Web Hosting asked:


Choosing an operating system (OS) that runs the web server hosting ones site is as old as the business of web hosting.

All the functions of web server and hosting a site are controlled by operating system, so one should pay particular attention while choosing operating system.
Options one really have while choosing an Os are:-

One can choose between webhosting based on Windows, Linux or UNIX operating systems. List of options will narrow to only two just if one has a brief description and analysis of the different systems.

Microsoft’s Windows server operating systems (NT/2000/2003) makes IT teams to easier in this aspect with its quite friendly and familiar user interface feature. Their range is absolutely impressive and its excellent integration capabilities with other applications developed by Microsoft gives another plus to its feature.

The beginning of the Internet era was powered by the OS UNIX and is still used today due to its qualities whereas Linux OS was developed having Unix as starting point and thus both share many features. Due to higher licensing costs and specific hardware requirements for UNIX, Linux version of the UNIX system is more common on web servers today. With taking UNIX into account this is the reason why we will continue with Linux only. Linux hosting fulfills all requirements for a good web server and Web serving, file serving, mailing, and streaming. It has also proven to be a very cost-effective choice from using hardware efficiently; it also allows more web sites per server ratio, which results in decreasing the cost of hosting per account.

Windows v/s Linux.

Trustworthiness

Linux OS were seen as more reliable over Windows during the past period. So here are our two choices Windows and Linux. But with the release of Windows 2003 server Microsoft has closed the gap in this area. Both Windows and Linux servers are compatible with definite Microsoft extensions and applications.

Web Programming

One might want to add up some simple scripts to add some spice to ones site even if one is trying to host a simple website. Matter becomes bigger when one is trying to host an e-commerce site supported by some serious server-side programming.

What do our two competitors do in this aspect?

As java scripts are executed on the client side (the user’s web browser) and both Linux and Windows have no problem feeding this content to ones visitors supporting java scripts is not a topic to be argued upon. Discussing server side scripting is a whole different matter. It is common perceptive that ASP is supported by Windows and PHP is the tool to do just that under Linux for web site owners trying to put into operation forms on their site. Even Though both OS have developed solutions to support each other’s programming language for web development this support is not ideal and the limitations propose Linux for a good PHP support and Windows for ASP, especially when it comes to hosting websites that require the full use of advantages offered by PHP or ASP.

Front Page extensions are supported by Linux. If Perl is the scripting language of ones choice, one should opt for Linux as Windows offers only limited CGI/Perl support.

Databases

Few databases are required for dynamically driven web sites. Often one will come across mySQL or MSAccess for sites employing databases. Web site has no problems while hosting it on either Windows or Linux if it is relying on mySQL, but for MSAccess databases, one has only option of Windows.

Price

Webhosting on Linux is cheaper. As the licensing costs, are lower than that for Windows and Linux has the ability of web servers to support a higher web site per server ratio without compromising the quality of service.

Even though hosting on Windows cost a bit more, one will get something for ones money i.e. quick development and functionality.

Choosing an OS one over another depends chiefly upon ones actual needs and of the plans one has made for the future of ones web site. For instance will it move from static web site to one relying heavily on server side scripting? And if it is so which programming language would be used: PHP or ASP? Accordingly ones web site will be placed on a Linux or on a Windows web server.

Option between Linux and Windows is offered by almost all serious web-hosting providers. No one is the actual winner as yet of this contest. Preference of one system over another is given only by ones requirements and the needs of the visitors.