Windows hosting

Windows hosting

Almost everyone who has used a PC knows that Microsoft Windows is the most widely used desktop operating system (OS) in use today. Although the tech-savvy community is now more inclined to use alternate operating systems, Windows still has the majority share of the basic user (newbie) market because it’s easy to use.

Microsoft launched Windows NT in 1994 to be used with network servers. Windows NT had an all-new OS kernel different from its previous versions. Since then, Microsoft has released various versions of Windows, based on the NT core, to be used as server systems. The latest of them is Microsoft Windows 2003.

Advantages of Windows hosting

The benefits may vary depending on the scripting language you use.

* IIS (Internet Information Services) is a major benefit on Windows. IIS 6 is the latest version of IIS with major performance upgrades and advanced features like XML Metabase, ASP Hang Detection, and support for 64 bit servers, etc. ASP is a widely used language on the enterprise level for custom-made applications that require stability and performance.

* Windows supports Microsoft’s SQL server — one of the most robust DBMS around. With features like stored procedures, triggers, etc., it is the favorite choice for performance-based application development.

* Window supports the .NET framework. ASP.NET is commonly used nowadays because of its features like memory leak, crash protection, multi-language support, etc.

* Windows also supports certain enterprise level applications for high end-users. One of them is Exchange Servers, which is known for its rock-solid performance in business-critical information handling.

Disadvantages of Windows hosting

The most basic thing you should know about Windows hosting is that it involves a lot of licensing costs.

* The Windows OS itself is not free. IIS, ASP support, and .NET support do come bundled with Windows, but MSSQL and Exchange servers need additional licenses, which are not cheap.

* Any additional components that might be needed on the server must also be paid for. The concept of open source software does not apply much in the case of a Windows environment except for MYSQL, PHP, and some other components that are open source and compatible with Windows. Windows hosting cannot be cheap because of these additional setup costs.

* Very few open source scripts compatible with Windows are available on the Internet. You have to purchase licenses for mostly any ASP or .NET scripts you want to use.

* The security, stability, and performance of the server depend largely on how it was set up.