Database Hosting

If you need to explain your grandma, how website works, you are in big trouble. But still you can try telling the story about lots of boxes with ties where you put the pictures, texts, CDs with music, video cassettes with video files, sticky notes with short notes and other stuff.

If you need to explain what database is, you can use the same story. These boxes are the database cells where all the information is stored and retrieved using the relation ties between them. Database hosting would be a huge barrel with lots of boxes placed in rows and columns and connected to the internet tube.

The database is the essential foundation of the internet information and tools as all of it is stored and retrieved from the databases which are interlinked among each other. Database hosting is the first service you need to host your website. All other issues are just for better looks, more flexible information retreat and comfortable viewing.

The relational database hosting requires specific hardware and settings. It must be optimized for the specific database and storage platform, otherwise it will not work properly. The hosting provider must optimize the databases in the most effective way. Also in some cases the specific database software versions are needed, therefore the servers may have different databases or at least tools to install them on demand.

A database host must run certified versions of certified operating systems to ensure that database support licenses are valid and there are no problems with the paid distributions as well. Database should be an approved version as trial and beta versions may cause some unexpected problems. Customers, however, can add their own database software, but in case they have a dedicated server. All the rest hosting plans databases are managed exclusively by hosting company technicians who are professionals of their craft.

How Database Hosting Works

The database hosting works quite simple. System administrator prepares the server for the hosting plans by splitting it to some specific nodes with the specific requirements. The most popular hosting settings are called LAMP – Linux Operational System + Apache webserver + MySQL database + PHP programming language supported. Once all of these applications are installed, they are properly customized for the customer needs. For example, shared hosting plans have some limitations of database amount, therefore admin sets the needed amount of databases, for instance 2 or 10 databases per plan.

Database hosting is not only LAMP settings. There are other servers – WAMP or MAMP meaning that all the settings run with different OS – Windows or even Mac OS. However MySQL database are deployed in all of them.

There are few types of hosting which affect different database hosting permissions for the users.

• Free web hosting is usually based on single database per account as it has basic hosting features with very limited possibilities of customization.

• Shared web hosting also has database hosting limitations. Usually the cheapest plans have 2-10 databases limit per account. Advanced shared hosting plans provide unlimited database hosting together with other unlimited features.

• Cloud VPS hosting is managed by the customer who actually can install any database one needs. Also the number of databases is not limited at all.

• Dedicated server hosting means even more possibilities for the customer who actually install everything without hosting provider intrusion to the physical server.

What Type of Databases Host1Plus Supports

Host1Plus as international hosting and database hosting provider has prepared some flexible database hosting solutions.

In the first place we would like to emphasize that we provide both MySQL and PostgreSQL databases in our shared hosting plans. That means user can choose which database should be used on demand.

Host1Plus provides the possibilities to install the desired databases using VPS hosting order tools. User can configure his cloud VPS hosting plan and install one of the following most popular databases:

• MySQL

• PostgreSQL

• MicrosoftSQL (paid, compatible with Windows hosting)

• SQLLite

• SQLBase

• Oracle

• …and other open source and paid databases.

They can be used in VPS hosting plans with specific virtualizations.

Which database should be used is determined by the customer as he knows better what his project will be. As mentioned before this applies only to Host1Plus’ VPS hosting services.

Inexpensive database hosting from Host1Plus will fit all the customers’ needs no matter what size the projects are and how many of them will be hosted in one hosting plan. Our professional customer support will help if some problems persist working with the database settings and other hosting issues. Host1Plus also has a community forum where experienced users can share their experience and knowledge with the new ones and explain some issues in a better way than our customer support guys.

Features Provided With Database Hosting

Database features are mostly the same with some small exceptions, therefore almost all the hosting providers can offer the following database hosting features:

• Database management tools – the special applications which allow the database management in a graphical interface. Usually such applications are installed together with server control panels.

• Server statistics tools – customer can observe the server load, data transfer rates and other statistics, how databases perform daily and real time. This is a very important tool for every system administrator. The statistics tools can prevent websites from crashing as a result of mistake in the code, bad database management or server quotas overused.

• Database creation tools – customer can easily add new database and set the access and other setting. If shared hosting is used, the database creation is done by autoinstallers, but in VPS hosting they may be useful.

• Database installation applications – some databases have separate installation applications for easy installation procedures.

There are more database management tools which help customer optimize the performance of the databases and observe the usage.

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