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Web Hosting Glossary

This is a useful glossary of web hosting terms.

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Active Server Page (ASP)
This is a file that contains embedded server-side scripting that is executed on a server and sent to and displayed in a web browser as a standard HTML file. It enables web pages to be created dynamically. The file will usually have the extension .asp

Apache
The most widely used HTTP server on the Internet.

Bandwidth
This is the data transfer capacity of a transmission medium - the higher the bandwidth the faster the data can be transferred. In digital communications, the transfer capacity expressed in bits per second (bps) or megabits per second (Mbps).

CGI
Common Gateway Interface - This a server-side program or script.

cgi-bin
Where cgi scripts are normally placed on a web server.

Cold Fusion
Online database management software from Macromedia. Not all web hosts support this.

Cron Jobs
These are server commands or programs which are scheduled to run automatically on the server at specified time intervals. Not all web hosts support this.

Data Center
This is the building in which the web servers are located.

Database
This is a structured collection of data.

Data Transfer
This is the amount of data transfer that your web host allows your site to use each month.

Dedicated Hosting
Each website is hosted on a separate web server.

Disc Space
This is the amount of storage space you get on the web server.

DNS
Domain Name System - A hierarchical, distributed database that contains mappings of DNS domain names to various types of data, such as IP addresses. DNS enables the location of computers and services by user-friendly names.

DOS Attack
denial-of-service attack. An attack on a website in which the attacker exploits a weakness or a design limitation of the web server to overload or halt the service, so that the service becomes un-available for use.

Domain Names
A series of words separated by dots identifying an IP address. Example mysite.com

Domain Parking
Companies which register domain for you usually provide a nameserver for domains that do not yet have their own hosting.

Error Pages
These are the pages that are shown to your visitors when an error has occurred. For example when a page they requested cannot be found or they have tried to access a page that you do not want them to see.

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