February 23, 2011
How To Pick Between Windows And Linux Website Hosting Options
Those making technology decisions will often face a challenge by being presented with too much information. There are many myths and a huge amount of irrelevant information that does not help anyone. This is so even for those who are sourcing operating systems for their web hosting. Some of the myths that you may have heard could include the fact that you should host using the same operating system as you run on your computer. This is incorrect and servers as an example of the many lies that have marred this debate.
There are those who prefer to use Linux for their own reasons while Windows too has those who consider it the best. There are advantages of using either and situations where it is less suited. We shall try and do an impartial assessment of these two and try to establish where to apply either of these and why. The choice is especially difficult for those who are looking for business web hosting because their decision will not only have an impact as a cost but it will also have revenue implications. Need should be the guiding factor here, similar to all other resources. Your decision will be greatly influenced by the kind of website you are looking to host. Linux hosting will be best suited for those looking to host a small, basic and static website that is non commercial. The major factor in this situation here is cost. Linux is also the preferred choice when it comes to websites that run many processes and experience high traffic. Linux is also preferred by advanced users or those who are sourcing their services from a managed dedicated server host service provider.
Beginners will find it better to use Windows hosting. Having a friendly user interface is one of the leading reasons for its popularity with this group. You will also be able to integrate Microsoft products more easily when using a Windows server. The cost of Windows hosting is however one of it’s main disadvantages. Besides paying for the operating systems, all additional software comes at an additional cost.
You could also find yourself tied to either of these OS by virtue of the programming language you choose to use. An example is ASP which is only applicable when running a Windows server since it is a Microsoft application. Some applications can run on both Windows and Linux hosting with a good example here being PHP.
With a competent administrator you can host on either of these systems without compromising performance. It is also almost unanimously agreed that Linux offers greater stability even under heavier loads and is therefore a preferred choice for bigger and busier websites. A Linux dedicated server host will cost much less as compared to a similar one that is running Windows. Your hosting needs will in some situations not be fully met by running Linux. In such a situation, Windows will be the system for you.
For business web hosting try KDA Web Services who also specialise in managed dedicated servers services.
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