Dedicated Server Guides

revenue27 asked:

If you are operating on a Windows system, there is a large choice in Windows dedicated servers available today. Years ago, dedicated servers were not as prevalent as they are now. Because there are so many dedicated servers available on the market, the price of getting a dedicated server has dropped in the past few years.

In choosing Windows dedicated servers, you may want to ask yourself just what type of space you need as well as bandwidth. This will determine what type of server is right for you. Windows dedicated servers come with different options, as well as services. The type that you need depends on the type of business that you have.

There are many different budget dedicated servers on the internet than ever before. Some of these budget servers actually split the main server into several different dedicated servers. A true dedicated server only caters to your business. Your website is the only website that the server hosts, which frees up your website and allows it to expand and have abundant traffic flow.

Windows dedicated servers that are on the market today range in price, depending on the type of service that you are seeking as well as size and bandwidth. Naturally, the more space and bandwidth you need, the larger the server and the more it will cost.

You also need to pay attention to the services offered by the dedicated server provider. If the server crashes, for example, what sort of guarantee do they have that they will get it up and running? When you have your own internet business that relies on customer traffic, you cannot afford to be offline for days. You need a dedicated server that is reliable as well as the company that maintains it.

Unless you have a very large business with your own IT crew, chances are that you will have to rely on the maintenance of the service provider for whichever of the Windows dedicated servers that you choose. It cannot be overstated how important this service is to you and your business. You never, ever want to lose business because your server is down for days and the provider is unavailable.

One way to find the best Windows dedicated servers is by going on the internet and discovering different companies that are willing to provide you with this service. Many of them have their telephone numbers listed in online directories. This is the best option as you can actually speak to someone and explain to them what you are seeking in a dedicated server. This will also give you an opportunity to test out their knowledge as well as their customer relation skills.

Expect to pay much more for Windows dedicated servers than Windows shared servers. However, the extra space, attention and bandwidth will be worth it if you have a growing business. There is no reason to lose customers that you try so hard to attract to you website if you choose one of the reliable Windows dedicated servers that are on the market today.

Mehta Ankit Chandrakant asked:


Chapter-1

Introduction:- Client/Server is one of the computer Industries newest and hottest buzzwords. There is no generic definition of client/server as it is used to depist number of nature, developing, and anticipateologies. However the general idea is that clients and servers are separate logical entities that work together Attention over a network to accomplish a task. Client-server is very fashionable. As such, it might be just a temporary fad; but there is general recognition that it is something fundamental and far-reaching; for example, the Gartner Group, who are leading industry analysts in this field, have predicted that

“By 1995 client-server will be a synonym for computing.” Most of the initial client/server success stories involve small-scale applications that provide direct or indirect access to transactional data in legacy systems. The business need to provide data access to decision makers, the relative immaturity of client/server tools and technology, the evolving use of wide area networks and the lack of client/server expertise make these attractive yet low risk pilot ventures. As organizations move up the learning curve from these small-scale projects towards mission-critical applications, there is a corresponding increase in performance expectations, uptime requirements and in the need to remain both flexible and scalable. In such a demanding scenario, the choice and implementation of appropriate architecture becomes critical. In fact one of the fundamental questions that practitioners have to contend with at the start of every client/server project is – “Which architecture is more suitable for this project – Two Tier or Three Tier?”. Interestingly, 17% of all mission-critical client/server applications are three tiered and the trend is growing, according to Standish Group International, Inc., a market research firm. Architecture affects all aspects of software design and engineering. The architect considers the complexity of the application, the level of integration and interfacing required, the number of users, their geographical dispersion, the nature of networks and the overall transactional needs of the application before deciding on the type of architecture. An inappropriate architectural design or a flawed implementation could result in horrendous response times. The choice of architecture also affects the development time and the future flexibility and maintenance of the application. Current literature does not adequately address all these aspects of client/server architecture. This paper defines the basic concepts of client/server architecture, describes the two tier and three tier architectures and analyzes their respective benefits and limitations. Differences in development efforts, flexibility and ease of reuse are also compared in order to aid further in the choice of appropriate architecture for any given project.

Chapter-2

History & defintion:-

History The University of Waterloo implemented Oracle Government Financials (OGF) in May of 1996. That moved UW’s core accounting systems to a vendor-supported package on a Solaris/Unix environment and away from locally developed package(s) on IBM/VM. Plans at that time were to move more (if not all) business systems to a single vendor and to standardize on a single Data Base platform (Oracle for both). A very large state of the art Solaris system was purchased with the intention of co-locating these other Oracle supplied services on the same system with the OGF. Network security architecture was planned that involved isolating administrative networks, fire walling those networks with protocol filters and active traffic monitoring. Systems were purchased and deployed to implement that security architecture. Much has changed in the interim. While the OGF now includes more services beyond the 1996 suite the plans to move all business systems has failed. Notably, we require People Soft/HRMS (Human Resources Management System) for Payroll (deployed in fourth quarter 1998) with People Soft/SIS (Student Information Services) to follow some years hence—Oracle was unable to deliver these key components for our business. Also we’ve discovered, while it’s reasonable to require Oracle as the Data Base when other applications are specified, it’s unreasonable to expect that they will be certified with the same versions of the Oracle Data Base and/or the underlying operating system. Technology changes quickly too: the state of the art Solaris system is no longer current. Networks were restructured to isolate administrative systems in the “Red Room” and administrative users throughout the campus. However, the administrative firewall and active traffic monitor was never implemented – recently it’s been dismantled.

Definition: Despite the massive press coverage of client/server computing, there is much confusion around defining what client/server really is. Client and server are software and not hardware entities. In its most fundamental form, client/server involves a software entity (client) making a specific request, which is fulfilled, by another software entity (server). Figure 1 illustrates the client/server exchange. The client process sends a request to the server. The server interprets the message and then attempts to fulfill the request. In order to fulfill the request, the server may have to refer to a knowledge source (database), process data (perform calculations), control a peripheral, or make an additional request of another server. In much architecture, a client can make requests of multiple servers and a server can service multiple clients.

Figure 1 – Client/Server Transactions

It is important to understand that the relationship between client and server is a command/control relationship. In any given exchange, the client initiates the request and the server responds accordingly. A server cannot initiate dialog with clients. Since the client and server are software entities they can be located on any appropriate hardware. A client process, for instance, could be resident on a network server hardware, and request data from a server process running on another server hardware or even on a PC. In another scenario, the client and server processes can be located on the same physical hardware box. In fact, in the prototyping stage, a developer may choose to have both the presentation client and the database server on the same PC hardware. The server can later be migrated (distributed) to a larger system for further pre-production testing after the bulk of the application logic and data structure development is complete. Although the client and server can be located on the same machine, this paper is concerned primarily with architectures used to create distributed applications, i.e. those where the client and server are on separate physical devices. According to Beaver (et al.), a distributed application consists of separate parts that execute on different nodes of the network and cooperate in order to achieve a common goal. The supporting infrastructure should also render the inherent complexity of distributed processing invisible to the end-user. The client in client/server architecture does not have to sport a graphical user interface (GUI), however, the mass-commercialization of client/server has come about in large part due to the proliferation of GUI clients. Some client/server systems support highly specific functions such as print spooling (i.e. network print queues) or presentation services (i.e. X-Window). While these special purpose implementations are important, this paper is predominantly concerned with the distributed client/server architectures that demand flexibility in functionality

Chapter-3

Meaning of client-server:-

Business meaning of client-server:- Client-server is generally perceived to be the next step forward in the operational effectiveness of business information systems. This is illustrated in figure 1, which indicates cumulative gains from a succession of innovations. Business computing started in the 1960s with batch processing. The main innovation in the 1970s was on-line transaction processing (OLTP), which brought information technology (IT) to the desktop, and made it an integral part of business processes. Batch processing and OLTP in combination continue to be at the core of most enterprise’s information systems. Then in the 1980s came personal computing, which made IT universally affordable and dispersed it throughout business enterprises. Now in the 1990s, client-server is generally perceived to be the way of integrating the separate parts of information systems back together. That is its role and its importance.

Figure 1 Perceived business impact of client-server In these circumstances client-server (or client/server) has become a popular brand name that is applied to almost every kind of product, and to all manner of business and technical insights and marketing messages. This tends to drain it of specific meaning; but in doing so, actually confirms its near-universal applicability.

Technical meaning of client-server:- A useful starting point for understanding client-server is the informal definition used by the Gartner Group:

“Client-server is the splitting of an application into tasks that are performed on separate computers, one of which is a programmable workstation (e.g. a PC).” This definition says that client-server is about distributed computing and software architecture (applications are split into tasks that may be on separate computers). It echoes the vital point that client-server is the way to integrate PCs into all kinds of information systems.

Three Generations of Messaging:

Host Based architecture (not a client/server architecture):

With mainframe software architectures all intelligence is within the central host computer. Users interact with the host through a terminal that captures keystrokes and sends that information to the host. Mainframe software architectures are not tied to a hardware platform. User interaction can be done using PCs and UNIX workstations. A limitation of mainframe software architectures is that they do not easily support graphical user interfaces or access to multiple databases from geographically dispersed sites. In the last few years, mainframes have found a new use as a server in distributed client/server architectures

Lan File sharing architecture (not a client/server architecture):- The original PC networks were based on file sharing architectures, where the server downloads files from the shared location to the desktop environment. The requested user job is then run (including logic and data) in the desktop environment. File sharing architectures work if shared usage is low, update contention is low, and the volume of data to be transferred is low. In the 1990s, PC LAN (local area network) computing changed because the capacity of the file sharing was strained as the number of online user grew (it can only satisfy about 12 users simultaneously) and graphical user interfaces (GUIs) became popular (making mainframe and terminal displays appear out of date). PCs are now being used in client/server architectures

Internet Client Server Architecture:- The goal for this class is to build a base of background knowledge that will underlie the rest of the course. In many areas of technology, one gets the impression that the technology as always existed in its current form. But, of course, technology has a history just like any other natural or unnatural phenomenon. So it is for the Internet and the Worldwide Web. During this discussion, we will look first at some of the important developments that have taken- place over the past thirty years that have made the Internet what it is today. After reviewing this chronology, we will look at two of the underlying technologies that support the Internet. The first is Ethernet, the original local area network (LAN) technology and still one of the most prevalent communication systems used to connect computers that are within a few hundred yards of one another. The second is TCP/IP, the software standard that enables computers located around the world to direct messages to one another and to communicate reliably. After discussing the Internet, we will then turn our attention to the World Wide Web, itself. The discussion begins with a review of its basic client/server architecture, in which a client program running on one computer communicates with a server program running on another to request some particular information or that some service is performed. The Web was built using a client/server architecture in which a Web browser (client) communicates with various Web servers to request pages of information or that a program be run through the server’s Common Gateway Interface (CGI). As the Internet/WWW becomes a more general computing and communications infrastructure, this strict client/server relationship is being expanded. One such expansion involves Java. More about these recent developments later in the course, but for now, we will concentrate on the Web’s classic client/server design. The language Web clients and servers speak to one another is called HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol). You will not have to learn HTTP in detail, but you will have to construct basic HTTP messages in order to do CGI programming and you should understand its underlying philosophy and its basic form and capabilities.

Chapter-4

Process:-

Client Process:- The client is a process (program) that sends a message to a server process (program), requesting that the server perform a task (service). Client programs usually manage the user-interface portion of the application, validate data entered by the user, dispatch requests to server programs, and sometimes execute business logic. The client-based Process is the front- end of the application that the user sees and interacts with. The client process contains solution-specific logic and provides the interface between the user and the rest of the application system. The client process also manages the local resources that the user interacts with such as the monitor, keyboard, workstation CPU and peripherals. One of the key elements of a client workstation is the graphical user interface (GUI). Normally a part of operating system i.e. the window manager detects user actions, manages the windows on the display and displays the data in the windows.

Server Process:- A server process (program) fulfills the client request by performing the task requested. Server programs generally receive requests from client programs, execute database retrieval and updates, manage data integrity and dispatch responses to client requests. Sometimes server programs execute common or complex business logic. The server-based process “may” run on another machine on the network. This server could be the host operating system or network file server; the server is then provided both file system services and application services. Or in some cases, another desktop machine provides the application services. The server process acts as a software engine that manages shared resources such as databases, printers, communication links, or high powered-processors. The server process performs the back-end tasks that are common to similar applications.

Client-Server Computing:-

• Single client, single server

• Multiple clients, single server

Client/server is a computational architecture that involves client processes requesting service from server processes Client/server computing is the logical extension of modular programming. Modular programming has as its fundamental assumption that separation of a large piece of software into its constituent parts (“modules”) creates the possibility for easier development and better maintainability. Client/server computing takes this a step farther by recognizing that those modules need not all be executed within the same memory space. With this architecture, the calling module becomes the “client” (that which requests a service), and the called module becomes the “server” (that which provides the service). The logical extension of this is to have clients and servers running on the appropriate hardware and software platforms for their functions. For example, database management system servers running on platforms specially designed and configured to perform queries, or file servers running on platforms with special elements for managing files.

Network Computing Architecture:-

Oracle’s Network Computing Architecture (NCA) can be captured by three concepts:

1.The World Wide Web is a truly ubiquitous service.

2.The Java Virtual Machine is (or will soon become) a truly ubiquitous service embedded within the Web-browser.

3.A three-tiered model for application delivery with an Oracle Data Base engine (on a large Unix server), a light weight Java application on the client, and a mid-tier “forms” server to provide the gateway between the two.

Oracle began shipping Release 10.7 NCA (the web-deployed applications) in January 1998…. 2000 require

With Release 10.7 NCA, Oracle responded to customer feedback on the difficulty of patching in Smart Client. Although the functionality is the same between 10 SC and 10 NCA, Oracle returned in the web-deployed release to a more granular patching strategy. This strategy also better preserves customizations. Since the forms technology runs on the server in the web-deployed release, relining and regenerating after applying patches is now easier. Due to the differences in patching strategy, Oracle recommends customers not use Smart Client and Release 10.7 NCA in the same instance. Oracle will not support such a configuration. Customerncharactermode installations should migrate directly to the web-deployed release

chapter-5

Client-Server Technology:- Client-server technology is best understood if we discuss it in four areas:

1.Personal platforms

2.Server platforms

3.Client-server middleware

4.Client-server tools and services

Each of these areas is distinctive, although there can be overlap between them.

The term platform is used here to refer to a computer platform that is a complete combination of hardware and operating system software.

Personal platforms:- Personal platforms are perhaps the most distinctive area of client-server technology. We define a personal platform as:

A computer platform, which is connected to a network, provides a consistent and intuitive user interface and assisting a personal user to accomplish tasks on behalf of the enterprise. These characteristics are illustrated in figure 2. Personal platforms are relatively inexpensive and immensely powerful, and there is a wide choice of suppliers. Many different kinds of computers can be personal platforms (e.g. MS/DOS PC, Windows PC, OS/2 PC, UNIX workstation, Apple Macintosh, and various hand-held devices); but the most common case today is an IBM-compatible PC with the Microsoft Windows operating system.

Such platforms are now universally affordable wherever they are needed. This has turned the architecture of computer systems inside out: the old focus was scarce resources in the central machine, remote from its users; the new focus is the abundant personal resources now at the fingertips of each individual user. This trend has ever-increasing force, because PC price/performance ratios continue to improve by a factor of two every eighteen months or so. This change of focus aligns with changes in business structure: organizational hierarchies are being flattened, decision-making authority is being devolved, and IT-enabled processes can now provide processes that were formerly provided by office staff. A combined effect of these business and technical trends is personal empowerment of the individual at the desk. PCs provide personal productivity and independence, but this individuality, multiplied by huge numbers of PCs, can also create anarchy. Client-server helps to resolve these problems. The client’s use shared resources (provided on server platforms), not just personal resources; client-server structure enables all the software and hardware resources to be under architectural and management control. It transforms personal computing into inter-personal computing and enterprise-wide computing. These characteristics help to create order, workgroup cohesion, productivity, and flexibility of business process. Although personal platforms are the main economic and technical driving force for the move to client-server, they are only the first of the five technical ingredients identified at the start of section 2.

Server Platforms:-

We define a server platform as:

A computer platform on which software provides IT services for use elsewhere in the system. Ultimately the services are for use at personal platforms; but services are also provided for use at other server platforms. A server platform may provide services via dependent terminals that do not qualify as personal platforms. Almost all kinds of computer platform can act as server platforms. Therefore, there are many different suppliers, and many possible kinds of server platforms, from super computers to PCs. Each is good for particular kinds of workloads, for different qualitative requirements, and in different areas of the price and performance spectrum. User enterprises can select different platforms to match different needs. This breadth of choice is illustrated in figure 3, which shows that the user at a personal platform may have access to services on many server platforms. This also illustrates the shift of focus onto the individual user at a personal platform, who may now choose IT services from many different sources elsewhere in the computer network. The polarization of systems into client and server platforms recognizes distinctions between personal and shared resources. Each personal platform is an independent personal resource, which may be mobile and is exposed to risks of accidental loss or damage. Conversely, a server platform provides a protected, fixed, and carefully managed environment for shared resources.

Figure 3 many server platforms to choose from

Even where the same technology is used for client and server platforms (e.g. PCs with the same kind of hardware and operating system), these distinctions between personal and shared resources should be made. In the limit, the same machine may be both a personal platform and a server platform (e.g. in a peer-to-peer network; see 3.2). As always, the server role brings obligations to guarantee availability and integrity of the shared resources.

Client-Server middleware:-

We define client-server middleware as:

Packaged software to support the separate parts of client-server application software and enable them to work together. This is by far the most complex area of client-server technology. By concentrating the complexity here we are able to keep the other areas relatively simple. It includes many kinds of function, each of which may itself be distributed, and most of which are inter-related. Some of the main areas are:

• Networking services

• Distributed application services

• Distributed systems management

• Distributed security

• Distributed object management

• User interface management

• Print management

• Data management

• Transaction management

• Workflow management Figure 4 is a symbolic representation of this middleware support for client-server application software. It emphasizes the importance of middleware in enabling client-server technology to operate across the whole business scope relevant to the user’s tasks. This may involve interaction across departmental and functional boundaries, and perhaps across enterprise boundaries.

Figure 4 Client-server middleware

Client-Server tools and services:- Client-server systems may be complex, but with well-integrated systems and well-designed user interfaces the technical complexity should not be visible to the user; it is essentially a problem for the application developer and service provider. They need software development tools and professional services to help manage and hide this complexity. Many of the tools and services needed are the same as always, but there are also needs specific to client-server systems. An important general point is that for packaged (“shrink-wrapped”) application software, the user enterprise does not need program construction tools. Packaged client-server application products are now becoming widely available (e.g. distributed office and groupware applications, business accounting applications, personnel and payroll applications). Another important trend is that different tools (and languages) are needed for different parts of modular application systems. The main distinctions are:

• User interface: languages and tools for construction of graphical user interfaces and any application logic intimately associated with them; e.g. GUI tools and Visual Basic.

• Database: languages and tools for the construction of databases, file systems and object stores, and construction of the application logic intimately associated with them; e.g. Data Manipulation Languages and Relational Database 4GLs.

• Business logic: languages and tools for the construction of application logic that is logically separate from user interfaces and databases; e.g. COBOL.

• Distributed processing: languages and tools specialized for distributed processing, and for spanning all the above functional areas (and other technological and organizational boundaries); e.g. Remote Procedure Call (RPC) tools.

• System management: methods and tools for electronic distribution of software, and operation and tuning of client-server systems.

Most of these tools are associated with the corresponding areas of middleware.

Chapter-6

Client-Server architecture:- By looking back over the technology described in the previous section, three kinds of client-server architecture can be discerned.

Basic client-server:- In basic client-server architecture, a personal or centralized application is split into two parts: a client part on a personal platform, and a server part on a server platform. The latter is often a shared resource, such as a filing service, a printing service, a database, or some application-specific function. The terms client and server are used to refer to the hardware platforms and the application software components (often somewhat ambiguously). Basic client-server architecture is illustrated in figure 9 (and has already been shown in more detail in figure 6).

Figure 9 Basic client-server architecture Basic client-server configurations are normally organized around a local area network (LAN). The whole assembly is usually described as a PC-LAN, and consists of many PCs for personal use (personal platforms), plus one or more shared PCs (server platforms). The local server platforms on these PC-LANs usually provide gateways into enterprise-wide and external networks, and to the servers on them. This is illustrated in figure 10.

Figure 10 a typical PC-LAN Although primarily expressed in terms of PCs and PC-LANs, these basic client-server concepts are applicable to all kinds of computers and networks (e.g. PCs, UNIX, mainframes, LANs and WANs).

Beyond the basics:- Beyond basic client-server there is peer-to-peer processing, co-operative processing and standalone processing. The term peer-to-peer processing is used to refer to configurations in which there are no server platforms, and the server parts of applications are located on personal platforms. Networks operating on this basis are referred to as peer-to-peer networks. This is a low-cost way of implementing small PC-LANs, etc.; but the lack of separate server platforms reduces system integrity and leads to system management difficulties. The term co-operative processing is used to refer to configurations in which application software is distributed over separate server platforms, and the client and server ends of interactions are both on server platforms. This includes interaction between separate applications, not just between parts of the same application. The term stand-alone processing is used to refer to configurations in which all parts of an application are on one platform (usually a personal platform). Any client-server relationships between the parts are not externally visible. People also use the terms peer-to-peer and co-operative processing interchangeably, and with various other meanings. This causes confusion and misunderstandings. There are also various other less well-known formulations such as server/requester and producer/consumer. All the main formulations are illustrated together in figure 11.

Figure 11 various formulations of client-server system structure Unfortunately, many people sharply differentiate the other concepts from client-server (by which they really mean basic client-server). This obscures the vital point that all are variants within one unified structure: client-server architecture. It also leads to misleading statements to the effect that client-server (meaning basic client-server) is defunct, and is being superseded by other techniques such as co-operative processing.

General client-server architecture:- A fundamental limitation of basic client-server and of all the formulations in 3.1 and 3.2 is that they define software configuration in ways dependent on hardware configuration. Furthermore, it is often ambiguous whether the terms client and server refer to the software or the hardware. To escape from these limitations and ambiguities, client-server relationship in software should be defined independently of software location, and independently of any classification of the underlying hardware as clients or servers. The essential clarification is that client and server are roles in which services are used and provided (respectively), and these roles occur in a relationship between autonomous building blocks. In such a relationship, one of the participants uses a service (it has the client role) and another provides the service (it has the server role). This is a client-server relationship. Large and flexible configurations can be built up by combination of these simple concepts. This is illustrated in figure 12.

Figure 12 Principles of client-server architecture As indicated in the right hand side of the diagram, a building block may be both user and provider of services. Therefore, it may have client and server roles and may participate in many client-server relationships with other building blocks. It is client or server only in the context of the particular relationship considered. The realization of client-server architecture in software is via programming languages and middleware (not shown in figure 12). The physical realization of client-server architecture consists of networks of separate computers; consequently the term client-server tends to become a synonym for distributed processing. Client-server architecture is only incidentally about PCs, or use of any other particular kind of technology. However, in current circumstances, it is usually appropriate that client-server is viewed mainly in terms of exploiting PC technology (as in the Gartner definition which we started with in 1.2 above). This general form of client-server architecture (autonomous building-blocks, client-server relationships, client role, server role) is a fundamental ingredient of OPEN framework application architecture.

Assumptions:-

1.One client is connected to at most one server at a time. [The customer later refuted this assumption.]

2.Replication is a secondary effect of the existing fat-client architecture; we assume that updates to one server are automatically propagated in a timely fashion.

3.A single client may have more than one session. [Replaced Assumption 1.]

4.All calculated columns (columns that represent behavior rather than aspects) are easily & quickly calculated on the server.

5.Deletion or insertion of a row forces a window update on the client.

6.Transmission of client-server traffic is out of scope.

chapter-7

Architecture Types:- When considering a move to client/server computing, whether it is to replace existing systems or introduce entirely new systems, practitioners must determine which type of architecture they intend to use. The vast majority of end user applications consist of three components: presentation, processing, and data. The client/server architectures can be defined by how these components are split up among software entities and distributed on a network. There are a variety of ways for dividing these resources and implementing client/server architectures. This paper will focus on the most popular forms of implementation of two-tier and three-tier client/server computing systems. Two-tier Architecture:- Although there are several ways to architect a two-tier client/server system, we will focus on examining what is overwhelmingly the most common implementation. In this implementation, the three components of an application (presentation, processing, and data) are divided between two software entities (tiers): client application code and database server (Figure 2). A robust client application development language and a versatile mechanism for transmitting client requests to the server are essential for a two-tier implementation. Presentation is handled exclusively by the client, processing is split between client and server, and data is stored on and accessed via the server. The PC client assumes the bulk of responsibility for application (functionality) logic with respect to the processing component, while the database engine – with its attendant integrity checks, query capabilities and central repository functions – handles data intensive tasks. In a data access topology, a data engine would process requests sent from the clients. Currently, the language used in these requests is most typically a form of SQL. Sending SQL from client to server requires a tight linkage between the two layers. To send the SQL the client must know the syntax of the server or have this translated via an API (Application Program Interface). It must also know the location of the server, how the data is organized, and how the data is named. The request may take advantage of logic stored and processed on the server, which would centralize global tasks such as validation, data integrity, and security. Data returned to the client can be manipulated at the client level for further sub selection, business modeling, “what if” analysis, reporting, etc.

Figure 2 – Data Access Topology for two-tier architecture. Majority of functional logic exists at the client level The most compelling advantage of a two-tier environment is application development speed. In most cases a two-tier system can be developed in a small fraction of the time it would take to code a comparable but less flexible legacy system. Using any one of a growing number of PC-based tools, a single developer can model data and populate a database on a remote server, paint a user interface, create a client with application logic, and include data access routines. Most two-tier tools are also extremely robust. These environments support a variety of data structures, including a number of built in procedures and functions, and insulate developers from many of the more mundane aspects of programming such as memory management. Finally these tools also lend themselves well to iterative prototyping and rapid application development (RAD) techniques, which can be used to ensure that the requirements of the users are accurately and completely met. Tools for developing two-tier client/server systems have allowed many IS organizations to attack their applications backlog, satisfying pent-up user demand by rapidly developing and deploying what are primarily smaller workgroup-based solutions. Two-tier architectures work well in relatively homogeneous environments with fairly static business rules. This architecture is less suited for dispersed, heterogeneous environments with rapidly changing rules. As such, relatively few IS organizations are using two-tier client/server architectures to provide cross-departmental or cross-platform enterprise-wide solutions Since the bulk of application logic exists on the PC client, the two-tier architecture faces a number of potential version control and application re-distribution problems. A change in business rules would require a change to the client logic in each application in a corporation’s portfolio, which is affected, by the change. Modified clients would have to be re-distributed through the network – a potentially difficult task given the current lack of robust PC version control software and problems associated with upgrading PCs that are turned off or not “docked” to the network. System security in the two-tier environment can be complicated since a user may require a separate password for each SQL server accessed. The proliferation of end-user query tools can also compromise database server security. The overwhelming majority of client/server applications developed today are designed without sophisticated middleware technologies, which offer increased security. Instead, end-users are provided a password, which gives them access to a database. In many cases this same password can be used to access the database with data-access tools available in most commercial PC spreadsheet and database packages. Using such a tool, a user may be able to access otherwise hidden fields or tables and possibly corrupt data. Client tools and the SQL middleware used in two-tier environments are also highly proprietary and the PC tools market is extremely volatile. The client/server tools market seems to be changing at an increasingly unstable rate. In 1994, the leading client/server tool developer was purchased by a large database firm, raising concern about the manufacturer’s ability to continue to work cooperatively with RDBMS vendors, which compete with the parent company’s products. The number two-tool maker lost millions and has been labeled as a takeover target. A firm also in the midst of severe financial difficulties and management transition supplies the tool, which has received some of the brightest accolades in early 1995. This kind of volatility raises questions about the long-term viability of any proprietary tool an organization may commit to. All of this complicates implementation of two-tier systems – migration from one proprietary technology to another would require a firm to scrap much of its investment in application code since none of this code is portable from one tool to the next.

Three tier:- Most sophisticated Web based applications, which involve data entry, are based on a 3 tier client server architecture. The 3 tiers are

• The Client (Web Browser)

• The Web Server/Application Server

• The Database Server The tree tier architecture (Figure 3) attempts to overcome some of the limitations of the two-tier scheme by separating presentation, processing, and data into separate, distinct software entities (tiers). The same types of tools can be used for presentation as were used in a two-tier environment, however these tools are now dedicated to handling just the presentation. When the presentation client requires calculations or data access, a call is made to a middle tier functionality server. This tier can perform calculations or can make requests as a client to additional servers. The middle tier servers are typically coded in a highly portable, non-proprietary language such as C. Middle-tier functionality servers may be multi-threaded and can be accessed by multiple clients, even those from separate applications. Although three-tier systems can be implemented using a variety of technologies, the calling mechanism from client to server in such as system is most typically the remote procedure call or RPC. Since the bulk of two-tier implementations involve SQL messaging and most three-tier systems utilize RPCs, it is reasonable to examine the merits of these respective request/response mechanisms in a discussion of architectures. RPC calls from presentation client to middle-tier server provide greater overall system flexibility than the SQL calls made by clients in the two-tier architecture. This is because in an RPC, the requesting client simply passes parameters needed for the request and specifies a data structure to accept returned values (if any). Unlike most two-tier implementations, the three-tier presentation client is not required to “speak” SQL. As such, the organization, names, or even the overall structure of the back-end data can be changed without requiring changes to PC-based presentation clients. Since SQL is no longer required, data can be organized hierarchically, relationally, or in object format. This added flexibility can allow a firm to access legacy data and simplifies the introduction of new database technologies.

Figure 3 – Three-Tier Architecture. Functionality servers handle most of the logic processing. Middle-tier code can be accessed and utilized by multiple clients In addition to the openness stated above, several other advantages are presented by this architecture. Having separate software entities can allow for the parallel development of individual tiers by application specialists. It should be noted that the skill sets required to develop c/s applications differ significantly from those needed to develop mainframe-based character systems. As examples, user interface creation requires an appreciation for platform and corporate UI standards and database design requires a commitment to and understanding of the enterprise’s data model. Having experts focus on each of these three layers can increase the overall quality of the final application. The three-tier architecture also provides for more flexible resource allocation. Middle-tier functionality servers are highly portable and can be dynamically allocated and shifted as the needs of the organization change. Network traffic can potentially be reduced by having functionality servers strip data to the precise structure required before distributing it to individual clients at the LAN level. Multiple server requests and complex data access can emanate from the middle tier instead of the client, further decreasing traffic. Also, since PC clients are now dedicated to just presentation, memory and disk storage requirements for PCs will potentially be reduced. Modularly designed middle tier code modules can be re-used by several applications. Reusable logic can reduce subsequent development efforts, minimize the maintenance workload, and decrease migration costs when switching client applications. In addition, implementation platforms for three tier systems such as OSF/DCE offer a variety of additional features to support distributed application development. These include integrated security, directory and naming services, server monitoring and boot capabilities for supporting dynamic fault-tolerance, and distributed time management for synchronizing systems across networks and separate time zones. There are of course drawbacks associated with a three-tier architecture. Current tools are relatively immature and require more complex 3GLs for middle tier server generation. Many tools have under-developed facilities for maintaining server libraries – a potential obstacle for simplifying maintenance and promoting code re-use throughout an IS organization. More code in more places also increases the likelihood that a system failure will effect an application so detailed planning with an emphasis on the reduction/elimination of critical-paths is essential. Three tiers brings with it an increased need for network traffic management, server load balancing, and fault tolerance. For technically strong IS organizations servicing customers with rapidly changing environments, three tier architectures can provide significant long-term gains via increased responsiveness to business climate changes, code reuse, maintainability, and ease of migration to new server platforms and development environments.

Comparing two and three tire development efforts:- The graphs in Figures 4-6 illustrate the time to deployment for two tiers vs. three tier environments. Time to deployment is forecast in overall systems delivery time, not man-hours. According to a Deloitte & Touche study, rapid application development time is cited as one of the primary reasons firms chose to migrate to client/server architecture. As such, strategic planning and platform decisions require an understanding how development time relates to architecture and how development time changes as an IS organization gains experience in c/s.

Figure 4 – Initial Development Effort Figure 4 shows the initial development effort forecast to create comparable distributed applications using the common two tier and three tier approaches discussed above. The three tier application takes much longer to develop – this is due primarily to the complexity involved in coding the bulk of the application logic in a lower-level 3GL such as C and the difficulties associated with coordinating multiple independent software modules on disparate platforms. In contrast, the two-tier scheme allows the bulk of the application logic to be developed in a higher-level language within the same tool used to create the user interface.

Figure 5 – Subsequent Development Efforts Subsequent development efforts may see three-tier applications deployed with greater speed than two tier systems (Figure 5). This is entirely due to the amount of middle-tier code, which can be re-used from previous applications. The speed advantage favoring the three-tier architecture will only result if the three-tier application is able to use a sizable portion of existing logic. Experience indicates that these savings can be significant, particularly in organizations, which require separate but closely related applications for various business units. Re-use is also high for organizations with a strong enterprise data model because data-access code can be written once and re-used whenever similar access needs arise across multiple applications. The degree of development time reduction on subsequent efforts will grow as an organization deploys more c/s applications and develops a significant library of re-usable, middle-tier application logic.

Figure 6 – Client Tool Migration Figure 6 makes the important case for code savings when migrating from one client development tool to another. It was stated earlier that client tools are highly proprietary and code is not portable between the major vendor packages. The point was also made that the PC tools market is highly volatile with vendor shakeouts and technical “leapfrogging” commonplace. In a two-tier environment, IS organizations wishing to move from one PC-based client development platform to another will have to scrap their previous investment in application logic since most of this logic is written in the language of the proprietary tool. In the three-tier environment this logic is written in a re-usable middle tier, thus when migrating to the new tool, the developer simply has to create the presentation and add RPC calls to the functionality layer. Flexibility in re-using existing middle-tier code can also assist organizations developing applications for various PC client operating system platforms. Until recently there were very few cross-platform client tool development environments and most of today’s cross-platform solutions are not considered “best-of-breed”. In a three-tier environment separate client tools on separate platforms can access the middle tier functionality layer. Coding application logic once in an accessible middle tier decreases the overall development time on the cross-platform solution and it provides the organization greater flexibility in choosing the best tool on any given platform.

The characteristics of client/server architecture:-

The basic characteristics of client/server architectures are:

1) Combination of a client or front-end portion that interacts with the user, and a server or back-end portion that interacts with the shared resource. The client process contains solution-specific logic and provides the interface between the user and the rest of the application system. The server process acts as a software engine that manages shared resources such as databases, printers, modems, or high-powered processors.

2) The front-end task and back-end task have fundamentally different requirements for computing resources such as processor speeds, memory, disk speeds and capacities, and input/output devices.

3) The environment is typically heterogeneous and multiFinder. The hardware platform and operating system of client and server are not usually the same. Client and server processes communicate through a well-defined set of standard application program interfaces (API’s) and RPC’s.

4) An important characteristic of client-server systems is scalability. They can be scaled horizontally or vertically. Horizontal scaling means adding or removing client workstations with only a slight performance impact. Vertical scaling means migrating to a larger and faster server machine or multiservers.

Client-server applications:-

We define a client-server application as:

An application system in which logically separate software components are integrated together via client-server relationships.

In a client-server relationship, one part of an application (the client end) uses a service provided by the other part (the server end). The latter is often a shared resource, used by many clients. Although integrated together via the client-server relationship, the parts remain separate. We refer to them as being logically separate because they need not be physically remote from one another (they might be in the same computer). We describe client-server application software here in three steps: splitting an application, joining separate applications together, and distributed application structure

Splitting an application:-

Figure 5 Application software modularity There are many ways of partitioning application software into separate components. However, the content of most applications can usually be classified under three different technical headings: data management, application logic and presentation. This is illustrated in figure 5. If the application is to be split into two parts (one part on a client platform, the other on a server platform), the split can be made at either of the two boundaries between functions, or inside one of the three functions. Consequently there are five main ways of splitting a centralized or personal application into two parts between which there is a client-server relationship. This is the basis of the popular classification into five client-server styles, which is promoted by the Gartner Group. It is illustrated in figure 6.

Figure 6 Five generic styles of basic client-server structure

The details need not concern us here. The important point is that different styles suit different needs and circumstances:

• The two styles on the left of the diagram are typical of centralized interactive applications that have been adapted to client-server by means of graphical interface technology, terminal emulation, etc.

• The style in the middle of the diagram is typical of object-oriented distributed applications and distributed TP applications in which data and function are encapsulated together behind application interfaces

• The two styles on the right of the diagram are typical of data-centered applications using client-server 4GL development tools and relational database products Some applications combine all three areas of function (presentation, application logic and data management) at the personal platform. Also, different styles may occur in combination at the same platform.

Joining applications together:- One of the great strengths of client-server is the ability to join separate applications together. This can be done in many ways; but upon the principles used in 2.4.1, there are essentially three levels at which applications can interface with one another. This is illustrated in figure 7.

Figure 7 Three levels at which applications can be joined together

The main characteristics and advantages and disadvantages of these three approaches are:

• At presentation level: Interaction at this level is achieved via direct data exchange (DDE) within a window management system, or via scripting; see [Duxbury, 1994], in which software uses an application’s user interface by simulating a human user. This kind of technique is often referred to as screen scraping. It is very useful for accessing legacy applications, but leads to software maintenance problems if the user interfaces need to change.

• At application function level: Interaction at this level is in terms of business functions. Therefore, the inter-application requests are about the business meanings of the application (and not its presentation or database encoding). This has the advantage of keeping their internal designs separate from their external interactions. There are fewer software maintenance problems.

• At data management level: Interaction at this level is by direct access to the other application’s database. This is common practice, but leads to software maintenance problems when application data structures change.

The first and third approaches inhibit potential for change, the second does not. Further distinctions can be made between direct and indirect interaction between applications, synchronous and asynchronous interaction, and externally programmed interaction and internally programmed interaction.

Distributed application structure:- Distributed applications are evolving towards richly connected network structures of the kind illustrated in figure 8. The circles represent separate software components, and the lines represent client-server relationships between them. This is typical of the kind of structure that results from use of object-oriented design and distributed object management.

Figure 8 Complex distributed application There is also large-scale structure of distributed application systems (within which the individual client-server relationships occur). Typically, three tiers of application software can be discerned in the large-scale structure:

• Front tier: Application software (and databases) at personal platforms, providing all kinds of application services, using local resources and remote resources. Typically, the platforms are PCs. This tier is where the greatest amount of computer power and of new application software is now being deployed.

• Middle tier: Application software (and databases) at server platforms, providing the back-end of personal applications, shared workgroup services and task-oriented services. Typically, the platforms are UNIX or PC. This tier provides rapid adaptation to business process change, without needing changes to the back tier. It puts boundaries around the turbulence and uncertainty generated in the volatile world at the first tier, where all the users are. It also provides lateral linkage across the enterprise (e.g. electronic mail services).

• Back tier: Application software and databases at server platforms providing corporate information services. These are usually functionally partitioned (e.g. accounts, manufacturing, personnel). Typically, the platforms are mainframes. This tier provides the core of shared and long-lived information assets that everything else depends on. There are strong guarantees of data integrity, and the applications and databases are stable, and their design changes rather slowly.

This structure separates different kinds of concerns, which used to be bundled together in centralized computing

chapter-8

Important of client server:-

Advantages of Client-Server:-

ØPotential of reduced cost

ØImproved performance

ØIncreased security

ØMore GUI application

ØGives people the opportunity to make change for better

ØBetter SW development tools once established

ØExploits existing H/W, S/W configurations

ØMatches distributed business models

ØScalable

ØFlexibility and cost saving

ØFlexibility business modeling

ØMaximum technology component choice

ØEfficient use of computing resources

ØData interchangeability and interoperatability

ØEnhanced data sharing

ØIntegrated services

ØSharing resources among devices platforms

ØLocation independence data and process

ØTechnology revolution

ØFuture technology

ØRelational databases

ØDisadvantages of Client-Server:-

ØHeavy up-front cost

ØInitial performance decline

ØLack of skilled professionals

ØNeed of rewrite a lot of software

ØNeed for retraining user

ØDependability- when the server goes down, operational cases

ØLack of mature tools

ØLack of the scalability-network operating system (e.g. novel NetWare, window NT server) are not very scalable

ØHigher then anticipated costs

ØHarder to build

ØLess stable

ØSusceptible to network load

ØLacking in the specialists

ØDifficult to debug

ØDifficult to test

Client/Server Business Application Architectures:

Traditional applications architectures have been based on function today, to meet the needs of the business an application architecture should reflect the complete range of business requirements.

Therefore, client/server computing demands a three layer view of the

organization.

1 The user interface layer, which implements the functional model

2 The business function layer, which implements the process model

3 The data layer, which implements the information model It should be noted that this application architecture does not demand multiple hardware platforms, although such technology can be utilised,if the environment is robust and reliable enough and the business is prepared to pay the additional costs associated with workstation and LAN technology.

Business Benefits: – There is a perceived need for vendor independence. This includes application development methodologies, programming paradigms, products and architectures. – Organization have changed from steep hierarchies to flattened hierarchies – Network management is replacing vertical management – There is a change to team based management – The customer should have a single point of contact for all business with the organization – The customer should deal with the same person over multiple contacts. – The user will perform as much processing as possible during customer contact time – The time required to complete the work will be minimized – There is a need for empowerment of staff and audit trail of actions – Multi-skilled and multi-function teams need access to multiple applications

Different types of servers:-

The simplest form of servers are disk servers and file servers. With a file server, the client passes requests for files or file records over a network to the file server. This form of data service requires large bandwidth and can slow a network with many users down considerably. Traditional LAN computing allows users to share resources, such as data files and peripheral devices, by moving them from standalone PCUs onto a Networked File Server (NFS). The more advanced form of servers are database servers, transaction server and application servers (Orfali and Harkey 1992). In database servers, clients pass SQL (Structured Query Language) requests as messages to the server and the results of the query are returned over the network. The code that processes the SQL request and the data resides on the server allowing it to use its own processing power to find the requested data, rather than pass all the records back to a client and let it find its own

Data as was the case for the file server. In transaction servers, clients invoke remote procedures that reside on servers, which also contain an SQL database engine. There are procedural statements on the server to execute a group of SQL statements (transactions), which either all succeed or fail as a unit. The applications based on transaction servers are called On-line Transaction Processing (OLTP) and tend to be mission-critical applications, which require 1-3 second response time, 100% of the time and require tight controls over the security and integrity of the database. The communication overhead in this approach is kept to a minimum as the exchange typically consists of a single request/reply (as opposed to multiple SQL statements in database servers). Application servers are not necessarily database centered but are used to server user needs, such as.

Download capabilities from Dow Jones or regulating a electronic mail process. Basing resources on a server allows users to share data, while security and management services, which are also based in the server, ensure data integrity and security.

Special types of Architecture:

IBM’s System Application Architecture: SAA is a collection of selected software interfaces, conventions, and protocols that are used as a framework for developing consistent, integrated applications across the major IBM computing environments.

Four major components of this architecture are: – Common User Access (CUA) defines conventions for GUI look and feel. – Common Programming Interface (CPI) provides languages, tools, and APIs that give applications greater portability and more consistent user interfaces across multiple platforms. – Common Communication Support (CCS) supports existing communications standards, such as LU 6.2. – Common Applications, written by IBM, will serve as demonstrations of SAA concepts and make it easy for users to migrate between systems.

APPLE’s VITAL Architecture:- VITAL provides a way of building information systems constructed from generalize

Jeff asked:


With so many people launching their own websites for business and commercial purposes, there is this greater need to utilize managed web hosting services as opposed to shared hosting services. Make no mistake about it; there are many benefits to using shared hosting services. The number one benefit is of course, its affordability. Since there are multiple users sharing the cost of web server maintenance, prices can be offered at very, very low rates.

However, subscribing to managed hosting services is a worthwhile investment to online entrepreneurs and ecommerce minded business people. There are more benefits to using a single web hosting service.

What is managed web hosting in the first place?

This type of Internet hosting goes by a number of names, like: managed web hosting, managed dedicated servers, managed hosting, dedicated hosting services, and dedicated servers. In this type, web developers or website owners usually have full and exclusive control of the server(s) that they are utilizing. This means that they have a controlled pulse on the server hardware, software and operating system that is active in their website(s).

In some instances, web developers can even opt for server administration as well; and the server company can provide technical support on a regular basis.

What are the advantages of using this type of Internet hosting?

As stated earlier, there are more advantages to using this type of Internet hosting. A couple of which includes:

1. You can choose your own operating system and operating system support. You can either choose a Linux system (or other open source operating systems such as CentOS, Debian, Fedroa Core,) Microsoft Windows SPLA Server, and Red Hat Enterprise. Having the liberty to choose the application means you can avail of operating systems that you are most familiar with, which practically saves you time in regards to learning the ropes of a new system. Aside from that, you can also choose which OS would actually fit your budget best. If you are a bit tight with the buck, you can always go for OS that is open source technology based, because these are usually offered for free.

You can also have add-on services or support systems like: application patches, OS kernel upgrades, system extensive vulnerability resolutions, and even upgrading on the latest security fixes.

2. If you are particularly pressed for time, you can easily outsource the managerial duties for this Internet type of hosting. You can very easily hire a 3rd party service provider to do: backups and restoration; database administration; DDos (distributed denial-of-service attack) protection and mitigation; disaster recovery; DNS hosting service; firewall services; intrusion detection; load balancing; monitoring duties in regards to the server; performance tuning; programming consultation; software installation and configuration; technical support; user management; and updates on the application, antivirus programs, Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) hardware and the operating system itself.

3. Finally, since you are having exclusive control of the web server, you can use extreme security measures on your website(s.) This is particularly helpful to online based companies who rely on the gathering, storing and the encryption of large volumes of data. The Internet hosting company can very easily provide you anti-virus applications as well as scanning systems and firewall protection against possible hackers, spammers and worms.

Amelie Mag asked:


Windows Server Virtualization is a means for running virtual 64-bit versions of Windows Virtual Server. By running a virtualized version of a server, WSV 2008 and similar programs make it simple to run multiple versions of an operating system on a single machine. Essentially, an administrator running a virtual server creates multiple sections on the machine and runs a copy of the operating system of their choice within in each piece.

Each section, or partition, is an emulated copy of the entire machine, duplicating the effect of devices attached to the computer. As far as the virtualized server can tell, it is the only operating system running on the machine. This is extraordinarily useful to network administrators who want multiple, dedicated-like servers for their customers, but not at the cost of an entirely new machine. It’s also far more economical for the consumer, as well, since multiple people are sharing the cost of upkeep for a single machine. Virtual machines can also be used for trying changes to a website before going live; WSV 2008 and similar programs allow for testing a new version in a safe environment to ensure it is running correctly before actually putting the site online.

There are a several options when choosing a virtual server program, but Windows Server Virtualization is one that stands out. Unlike many other virtual servers, WSV 2008 allows the virtualization of both 32 and 64-bit systems, allowing it to run and simulate a broader range of software. Windows Server Virtualization also allows the migration of a virtualized server over to a dedicated machine; when surges in traffic occur, network administrators can quickly move the affected site to a machine with more capability.

There are other features as well. WSV 2008 offers support not only for Windows Server, but for a variety of other operating systems and platforms, allowing customization according to a customers needs. Some customers prefer a Linux based server, and with Windows Server Virtualization it is easy to provide it. All that needs to be added is a new partition, and the customer’s preferences can be fulfilled with the hardware you already have. There is no need to purchase new machines, and all of the hardware is more flexible.

Two more features make Windows Server Virtualization a good choice. The new 2008 version offers the ability for running snapshots, allowing network administrators the power to copy the server exactly as it is while it is still running. Downtime is minimized, since backing up the server no longer requires that the server be taken offline, and it is simple to bring it back up if there is a problem. WSV 2008 is also incredibly scalable. It now offers support for multiple processors and cores, among other things, allowing a single powerful machine to host a large number of virtual servers.

Whatever your specific needs Windows Server Virtualization is an excellent choice. It allows increased scalability, supports multiple operating systems, allows running snapshots, and enhances the value of your hardware. WSV 2008 allows virtualization of an entire server, enabling you to run multiple copies on a single machine. You save money and get more value from your hardware. The new 64-bit support only enhances this, offering the possibility of ever more powerful machines, and even more virtualization.

Saurav Batra asked:


This article talks about Windows XP and all the new features it brings along with it. Microsoft has really introduced a powerful new operating system which brings lots of flexibility and ease of use to the user. It also at the same time is an extremely reliable and sturdy operating system for both the average and the excessive user. In this article we start by talking about the requirements XP needs for optimum operation and how we can meet those requirements. We also talk about the bits and pieces of installing, upgrading and migrating user settings. We also highlight the new powerful features in Windows XP installation like unattended installations and remote installations. Microsoft also aims to target the home market with this new operating system and has included several new features such as user account management and group’s management at a much easier GUI level. Yet it remains the same reliable operating system if not even better for setting security, group security and domain security policies. Microsoft also includes several new features in terms of auditing and generating a lot of reports in logs for the administrative user. We also talk about the Windows installer included in this new operating system which helps remove code clutter and in turn provides us with a more stable operating system than earlier releases. We also see a significant improvement in user interface and options with a greater ease-of-use for the average day user and options like multilingual support which target the corporate environment. Windows XP also takes hardware support and installation to a new level with its new plug-and-play features an extremely good compatibility with mobile hardware. We then discuss the Revolutionary new NTFS file system on which Windows XP runs and all its new advantages over the old FAT and FAT32 file systems. Windows XP also gives us a good Networking set up and troubleshooting environment with new features like off-line folder sharing and resource management. Remote connectivity has become a much achievable target with the launch of Windows XP giving the telecommuter the flexibility to work from home. We finally talk about how this new operating system stands up to its older legacy brothers in terms of performance, optimization, recovery, back up and other services. All in all Microsoft has definitely released a powerful beast of an operating system onto the consumers and it is up to us to realize and utilize Windows XP at its full potential.

Meeting Minimum XP Requirements:

Microsoft Win XP minimum requirements can be classified into various categories. The most important requirement is the minimum processor power needed, which is set to 233 MHz by Microsoft. I personally do not agree with such low standards since the cost of processors is dropping fast and it is the biggest driver for a machines performance factor. A minimum of 300 MHz is what I would recommend on the lowest level. The control terminal investigated in this report is up to the benchmark or just above average requirements for the user. The processor is a 2.5 GHz Pentium 4 and is performing at an optimal rate. Win XP pro does support multi processor support, but is not necessary in this scenario. The next requirement brought to my attention is the amount of RAM Microsoft recommends for minimum requirements for Win XP Pro to operate is 64MB, which is clearly too low according to current standards. However, Microsoft does state a serious lack of Win XP pro function availability while using 64MB of RAM. An example of this would be disabled Fast user switching during this mode. I personally recommend a minimum of 256MB for any machine with average performance requirements running Win XP Pro. The control machine undertaken in this report has excellent RAM support with 1GB of available RAM. The RAM level in this machine takes a load of the processor as well and at the same time provides excellent performance for heavy multi usage of various software’s in the market. The hard drive requirements for Microsoft have been ever increasing with new releases of operating systems and Win XP pro requires a minimum of 1.5GB of hard drive space. This higher increase can be accounted for bigger operating systems with more included in them, for e.g. Win XP pro includes a several features like media support for writing to CD media and also a built in firewall. The control machine does a pretty good job of satisfying these hard drive requirements with a 120GB primary (Master) hard drive and another 120GB secondary (Slave) hard drive. However there are some flaws in this implementation which are highlighted in the backup section of the report. One advantage of having two hard drives is clear that the paging file can be placed on a separate hard drive for better and faster performance. The control machine also exceeds the display requirements of Win XP. Microsoft has stepped up the bar with this release and has made 800 x 600 a minimum display requirement for this operating system and a lot of video drives will not let you shift below this resolution. The control machine had capabilities above this with display potential up to 1600 x 1200. Win XP Pro also recommends setup floppies or bootable CD standards for repair and reinstall, which is also met by the control machine. However I personally recommend bootable CD’s to setup floppies which are more prone to failure of a long period of time. A better way would also be image backups and image installs which are discussed later in this report. The BIOS is ACPI (Advanced Configuration and Power Interface) capable, which enables power management features and shut down through HAL (Hardware abstraction Layer) installation. Win XP pro has a lot of graphical user features which can only be utilized through a good graphics card. The control unit in this audit has a good graphics card with 128 MB of dedicated graphics memory for exploiting these features.

Installing Windows XP:

I would like to bring to notice some installation features available from Microsoft during a windows install. The text mode option is enabled during a clean install and gives us the ability to press the F5 key to choose a HAL enable BIOS from the menu. This is critical for an individual or an organization which wants to enable the feature of auto power off. The BIOS has to HAL capable in order to use this feature. It is always recommended to update the BIOS to HAL capability before installing Win XP. Changing BIOS after installing Win XP has some serious risks of resulting in an unbootable OS and should not be attempted without proper back up of data. Microsoft advertises the F6 option during this to install any SCSI/RAID adapters. You can also turn of ACPI by pressing F7 to get a HAL that is not ACPI capable. ACPI can interfere with some features on the machine, for e.g. if the machine is a server type auto shut down would not be really a good feature to implement. The rest of the process is old style mode where you can create and delete partitions on your hard drive. There is also the option of choosing between NTFS and FAT32. However I would recommend NTFS, if your hard drive is over 32GB NTFS is the only choice for you. Windows XP does all the hard work and jumps into the GUI mode installation and then asks the user for information like the windows key, name and regional settings. The most important thing is setting the windows administrator password and writing it down and keeping it somewhere safe. It also asks for computer names and network configuration and also asks for whether you are in a domain environment or a workgroup environment and our IP settings. NetBEUI has been disabled in this version of Microsoft operating system. You can also enter the hard drive for file access during this installation by pressing Shift+F10. This enables you to move files across the hard drives, access files you need and even install drivers for new hardware during installation. For people who want the old style installation you can press Shift+F11 for the old style wizard settings. Microsoft has also implemented dynamic update which means that as long as you have an internet connection it will try to connect and try to download all the updates needed before your machine is up and running. It will also try to install new device drivers, as long as the manufacturer has his drivers windows logo certified. However dynamic update is only available for updated installs and is not available on clean installs. Microsoft also enables you implement your own dynamic update sites to prevent clogging of bandwidth in a corporate environment for machines searching for updates through the Microsoft’s website. The admin can link to windows update corporate site and download all the updates and package them together and put it up on a web server for the staff to install. A switch can be installed inside the setting of the answer file for downloading from these installs. Another feature is windows product activation which does not exist for the volume license user where the same media kit is going to be used for multiple installs. However retail and OEM licenses require windows product activation by creating a hash of your computer depending upon several features like hardware. Windows product activation can also be done in the answer file and the information sent through HTTP or HTTPS and Microsoft’s minimal requirement is that reactivation is required after changing 3-4 pieces of hardware on your computer.

Upgrading Windows XP:

Most administrators do not have the luxury to make a clean install because there are a lot of software and data installed on the current operating system. The biggest drawback to this is that all the legacy code and baggage in the old operating system will be carried over to the new operating system. An upgrade is possible from Windows 98/98SE/ME/2000 and Windows NT 4.0 with SP6. However the server class cannot be upgraded from windows 2000 professional. You cannot upgrade from Windows 95 or Windows 3.x. A compatibility check should always be made before upgrading to the new OS. Check using the switch (-checkupgradeonly) for hardware report on compatible hardware on the machine to install windows XP. If you’re running Windows NT 4.0 with fault tolerance and volume sets the drives are going to be inaccessible once you install XP since it does not support fault tolerance or volume sets. Microsoft does give you an easy way to use the key FTONLINE to bring the fault tolerant set online to backup the information or recreate a volume set or striped volumes and get that information back. However you cannot create fault tolerant drives with Win XP. In a case of serious error you can always roll back the upgrade. This feature can be accessed from the “Add Remove Programs” in the Control Panel. However the biggest drawback is that once you change from FAT32 to NTFS you cannot go back to uninstall the upgrade and get your old operating system running. The install procedure is pretty much the same as the once we encountered on a clean install without the headache of drive partitioning. It even tries to download updates (Dynamic Update) if an internet connection is detected. The software and regional settings and other user settings are preserved on the computer. The upgrade does come with different view screens after the install. Views change with the kind of environment you are running in for e.g. a domain environment the user gets to see the Ctrl+Alt+Del screen whereas the user gets to see the welcome screen in a workgroup environment.

Migrating User Settings:

User settings are an extremely important feature needed in a corporate environment to preserve the same look for a user. The file and transfer settings wizard comes to our rescue down to the last solitaire icon on the users computer. File and transfer settings transfer transfers files in four categories. The first category is appearance which includes color schemes, sounds and others. Second, it also keeps internet settings like your favorites and your internet security settings. Third, it also backs up all your account settings like all your e-mail accounts and all the internet addresses stored in your machine through outlook. Finally it even transfer the settings for installed software’s like Microsoft office and even third party software’s like adobe. However the drawback is that the required software’s should be installed before their settings can be reapplied to the new operating system. The File and Transfer settings wizard can be reached through the windows CD by accessing the icon “Perform Additional Task”. The process is simple and visually guided. It gives you the option to choose just files or both files and settings and transfer all the required files through a direct cable, floppies/media or network. This can also be used from XP to XP machines, in a case of customizing a brand new machine to industry standards. However this is should be used for only for small offices or a very small office. A better version of this for large offices is user state migration tool for scripting mass XP migration of files. The user state migration tool is made up of several tools once of which is scanstate.exe which includes files like migapp.inf, migsys.inf, miguser.inf and sysfiles.inf and you can change these files as you please. A simple illustration would be to access the migapp.inf file, put in the settings you need and put in the files you need to transfer and run scanstate.exe on every computer. The new machine would run a different program loadstate.exe which will unpack the file and load those settings. However like in file transfer settings this cannot transfer application and only settings to applications for e.g. it will not install adobe acrobat on your computer and then transfer its settings. If an application is not detected on the computer the settings for it will not be used. This application can be accessed in the following directory “CD:VALUEADDMSFTUSMT”. This ability is completely scriptable so an administrator can send these as e-mail messages to all the users and does not have to present at all the machines to run this.

Unattended Installation:

Microsoft also supplies us with tools for unattended installation which is a great feature for network administrators working in large corporate environment. This feature saves the tedious task of sitting down at each computer and installing Windows XP on each one of them. Unattended installation is made possible through a tool called the Setup Manager which links to the file unattend.txt which makes it possible answer all the questions which Win XP is going to ask us during the process of installation. A simple way to implement this is to drop all the required information for setup in the unattend.txt and drop this file in a floppy disk during the installation process or script this file inside if you are setting up through an image. There is one drawback to this since the each computer requires some unique information like computer name and IP addresses. This can be handled through a UDF file which is the unique database file. IP addresses on the other hand can be handled through DHCP and other processes. If you are booting off an image, this can be achieved by scripting the winnt32 file. The command line should read like this winnt32 /s: source path /u: unattend.txt /udf: udf path. However, if booting of a CD then this file should be placed inside the floppy disk with the name winnt.sif. This feature is again hidden inside the Win XP and can be accessed through the SUPPORT/TOOLS/ path and then by extracting the deploy.cab file. This file had to be extracted and will then reveal all the tools you require to deploy and unattended installation of Win XP. There are also three very helpful reference files inside this folder which give you a lot of information of using these tools. The setup manager tool a GUI tool which guides you through setting up the process of creating the uanttend.txt and the unique database file. It follows the simple procedure of asking questions starting from the organization and user name, Win XP key (This is the most important feature and has to entered correctly otherwise the installation would not take place), workspace or domain settings, regional and internet settings, language and time zone settings, computer names and even external commands to start up other installations for e.g. installing Microsoft office after Win XP install. This setup manager also gives us the options of several types of install like GUI installation, read only installation (user can see everything but cannot change anything) and others. You do not have to create this unattned.txt file from scratch for each terminal and can modify this file as per your needs for every other user. However this does become extremely cumbersome for large environments and the headache of creating a unattned.txt file for each user in a larger corporate working area. Microsoft does have its answer to that which is called the sysprep tool or the system preparation tool which gives us the ability to roll out clones of operating systems on each machine. This does give the network administrator the ability to somewhat use a cookie cutter style to roll out machines with preinstalled applications and operating systems customized before the mass installation procedure. The problem however can arise in the security identifiers (SID) that Microsoft uses to identify each machine and unique to that machine. You can use cloning tools to roll out these clones but you still have to use sysprep to authenticate support. Microsoft’s strips those SID’s out and repacks them so when the user sits down on the brand new machine he has to enter some information for the machine to get going. The applications are installed in the background though, but its Microsoft’s way of making sure that each machine has a unique SID after installation. Administrators are advised to run the latest third party cloning facilities to achieve the optimum results and then use sysprep to repack the machine as a brand new one for the SID’s to work safely and in accordance to Microsoft. However you have to be extremely careful before rolling out clones since they are very hardware specific, so your terminals should have identical HAL’s, mass storage device controllers and ACPI support. VAR’s (Value added resellers) should use the –factory mode switch to install and reconfigure the machine as per according to their requirements. This is also known as the audit mode and the machine can resealed after this by running sysprep again with a –reseal switch. This can also be done automatically using the file WINBOM.INI.

Remote Installation Services:

A remote Installation service gives us the power to install Win XP over the network. Microsoft uses a PXE (Preboot Execution environment) to achieve this and the setback is that you’re network card should be PXE certified. However, Microsoft also gives some hope to some left behind by giving us the option of using boot disks for people who do not have PXE certified network cards but, there always is setback and this time it’s that this feature is supported by only very specific network cards. Unfortunately, if you’re network card does not belong to any one of these classes you are out of luck and cannot use this feature. The basic way to setup is to connect to a RIS sever (Remote Installation server). Once you are connected to the RIS server there are three ways to connect and install Win XP. The first one is a simple installation where you download and run an image of Win XP CD. The second process is a scripted installation by creating an answer file and achieving an unattended installation. The final and the most powerful is the System image which uses a tool RIPrep (Remote Installation Preparation tool). This allows us to create an image with all the customized applications installed on them and then transfer that image to all the required machines. RIS requires an active directory environment with integrated DNS built it. The RIS server must be setup in the active directory. Most administrators would dedicate a separate sever for this process. Microsoft also states that the RIS partition should a separate one and should not a boot or system partition, so you would have to throw in a spare hard drive and drop this image on it. Also, the partition must be an NTFS. RIS installation utility and RIS preparation utility will allow you to put the different images on the server. The process then requires the Win XP CD and copies the I386 directory on the server and you can then choose to scripted installs or simple installs after that. The RIS uses single instance storage which means that it stores only one copy of each file when you upload different images on the server. This result’s in saving a lot of space on the server as well but this makes another reason the put this on a dedicated server and once all this configured you can put access levels on the images to allow users restricted access so that they cannot install any image they like. End users will boot from the network and boot from the PXE network card or PXE floppy disk and it asks them to log on and authenticate themselves to the domain server and then give them choices of installation images. In a multi-domain environment the administrators will be required to set up these RIS servers on each domain. Similar drawbacks exist on hardware compatibility. There are limited allowable differences in hardware on the machines but the HAL’s must be identical and as well the hard drives should be equal or larger in size. PXE book disks will work only on limited NIC cards so laptop users with PCMCIA are out of luck. Also remote installation can only be done on C drives and segregations on drives don’t allow the service to work.

Installation Troubleshooting:

Troubleshooting is always an enemy an administrator has had to face during his work. Even though Win XP is a quite sturdy operating system, there is a slight chance that you will run into problems during installation. The first step would be to check the hardware compatibility and hardware health. Most the time the problems I have encountered on Win XP have been due to bad hardware. There is no guarantee that devices on Windows 2000 will work on Windows XP. A first step is to install Windows XP with minimum hardware and then drop in extra hardware components after the install. That will allow you to isolate the bad or incompatible piece of hardware. You can also access the Microsoft’s website access the hardware compatibility listing. You should also check if the BIOS is ACPI compatible as described earlier.

User Accounts:

Windows XP requires user accounts to operate on it. It is based on the Windows NT kernel formula. Every user on Windows XP needs a user account. A big advantage of having user accounts is to be able to customize Win XP according to your environment. Windows XP can operate in a workgroup environment or an active directory domain. Windows XP also provides us with built in user accounts. The most powerful of all is the administrator account and time and time again it has been said to not do day to day tasks logged on as the administrator. The control machine in this case is at a serious threat since the only user account present on this machine is the administrator account and is not password protected. This is serious threat since this user has complete control for e.g. format a drive even by accident. The other account is the guest account which is open for users to access the machine but not giving it the power to corrupt or mess with the installed programs. A workgroup environment is good for a small corporate network but the biggest drawback is the each terminal should have a user account for that user on that machine, since Windows XP authenticates user accounts. However, domain environment has a central storage of all accounts which reduces overhead and makes it easy to add new accounts and terminals. In a domain environment if there is one user account, you can use that account to log on to any machine in the local domain. User accounts in a workgroup can be maintained through user accounts in the control panel. By default user accounts in Windows XP does not need a password but the administrator can change these default settings. Microsoft has also installed a feature known as “prevent forgotten password” where through the administrator account you can create a floppy disk with your password stored on it for recovery. However, this floppy disk should be safeguarded, since it can be a security loop hole to the entire network. In a domain environment you must log on as a member of the administrator’s group to create and delete user accounts. However, in a domain environment you have to add domain users to the local group to grant them access to the machines in that group using that user account. The concept is a little different, since domain user accounts should be granted access to a local group and are then able to log on to any machine in that group using that domain account, whereas each computer in a domain environment can also have local user accounts specific to that machine and only accessible through it.

Group Accounts:

Groups are a boon to an administrator in settings permissions. This allows us to take users and combine them to manage resources. Local groups allow us to set permissions to a group and have it trickle down on to the members of that group, local groups existing on each machine that give us this ability. Windows XP also gives us some built in groups like the administrator’s group and the users group. Local groups however have authority on that local machine. Microsoft’s management console allows us to create, delete and manage groups. A user can be a member of multiple groups so that allows the user to have a combination of most permissible abilities. However, deny always overrides an allow so if a user is denied a permission in one group that overrides that permission in all his member groups. There are several built in groups like administrator’s, backup operators, guest, network configuration, power users, remote desktop users and help users group. The name pretty much defines most of these groups. Most of the members belong to the power users group which gives them the opportunity to install applications and do day to day tasks. However there are some restrictions placed on this group for e.g. they cannot access other user’s files and cannot format hard drives or change user group settings and other user’s accounts. There are also some system groups which are used by Windows XP itself to perform certain tasks. The operating system handles these groups and you do not need to manage these groups. One such group is the “everyone group” which explains itself of how it includes everyone. If you want to give wide open access to computer you can grant a user as a member of the “everyone group”. However, this does include anonymous access so a user cannot log on using anonymous access. There are also other system groups like authenticated users which have to proved themselves worthy to log on to the system and creator/owner groups. There are also network and interactive groups which differentiate on the basis of your location. Network group classifies users who log on using a network whereas interactive users are users who actually sit down at the machine to log on. Creating and managing user groups can be achieved through the Microsoft management console. This saves a lot of headache at the domain level since the domain administrator can create a domain level group in the domain environment. The local administrator can then add that domain level group into the local machine group he just created and this gives the members of that group immediate access to that machine.

Logging onto Windows:

Logging on Windows XP is different from a workgroup to a domain environment. Microsoft has finally stepped away from the Ctrl+Alt+Del key combination to log onto to Windows. In a workgroup environment the user is greeted with a welcome screen, however the old style log on can be made compulsory in a workgroup environment by the administrator. In a domain environment the Ctrl+Alt+Del screen in the default and you cannot get away without it. In a workgroup setting you can disable the welcome screen but this also switches off the fast user switching option. Fast user switching is available only in a workgroup setting targeted towards a home environment. This enables multiple users to run their sessions on the same terminal without closing the other person’s session or let a user log on without logging another user off. This uses terminal services made available to us by Microsoft. There is at least a 128MB memory requirement needed for using this service. You can use fast user switching by using the Windows key + L, but you require the welcome screen switched on for this. You can also see what accounts are currently logged on by using the task manager and switching to the users tab which will show you all the current users logged on and it show which user is currently active and which are disconnected. Troubleshooting user accounts can be a simple task. Be sure to check if passwords are correct and caps lock is not turned on and also if your account has not been disabled. You can also turn on the guest account as a last resort to have limited access. This can be a security loop hole so most administrators avoid it. In a domain environment XP caches user log on information so you as an administrator can turn on a feature which prevents a user from logging on if the domain controller is down. You can prevent this by accessing the security policies from the administrative tools from the control panel. This gives you an option of changing the number of cached logon’s to zero which will prevent a user from logging on if the domain controller is down. Changes such as this require the user to be a member of the administrative group and also these security policies can be overridden by policies set on the domain level.

User Profiles:

User profiles in Windows XP give the user the power to maintain his/her own settings for each user. This is just a group of files personal to that user and HKCU portion of the registry. All the user profiles and the default profiles are found in the folder Documents and Settings. However this is only in a case of a clean install of Windows XP, but when we upgrade from Windows NT the user profiles are found in the system root directory. Profiles are specific to each machine, so if a user has an account on ten different machines his user profile on each machine will and local and different. This exception in this case can be a roaming user profile where the user roams around from one terminal to another. In this case the user can log on to any machine and his user profile is downloaded at the terminal he sits down on and he can make changes to his/her profile and when he logs off those changes are saved on to the active directory. In order to set up this user profile the administrator must create a user account and put a UNC (Universal naming convention for e.g. domainnamefoldername%username%) tab in the profile tab of the user in the active directory. However, the trick is to give proper permissions to directory where the user profiles are saved in order for the user to access his/her profile; otherwise the user will receive a default profile. This profile is also cached locally incase the roaming profile is not available or the profile server goes down the user can still log on using the locally stored profile. However, incase the user logs onto multiple terminals the profile from which he logs on last will the last profile updated. This can also be made ad a mandatory profile for e.g. in kiosk environment where you want the user to have the exact same profile whenever he/she logs on. You can do this by going into the user profile and renaming a file ntuser.dat to ntuser.man and no changes will be saved when the user logs off so he/she will get the same default profile when he/she logs back on.

Local Security Policy:

Local security policies give the administrator several measures to maintain security in the workgroup. There are three different types of policies like auditing, user rights and security settings. There are also account policies which include password policies and account lockout policies. Password policies enable us to enforce password laws where the administrator can set password length, history, age and even complexity for secure environments. Account lockout policies prevent hackers from constantly trying to log on to the system using brute force like all combinations of passwords. Local policies give us a variety of features. One section is user rights assignments where the administrator can assign specific policies to specific users and groups which allow different users to have different powers and rights on the network and the machine. Auditing properties enable us to generate reports on how the system is performing to be clear who is trying to do what on the machine or the network. Microsoft does make our work easier by giving us preconfigured security templates. These are groups of settings for various scenarios. These can be accessed through a bunch of .inf files provided by Microsoft and you can implement these by either importing the .inf file into the group or by using the Microsoft security configuration and analysis snap-in. These can be applied to a local machine or a group and are easy to create through the MMC. The preconditions are to first create a snap-in and add the security policies and security configuration and templates modules in it and then create a database and then import a security template into it. Then you can compare and analyze or even set your computer to these configurations. You can also save these security templates as shortcuts for access to each machines security settings.

Group Policies:

The main function of group policies is to implement restrictions on their computer to prevent unintentional mess up of the OS on the computer. In a workgroup background you can implement local group policies which are specific to that local machine only and to the users on that machine, so in order to implement this on the entire workgroup you will have to implement this locally on each machine which can become a headache. However, you can have remote shortcuts to each desktop’s MMC (focus MMC on remote machines) on your computer and then can implement those policies through this procedure. In a domain setting you need to implement these policies through the organizational units in active directory on the active directory server. By default group polices have a refresh period after which group policies will be downloaded but you can run a GPUPDATE to refresh and implement new group policies immediately. Group policies are accessed through the same way as local policies by adding the snap-in of group policies. You can create group policies on that local machine or connect to remote machine by clicking the browse icon, but you need to have administrative rights on each machine and also on that machine. As ever domain policies override local computer policies.

Auditing Windows XP:

As a network administrator one of the main tasks is to make sure that the resources are being used the way they are used or not being used they should not be. Auditing in Windows XP is just the feature which helps us track these key events. This can be used to track successful or failed system events. It helps the administrator choose between either tracking things being done correctly or things not being done correctly. The most important factor is file access and account logon. One drawback of auditing is that it should be turned on locally on each machine, since it cannot be enabled on a domain basis. Auditing should not be turned on in the entire domain since it does take a performance hit on the system. An example would be the Audit object failures which tracks failures or successes of files and printers. Enabling this would not turn on auditing on the file, in order to that you need to go to the properties of the folder or files you want to audit. Head to the security tab, if you cannot see the security tab this either means that simple file sharing is turned on or that your drive is based on FAT32 partitioning style. You need to have a NTFS partition style and simple file sharing tuned off for this security tab to show up. However, in a domain environment simple file sharing is turned of by default. Once you can see the security tab hit the advanced tab and select the auditing tab and add the user or the group you would like to audit. Auditing reports can be seen through the event viewer which can be located through control panel and then in administrative tools. Finally the key thing to remember about auditing is that it has to be turned on at two separate places, once in the local security policies and second at the resource you want to audit like a file or a printer.

Windows Installer:

If you install an application on Windows XP you are most probably using the Windows Installer. Microsoft started this through Windows 200o to prevent other applications from just installing themselves and breaking and clobbering other DLL’s. There are also problems during uninstall where the program would take away a critical Windows component and then your system might not boot. This new service is integrated into the operating system to make the programs well behaved. Windows Installer introduces package files (.msi) which are installation files on the CD itself. There are a lot of advantages to using the Windows Installer, for e.g. the ability to self-heal in a case where the program detects that a DLL is corrupt or missing and then can heal itself by pulling that file back from the source CD or network. There is also a rollback capability where something terrible happens during the installation, Windows Installer makes sure to take snapshots of the system before and after the installation. In case of failure it rollback’s the system to the state how it was before. There is also on-demand installation where you can install features as needed and required later on by the system. These can be obtained from the source on either a media format like a CD or on the network. Source resiliency also enables us to define several source targets where you can connect and download the files you need incase one source is corrupted. You can publish application in a domain setting and then can assign a group or users who can connect to download and install this application. Also, you can assign applications to users or groups where the application doesn’t really install itself but it places a link or a shortcut of that application on that terminal for that user to access it and when the user tries to access it the first time it goes ahead and installs itself using the Windows Installation services. This also enables us to have two different versions of the same program using two different DLL’s which can coexist on the same terminal in the same hard drive. MSIEXEC is the command prompt installer which is the core of the Windows Installer. There are several flags to this command and you can run this from the command line to install those problematic applications. One of the most important flags is the /f which can be used to repair bad installations and even find corrupt DLL files.

User Interface:

Windows XP gives the average user a lot of power with the ease to configure his/her user interface. Configuring the desktop is something you can do almost to an extreme in Windows XP. Standard desktop settings remain the same as the ability to change wallpapers, colors and sounds. There are also themes and skins which can change the entire look the Windows XP and work as API’s which run on the machine and not any third party tools you need to get. Simple day to day tasks have been made a lot easier with a folder and file options available on the left hand side of the windows explorer. The start menu has become more powerful than it was before. It also incorporates the ability to customize itself as per your program usability. However for you old school people Windows XP does give you the option of switching to the old style desktop or the classic desktop. All you have to do is right-click and go to properties and change the theme to Windows classic to obtain the old style Windows look. The appearance tab helps the user pick a color scheme they like best or you could also enter advanced mode and pick colors for each part yourself. The effects tab is the most underused tab which gives the user the ability to get cleaner fonts and even remove and set animations on your windows. Most appearances are customizable in Windows XP and Microsoft’s is trying real hard towards a goal to please every user type.

Interface Options:

Microsoft has added a lot interface options for users who otherwise have problems using the computer. One is accessibility services where Microsoft has included several options like the sticky keys, filter keys or toggle keys and even sounds and onscreen keyboard. There is also a narrator which gives us text to speech for the visually challenged. There is also the magnifier which is also a great asset. An easy way to access the narrator, magnifier and the onscreen keyboard is pressing the Windows key + U. Multilingual support has also been included in Windows XP just like as in Windows 2000. However, not all applications support this but you can almost enable this all API’s. All that is required is to head to the regional settings in the control panel and install the language you want to work with the remap the keyboard accordingly and you’re done. One drawback is that for other users to use a document created in this language they must have the same language settings installed on their computer. You can even change entire interface of the computer into another language by installing support for that language. This servers as a strategic advantage for global organizations which operate in different regions in terms of saving space in terms of storing a file in different languages since multi language support enables us to store only one copy of the file and have it available in different languages.

Hardware Installation:

Windows XP supports plug and play feature where you can just plug in devices and it will detect them automatically without any installations. One of the most important advantages of this feature is that signed drivers are installed automatically without prompting. However, non plug and play devices require manual installation. This saves a lot of headache to the administrator when it comes to installing different pieces of hardware. The user needs to have the administrative privileges to install these hardware’s and drivers. These can be maintained to the device manager which can be accessed from right clicking my computers icon. Microsoft is pushing to wears a new setting known as driver signing. This enables Microsoft to see what drivers are installed on the system. In a case of an unsigned driver the user is warned about this before installing it but he/she can still choose to go ahead or not go ahead with it. Vendors have to actively pursue to get their drivers signed by Microsoft to achieve a signed driver rating. In a case of an unsigned driver Microsoft raises a flag which warns the user about the unsigned driver. This can raises several issues in a network for the administrator to handle where people bring in their own USB devices to plug in to their systems and then can raise several flags and incompatibilities in the environment. The administrator can handle this situation by disabling and blocking the installation of unsigned drivers. One of the drawbacks in windows 2000 was the ability for a user to modify the registry keys and install an unsigned driver and then change back the keys after the installation. This loop hole has been fixed by Microsoft and the user is not given the ability to change registry keys and hence he cannot install unsigned drivers without administrative permission. One of the other features that will is the facility of the drivers or to even roll back drivers incase of a mishap. Updating device drivers still requires the user to have administrative privileges. However updating device drivers is one of the most frequent causes of system crash. This is where the ability of rollback kicks in where Windows XP maintains copies of older versions of your driver which you can kick back to incase of an update failure. There is also something known as the last good option which should be a last resort in case of a safe boot. Driver signing gives us the options to free install, warn or block drivers that are unsigned. A normal user can always go to a much stricter option like if the administrator has selected warn the normal user can choose block, however he/she cannot choose to ignore it.

Hardware Support:

Windows XP supports most kinds of hardware these days. You can pretty much take anything in the market and it will be supported by Windows XP. Windows XP even supports smartcard operations fresh out of the box. One of the coolest features is the ability to hook up to twelve display devices on to one machine. As a matter of fact you can link up to ten display devices onto one single terminal. There’s also dual head technology incorporated into Windows XP which gives the user power to connect multiple monitors with a single video card adapter, for e.g. in case of a laptop you can connect it to monitor and have it perform different from the screen on your laptop or as an extension to the screen on your laptop. Windows XP supports Directx and OpenGL which are graphics technologies or graphics API’s. Microsoft is offering this towards the gaming market where they have finally been able to run Directx on the NT core for the games to perform an optimum level. Another Windows XP service included out of the box is faxed support .This practically will meet most users average day to day tasks of receiving and sending faxes. Fax support of course is not installed by default and the user has to install it through and remove windows components. As soon as you install facts aboard Windows XP creates a virtual printer through which it will send it to your faxes.

You can even have your terminal receive faxes through a virtual printer. Setting up fax services is pretty easy for the average user to configure. It does require a telephone number and other information. You can even set it up to auto print faxes or choose how you would like to be alerted. One of the directions most new hardware is trying to move this towards using USB and firewire (IEEE 1394) ports. These are plug and play hot swappable devices which you can connect and disconnect without having to install any drivers. One of the features of USB is that you can target USB root hub through device manager to allocate power to each hub. Another way to get out of this power drain is to use a self powered external hub which draws its power externally to function. You can even take a look at the universal host controller in device manager under the USB drop down menu to see the amount of bandwidth taken by each controller.

Mobile Computer Hardware:

Windows XP has a pretty good mobile hardware support. As more and more users switch from desktops to laptops Microsoft has increased its support and capabilities towards mobile hardware. One of the most important features is included support for ACPI which saves a lot of battery power on laptop machines. Applications can also request no power saving incase of server machine where applications need to keep running constantly. Dynamic docking and undocking creates separate profiles for docked and undocked mode. ACPI gives the capabilities of power management through power options available in control panel. Power management facilities give us the flexibility to maintain different power settings incase of desktops and laptops. Also it even creates different settings when the laptop is in docked mode and running on AC power and when in undocked mode and using battery juice. One of the power saving modes is the hibernation mode where the computer dumps its memory on the hard drive and shuts itself off and when you start it again it reloads its RAM from the hard drive. An easier way for an average user are built in power schemes given by Microsoft that help you mange your power settings better to get the maximum time out of your laptop. Windows XP also gives you the flexibility to set up UPS and adjust hibernation. In order to bring your computer to hibernate mode initiate a **** down sequence and then when the window pops up hold down the shift key to change the standby option to hibernate. Hibernate is much bigger power saver then standby, since standby still consumes a lot of power. You do need to log back on to the system after hibernation. Windows also has wireless support for Windows XP through Bluetooth (802.11b) and Infrared technology built in to the operating system. Windows XP can detect and connect automatically to wireless networks using either an access point or an ad hoc ability (ad hoc ability connects multiple computers to each other without having to connect to an access point).

Storage Devices:

Windows XP hard disk support comes in two different flavors. The first one is the old style know as basic disks which include four primary partitions or three extended partitions and one extended partition. Microsoft has now implemented a new strategy know as volumes disks. You can have up to 200 volumes per driver, however Microsoft does recommend you to not go this high and has set a limit of at most 32 volumes per drive. If you plan to multiboot using this drive dynamic disks and dynamic volumes are only usable by Windows XP and Widows 2000. Applications don’t really have an issue with dynamic disks. One drawback is that laptop computer and removable storage cannot have dynamic disks since this is really used when there are multiple drives. You cannot mix dynamic and basic disks on one drive. On basic disk you can primary and extended partitions only and you cannot create fault-tolerance volumes or even span drives. Dynamic disks have this ability. The first step is a simple volume which can be NTFS, FAT or FAT32. The next step above this is a spanned volume used in a case of multiple hard drives where you can add more space to hard drive without adding another drive letter. Simple volumes can be extended to create spanned volumes but the kicker is that you cannot extend a system or boot volumes. The third case is a striped volume which is written on both drives which doubles your throughput on both drives. This in turn increases performance and also doubles your throughput on reading and writing. You can access these management tools by right clicking on My Computers and then selecting manage and choosing Disk management in the computer management window. It is very simple to convert a disk to a dynamic disk, the process involves right clicking on the disk icon itself on the left most side and choosing convert to dynamic disk. This renders it unusable by other operating systems since the partition table is rewritten. You can extend a simple volume by just right clicking and choosing extend volume and choose the desired size you would like to extend the volume to. Converting an existing basic setup to dynamic setup requires at least 1MB of unpartitioned space but vice versa is only possible through reformat. For users updating their system from other legacy system you need to use FTONLINE to bring your data online mount it and then wipe out your drives and bring your data back to the drives. It is not a long term solution for storage. There are also other removable storage media like CD’s floppies and USB hard drives. Windows XP has full support for burning CD’s included into the operating system. However, it’s not as advanced as other third party applications.

File Systems:

As a network administrator you need to know the kinds of file systems that are supported by Windows XP. NTFS is the new file system which has a lot more capabilities incorporated into it. The FAT file system is the universal file system, which has a lot of limitations which were overcome by FAT32. One of the biggest drawbacks was the cluster size in FAT, so for e.g. the bigger your drives got the bigger the cluster became so for a 1K file you would’ve used a 32K cluster and ended up wasting 31K space. This becomes a considerable waste when thinking in terms of gigabytes. FAT32 overcame this problem by introducing a 4K cluster, but still has a lot of limitations. NTFS has a lot of new features like compression, encryption and permissions. Users still using FAT or FAT32 systems on Windows XP can convert to NTFS by running a command from the prompt known as convert [driverletter]: /fs:ntfs. However, you cannot convert back to FAT or FAT32. In a case when you convert your boot drive it will convert on reboot. A backup is recommended to prevent data loss before running this command. In a case you have already started the process and haven’t backed up your data you can jump into registry editor using the regedit command and look up inside HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE – system – CurrentControlSet – Control – Session Manager.

Inside here you will see boot execute. When you run this you will see the conversion process listed there and you can delete it to stop the conversion process. There are also other file systems maintenance tasks which most administrators like to do whenever they find time for e.g. disk defragmentation. The new feature in Windows XP is that you can schedule this defragmentation via the command line. Disk cleanup is also a pretty safe way that deletes cache files and other temp files stored on your computer. It even tells you of files which you haven’t used in a long time.

NTFS:

NTFS clearly has a lot of benefits compared to others like FAT and FAT32. NTFS is the default choice when you start from scratch. However, one difference is that formatting NTFS will set file security during installation which you do not get when you convert from FAT or FAT32. This can be securing access from critical system files which was not present in FAT and FAT32. Microsoft has introduced the quick format option during setup process. NTFS also introduces file and directory security settings which are very helpful in corporate environments. IT also gives us the abilities of quotas, compression and encryption. By default if the user is not in a domain environment then the sharing and NTFS permissions are combined into one. Simple file sharing is turned on in the tools folder option which disables the security tab from the properties of a folder or a file. This can be turned back on by just disabling simple file sharing. Windows XP creates a My documents and Shared Documents folder. You can make you My Documents folder private and even when you place a password on your user account then Windows asks you to privatize your entire files and folders. Shared Documents enables multiple users to share documents with each other. However, in a workgroup setting you can only make folder private in your user account. In order to disable this option you as an administrator need to turn off simple file sharing. In a domain environment this is turned off by default and security tab is available. Permissions granted to a user always add up as most permissible but deny always overrides other permissions. There is also inheritance which trickles down to the file level which means that file permissions override the folder permissions. However, you can always block inheritance and override a lower level permission with the higher one. Windows XP has also added a feature to view effective permissions on a file. These can be accessed through the effective permissions tab available in the security tab of a file or folder and by clicking the advanced tab. You can select the user or the group you want to view permissions on. NTFS utilizes the concept of ownership of file where the owner always has full control of the file they created; even after they are locked out they can take ownership of the file and give themselves access to it. Administrator can take ownership of any file available in the system, but so that this cannot be abused they cannot give ownership to someone else, they sure can give them permissions to view and modify but not ownership. This is a key concept of recovering files when a user has left the company or has been locked out from his files. Taking ownership is very easy, head to the security tab and click advanced tab and choose the owner tab and then you can add yourself back. Then you can go ahead and add yourself back into the file permissions to give you back full control. NTFS also gives us the ability to compress files on a case by case basis. Compression and decompression happen automatically. Compressing folders will also compress files and adding new files to it will also keep the new files compressed. Windows XP does highlight them with different color to mark them as compressed. Encryption and compression do not mix well in Windows XP. You can access encryption and compression through the properties and advanced tab and choosing between compression and encryption. Microsoft uses the EFS (Encrypting File Systems) for safeguarding files and folders. Encrypting a folder will encrypt all files inside the folder as well. The key is encryption is stronger than permissions because the data gets scrambled using certificates. This means that user who owns that certificates can only access that data. There is no longer the security hole where encrypted file transfer was not possible and data had to be decrypted for the other user to read it. Now when you give access to somebody else for your encrypted files he/she gets a copy of the certificate to decrypt those files. One drawback is that if you move files into an already encrypted folder it will not be encrypted, however the ones created will be. You can give access to another user of your encrypted file by adding them through the details tab available through the properties and advanced tabs. The catch is that the user should’ve have encrypted a file at least once to have a certificate available on the computer. This is needed by Windows XP since the first time you encrypt a file it issues you an encryption certificate. In a domain environment you must trust the server for delegation in order to encrypt files on the server. You can also use WebDAV for providing secure transport and storage to avoid trust for delegation.

EFS Recovery:

Recovering encrypted data can be made possible since Microsoft’s introduction of the DRA or the data recovery agent. This utilizes a special key which is tagged on to every file encrypted. In a domain setting the administrator is defaulted as the being the data recovery agent so there is always a back door for recovering encrypted files. In a workgroup environment there is no default data recovery agent, so you need to create a data recovery agent. The key is to create a DRA before any files get encrypted, since you won’t be able to recover files which were encrypted before that. The first things you need to do are access your security policies by heading into the local security policies and then into public key policies which will show you encrypting file systems. Making a DRA is a little tricky to begin with. Start by running the command prompt and running the cipher command as follows cipher /r:[filename]. This command will create your two recovery certificates, one is public key (.cer) and the other is private one (.pfx). It also asks you for a password to open your private keys. Once done you then right click on the encrypting file systems in the local security policy and add a new DRA and then browse to the recover file you just created and add that. Now, when any user encrypts a file you will be listed as a data recovery agent. You can also reset password for another user if he or she forgets it but this trashes that user’s certificate, so he/she will not be able to access files which were encrypted with the previous certificate before. This is where the DRA comes as a savior. In order to disable EFS you need to completely remove the encryption policy, it doesn’t just go away by removing the DRA. Disabling EFS is through accessing the encrypting file systems menu in the local security policies and right clicking to go to all tasks and then selecting delete policy. However, turning off EFS is not quite that easy in a workgroup environment. You can find more details about in recently published Microsoft’s documents.

Networking Setup and Troubleshooting:

Windows XP is very powerful operating system which includes a lot of features when it comes to networking. Windows XP is multi protocol ready and uses NWLink which is easily configured for simple file sharing. However, it also supports the universal TCP/IP protocol. The advantages are numerous and even a working copy to new IPv6 protocol for all you network wizards to play around with. NetBEUI support is not longer available as a standard but as a hidden add-on on the disk. Windows XP also gives us the ability to bridge different media types. The network connection box shows you one entry for each network connection available on your computer. Bridging them can be very easy by just selecting them all and right-clicking to select bridge connections. You can install other protocols like NetBEUI by clicking install and then by choosing “have disk” and browsing through the disk to install it. Windows XP has introduced an alternate configuration on TCP/IP settings where it kicks into the alternate configuration if the primary one is not obtained. This can be used to store two different connection settings for home and office for your laptop or in another applied scenario. Networking with Windows XP is not without its pitfalls. Networking troubleshooting in Windows XP begins at a basic level where the first thing the administrator should do is look if the cable is plugged in and the lights are blinking. You can then go ahead and type the net config redirector command which displays the entire current network configuration on your computer. You can even repair a connection by right clicking on the connection you want to fix and Windows XP then runs a lot of commands behind the hood to fix that connection. If this still doesn’t work you can then use the command “nets hint ip reset [logfile]”. In essence this tears the stack down all the way the base and rebuilds that TCP/IP connection or in other words reinstalling the connection. You can access the advanced settings by clicking advanced tab and then choosing advanced settings which shows you the bindings on that computer. Another command used is IPCONFIG with flags like /all, /renew, /flushdns and /registerdns. Other simple commands used are PING command for pinging IP addresses, TRACERT for tracing IP addresses, NBTSTAT –R to empty and reload name cache, NETSTAT for showing all the incoming and outgoing active connections and NETSTAT – R which shows you the routing table.

READ ‘Pt 2′ for more details.

Gary Smith asked:


Over the years I’ve often had to move websites from one server to another. It’s not rocket science, but if you don’t have a plan and a very clear picture in your mind of exactly what you need to achieve then it can go pear shaped fairly quickly. So, here’s my ‘standard plan’ for moving a server that runs some sort of script (i.e. directory site, traffic exchange etc) and a MySQL database. Let’s assume the old domain is domain.com and the new IP number is 1.2.3.4.

Step 1: Send an email to your member list 48 hours before the move.

Step 2: Create the domain.com account (CPanel etc) on the new server.

Step 3: Take a full backup of all data on the server and all data in the MySQL database(s) and restore them on the new server. Restore the MySQL database(s).

Step 4: Edit your windows hosts file (C:\WINDOWS\system32\drivers\etc\hosts) and add an entry for domain.com with the new IP address.

Step 5: Flush your windows DNS cache (open a CMD window and enter the command ‘ipconfig /flushdns’).

Step 6: Open your browser to domain.com. It should now be opening on the new server due to the hosts file entry. Just to be sure, place a comment in the home page file (index.html/index.php) like . That way, you can just view the source of the homepage to verify that you really are on the new server.

Step 7: Test EVERYTHING. Test the script. If it has an admin area, test the admin functions. Follow all the hyperlinks and make sure that everything is working correctly.

Step 8: Once you are sure the new site is working correctly, place an alternate homepage on the old server that says something like ‘We are moving to a new, faster server. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause’. Now reboot the (old) server. This will kick anyone out that is currently logged in.

Step 9: The files should all be okay (unless you have some sort of funky file-based database). Now it’s time to take the ‘real’ database backup. You don’t want anyone losing anything, so you need to take a backup of the database again at the point where you prevented people from logging in.

Step 10: Delete the database on the new server and do a restore of the database backup that you just did from the old server. You now have the most current database data and everyone should be happy when they get to log back in.

Step 11: Update the DNS at your registrar to point at the new DNS servers.

There you have it. Eleven easy steps to a smooth server move . You may get the odd person who says that they got to the new server but then it went to the old one again. That will be something to do with the DNS propagation and can be safely responded to with ‘give it a little while longer and all will be well’. If you still see or are alerted to problems after 72 hours then there may be something up with the DNS config on the new server but it would have to be a fairly obvious mistake and easily rectified if that were the case.

Richard n Williams asked:


NTP servers or Network Time Protocol are devices that connect to a computer network and synchronise all machines to a single time source. Of course most operating systems have an inbuilt NTP program called Windows Time that can synchronise to an Internet time source; however, these can not be authenticated and can leave a computer network open to abuse.

NTP servers are normally rack mountable and take up 1U of space but some are built smaller for networks without a dedicated server room. NTP is based on UDP and requires TCP/IP.

The timing source for an NTP server can either be taken from a specialist radio transmission that are broadcast from national physics laboratories or from the GPS network.

Radio time references are only broadcast by a few countries, in particular the US (WWVB), the UK (MSF), Germany (DCF), Japan (JJY), France (TDF), Switzerland (HBG) and China (BPM). However, depending on the distance from these transmissions it is possible to receive the signals in neighbouring countries although being mainly long wave these signals are easily blocked by mountains, buildings and bad weather.

If a NTP Server is in a location with a clear radio signal it is possible to receive the transmission indoors which has an advantage over the GPS system which requires and antenna with a clear view of the sky (although it is possible to receive a transmission near a window).

GPS is however more accurate than radio transmission and can provide accuracy to within a hundred nanoseconds (a nanosecond is 1 billionth of a second). They can also receive a signal from literally anywhere in the world (as long as the antenna can get a clear view of the sky).

NTP servers are extremely easy to install and just need to be provided with a static IP address and have its internal time synchronized with the external timing reference. Once synchronised (which can take up to an hour) the NTP server will continually ensure all the clocks on the network are running the correct time.

Heightened security options such as authentication can also be used to ensure the NTP Server and network is secure from abuse.

 

abdul vasi asked:


One of the most reliable web hosting services that you can take up is dedicated server web hosting. In a dedicated server you have the entire server space for yourself, unlike shared servers where you share cyberspace with other websites. You are in complete control of the server and you can implement whatever you require for your web hosting requirements.

You can find a wide range of dedicated web hosting services, each having their own unique features. When you choose any particular service, you have to pay a certain fees for server management. Any additional requirements will be charged extra. If you are considering taking up dedicated web server services, you need to look into certain factors so that you take up reliable services that gives you the kind of durability and integrity that you require for your online business activities over the internet. Here are a couple of tips on what to check out

• Look into the bandwidth provided by the service provider because this must be suitable to your business demands.

• Check out the hardware capacity of the server because this must be enough for all your processing requirements. You don’t want your site’s activities slowing down because of inadequate memory space.

• Find out what the server backup routine plans offered by your service provider. You need to know when and how back-ups are taken.

• Analyze the quality of service offered and how well thing are managed by the service provide before taking up any service. You should be able to contact support when you need it the most.

There are many benefits in taking up dedicated web server requirements. Once your business starts expanding, you will receive more than usual site traffic. Your server should have the necessary functionality and robustness to handle this, otherwise they you could lose business because your server is down. While you can face downtime and slowdown in shared servers, you won’t find such problem with a reliable dedicated web hosting service. In dedicated web hosting you get to choose the operating system and the control panel option, so you can set the server to provide the kind of functionality that you expect. You have the flexibility to load exactly the kind of software that you want and you can put all your site projects into one place, rather than have your web site spread over a bunch of different hosts.

Many dedicated web server hosting companies offer reliable customer support. You can also opt for a managed dedicated web hosting service as this will give you the advantage of having the entire burden of managing aspects such as back ups and server functioning out of your hands. Many organizations are seeking to take up dedicated web hosting services because of the many advantages that come with it. Using a dedicated web server give them more reliability, space, flexibility and security in running their business over the internet.

Ashok Jindal asked:


Reliable, Affordable and Business web hosting service is necessary element for online transaction companies. hosting are many type such as reseller hosting, virtual private server, free web hosting, collocation web hosting, managed dedicated servers and shared dedicated hosting etc.

When we want to run of website on Internet then we require a space on Internet. This space provided by web hosting company. Web hosting service provider offer many attractive package but these packages may be fraud. Actually we require cheap web hosting and dedicated servers.

Now most popular hosting servers are Linux dedicated hosting servers and windows hosting servers. When we select company to web hosting service we should be notice following features:-

Web space 100MB and 1500MB etc.

Bandwidth/Month such as 500MB, 1000MB, 2000MB, 3000MB and 5000MB etc.

Other features such as Install activation, secure c panel and web mail, .htaccess support, MySQL database, phphmydmin GUI, web logs and reports, anti virus protection, own SMTP sever, FTP accounts, multi language control panel and company charged according features.

Free Web Hosting: free cpanel hosting, free Linux hosting and other web hosting service offer only for advertisement supported and limited functionality.

Shared dedicated hosting: multiple users share same server such as cpanel hosting and plesk hosting.

Reseller Hosting: Linux or windows reseller hosting provides total control themselves clients. Reseller Hosting web hosting offer lot of unlimited features such as unlimited MySQL database, change password, unlimited FTP access, unlimited SMTP server, unlimited sub domains and many other features.

Virtual Private Server: this is also popular as Virtual Dedicated Server. In this technology a big server divided into multiple servers and each server can reboot independently.

In India has many companies those provide windows and Linux website hosting service. Some company offer low cost reseller hosting, free Linux hosting, banner exchange and ecommerce web hosting service solution.

The hosting services should be dedicated and reliable because all IT and other companies depend on online transactions. Now offshore outsourcing work is requirement for all countries and Time to time need information from whole world. Any query or important information can come from any where to company. If hosting company server down then lot of dolor amount will be destroy. So hosting companies responsibility increase round the clock.