WHOLE WHEAT: HOSTING TERMS DEFINED

What is "Hosting"? For most people it is a mysterious term that has something to do with computers and the Internet. Hosting is a term used to describe an Internet related service: providing computer space and Internet Tools for web site or web-based data base customers. Most business people don't even think it, but it is something we put at a high priority at Wheat Communications and Ascendant Hosting.

Dedicated Server vs. Reseller. Many companies that have 20/mo. fees or less are resellers that purchase part of another server and them jam it full of web sites and databases. As ours is NOT a resold part, but is called a "dedicated" server. AND - we monitor it each day with special alerting programs.

Volume vs. Customer Service. Many hosting companies set their fees low so that they can attract a large volume of clients. Customer service falls short in most volume-driven situations, as the company simply cannot afford to help clients with details and problems. Customer Service drives our hosting. We see our job as providing our clients with useful tools to help them with their business. E-mail is a big part of customer service. If e-mail isn't working properly, or the password is lost, or you need to add or delete an e-mail address…you need the tools to do so right at your fingertips. That is our job – provide YOU with the tools and CONTROL you need to properly run this portion of your business.

Server Farm vs. Closet Care. Some servers are located in a company's closet. While conditions may be OK for proper functioning of the server computer, we have chosen to use a "Server Farm". A server farm is basically a company who dedicated to taking care of hosting servers. They must maintain proper surveillance, security, backup, power, and air conditions. For example: air condition factors such as humidity, heat, or dust can play a vital role in how the server functions.

24/7/365. This term refers to the level of technical support and technical staffing of our server in its server farm. There is always staff there to monitor the server.

Redundant Back Up. Not just one back up line, but MORE than one line.

High Speed Connectivity. Not T1, nor cable, nor DSL – but lines called "OC" lines. These lines are fiber optical lines. (See http://lucent.com key word "OC") They measure transfer of data in GIGABYTES per SECOND! They are awesome in their speed. Our server has high connectivity with the main Internet service providers. Why? So whoever is going to your site gets there fast on our end. We can't speak for how your viewer is connected – but we can do all that we can to make sure that YOUR web site & data gets to them as quickly as possible.

Monitoring Server Functions. It's important to have technical staff monitoring the servers all the time. Our server has technical staff there at all times…and their job is to make sure WE are happy with their service to us. And hear us on this – they listen when we ask for help or service!

Backbones of the Internet. OK, you say – now this writer has really lost their marbles! Who ever heard of such a term! Well, it is a term to describe "Central Hubs of Connectivity". In other words, the US has central hubs where the main ISP providers all connect together in a close location. What does this mean for us as business people? It means that there are more reliable connections – faster connections.

Linux and Redhat Servers. We don't mean to offend NT lovers, but we prefer the Linux. We consider these to be more stable, more user friendly, and more secure. Our server runs programs called "Redhat", "MySQL", "FrontPage Extensions", and more.

Customer Interface Panel. (Cpanel) No, it's not a mirror nor a home building project term! It is best described as a web site into which you, a customer, can go into and work with tools on your section of our server. Why? Simple – "quick" and "control". You can quickly make changes you wish made. For more information, click here.

We hope we have explained some terms about the hosting. We have about four more pages of information, if you wish to read it. If you wish more information, give us a call! 405-755-8187. We will be delighted to answer questions.