocol,
although some can use the newer IMAP (Internet Message Access Protocol). There
are two versions of POP. The first, called POP2, became a standard in the
mid-80's and requires SMTP to send messages. The newer version, POP3, can be
used with or without SMTP. The newest and most widely used version of POP email
is POP3 email. You will see the term POP3 in most of the web hosting plans
available today.
PPP (Point to Point Protocol)
A method of connecting a computer to the Internet.
Primary Server
The designation of "primary" means that this name
server will be used first and will be relied upon before any of the other name
servers.
Protocol
The format by which data is transferred between two computers.
R
Real Audio/Video
A RealServer stream, which allows a web site owner to
broadcast audio and video. Site visitors can experience this audio and/or video
by installing a simple plug-in into their browser. To find out more, please
visit Real.com.
Redundant Internet Connection
The web host company has more than one main connection to the
Internet, ensuring that if one becomes non-functional, Internet connectivity
remains intact via the other main connections.
Registrant
The individual or organization that registers a specific
domain name. This individual or organization holds the right to use that
specific domain name for a specified period of time, provided certain conditions
are met and the registration fees are paid. This person or organization is the
"legal entity" of that web site.
Registration
The process through which individuals and organizations obtain
a domain name. Registration of a domain name enables the individual or
organization to use that particular domain name for a specified period of time,
or as long as the required fees are paid.
Registration Fee
The charge for registering a Web Address or domain name.
Registration Forms
Forms that are used to submit and process registration
requests. These forms, which include the Domain Name Registration Agreement,
Contact Form, and Host Form, are used to register new domain names, new contacts
for domain names, and new hosts (name servers) as well as to update domain name,
contact, and host records. There are both Web versions and plain text (ASCII)
versions of the forms.
Re-registration
The process of renewing a domain name's registration for a
specified period of time. This is accomplished by paying the re-registration fee
which covers the amount of years you are renewing the domain for.
Resellable Space
Your web host provider will allow you to sell all or portions
of of the web space (which you are paying for) to others who want web space.
Many web hosting companies have reseller programs.
Resolve
The term used to describe the process by which domain names
are matched with corresponding Internet Protocol (IP) numbers.
"Resolution" is accomplished by a combination of computers and
software, which use the data in the Domain Name System to determine which IP
numbers correspond to a particular domain name. Basically, it is translating a
number to the name you see in your browser for the web site you are visiting.
Root server
A machine that has the software and data needed to locate name
servers that contain authoritative data for the top-level domains.
S
Script
List of commands that can be executed without user
interaction. Sometimes used as another term for macro or batch file.
Second Level Domain
In the Domain Name System (DNS), the next lower level of the
hierarchy underneath the top level domains. In a domain name, that portion of
the domain name that appears immediately to the left of the .com, .net, .org,
etc...) For example, the webhostsonline.com would be the second level domain for
this web site. The top-level domain is .com.
Secondary Server
The name server will be used as a backup for the primary name
server in the event that the primary server becomes unavailable.
Server
A computer, or software package, that provides a specific kind
of service to client software running on other computers. The term can refer to
a particular piece of software, such as a WWW or HTTP server, or to the machine
on which the software is running. A single server machine could have several
different server software packages running on it, thus providing many different
servers to clients on the network. More specifically, a server is a computer
that manages network resources. For example, a network server would manage
network traffic. A file server would store and serve files.
Server Logs (Traffic Logs)
This is raw statistical data stored on the server. It contains
information such as how many visitors accessed certain pages of your site, what
web sites referred those visitors to your site, and the domain name of the
visitor. This information is very useful in determining which sections of your
web site are more heavily traveled and what sites are referring traffic to
yours.
Shell Account
Something experienced computer users often request. Permits
you to edit your files online in real-time, rather than making changes to your
site offline and then uploading the changes.
SLIP (Serial Line Internet Protocol)
A way of connecting a computer to the Internet.
SMTP (Simple Mail Transport Protocol)
The main protocol used to send electronic mail on the
Internet. Most Internet email is sent and received using SMTP. SMTP consists of
a set of rules for how a program sending mail and a program receiving mail
should interact.
SPAM (Electronic Junk Mail) a.k.a. UCE (Unsolicted
Commercial Email)
Often used to refer to the practice of sending out massive
amounts of e-mail promotions or ads which the recipient has not asked to
receive. It is a waste of people's time and network bandwidth and is simply
illegal in some part of the world.
SSI (Server Side Includes)
Commands that can be included in web pages that are processed
by the web server when a user requests a file. The command takes the form
<!--#include virtual="/path/to/file"-->. A common use for SSI
commands is to insert a universal menu into all of the pages of the web site so
that the menu only has to be changed once and inserted with SSI instead of
changing the menu on every page.
SSL (Secure Sockets Layer)
A protocol designed by Netscape Communications to enable
encrypted, authenticated communications across the Internet. It is used mostly
(but not exclusively) in communications between web browsers and web servers.
URL's that begin with "https" indicate that an SSL connection will be
used. SSL provides 3 important things
Privacy, Authentication, and Message Integrity. In an SSL
connection each side of the connection must have a Security Certificate, which
each side's software sends to the other. Each side then encrypts what it sends
using information from both its own and the other side's Certificate, ensuring
that only the intended recipient can de-crypt it, and that the other side can be
sure the data came from the place it claims to have come from, and that the
message has not been tampered with.
Statistics
Many servers take the information from your server/traffic log
and compile it in a user-friendly, easy-to-read format for you to analyze trends
about your web site.
Support
Telephone or e-mail technical support provided to a web
hosting company's customers. When there's a problem with your site or your
e-mail, you want to be able to get an answer promptly by e-mail or on the phone.
T
T-1
A connection capable of carrying data at 1,544,000
bits-per-second. At maximum theoretical capacity, a T-1 line could move a
megabyte in less than 10 seconds. That is still not fast enough for full-screen,
full-motion video, for which you need at least 10,000,000 bits-per-second. T-1
is the fastest speed commonly used to connect networks to the Internet.
T-3
A leased-line connection capable of carrying data at
44,736,000 bits-per-second. This is more than enough to do full-screen,
full-motion video.
TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol)
This is a set of communications protocols to connect hosts on
the Internet.
Telnet
The command and program used to login from one Internet site
to another. The telnet command/program gets you to the login prompt
of another host.
Technical Contact/Agent
The technical contact is the person or organization who
maintains the primary domain name server. The technical contact should be able
to answer technical questions about the domain name's primary domain name
server.
Third Level Domain
The next highest level of the hierarchy underneath the second
level domains. In a domain name, that portion of the domain name that appears
two segments to the left of the top-level domain. For example, the your in
your.domain.com.
TLD (Top Level Domain)
This is the suffix on a domain name, such as .com or .org or
.edu. It is the highest level of the hierarchy after the root. That portion of
the domain name that appears to the far right such as the com in
webhostsonline.com.
U
UNIX
A computer operating system designed to be used by many people
at the same time (it is multi-user) and has TCP/IP built-in. It is the most
common operating system for servers on the Internet.
Unlimited Hits
This indicates whether or not you will incur additional
charges from your web hosting company for high levels of traffic at your site.
Make sure you understand clearly how much traffic you are allowed to receive
monthly before additional charges are assessed against your account.
URL(Uniform Resource Locator)
The standard way to give the address of any resource on the
Internet that is part of the World Wide Web (WWW). Think of it as a unique
address for each of your files in your web site. A URL looks like this:
http://www.entrepreneurhost.com/index.html
The most common way to use a URL is to enter into a WWW
browser program, such as Internet Explorer, Netscape, or Lynx.
V
Video Streaming
The process of providing video data or content via a web page.
Virtual Server
A web server which shares its resources with multiple users.
It's another way of saying that multiple web sites share the resources of one
server.
W
Web Design
Some servers offer to create your web site in addition to
hosting it on their server. Be sure to check about the extent of their
expertise, and ask to see sites they've created.
Web Page
A document on the World Wide Web, identified by an unique URL.
Web Server
A computer that serves up (delivers to your computer) web
pages. Web hosting companies offer virtual servers and dedicated servers.
Whois
A searchable database maintained by Registrars which contain
information about networks, networking organizations, domain names, and the
contacts associated with them for the com, org, net, edu, and ISO 3166 country
code top-level domains. Also, the protocol, or set of rules, that describes the
application used to access the database.
WWW (World Wide Web)
A portion of the Internet designated to support documents in
HTML format.
Sources: Web Hosts Online / Webopedia / Internet
Glossary
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