Characteristics Of Cloud Computing

Posted on December 26, 2010 by admin

Software as a Service (SaaS)

In the cloud computing, programs and applications are on the servers connected to the Internet, outside the user’s computer. This allows users to not to buy any software for their computers because it is loaded online via the internet browser.

Now instead of having to pay more than $150 for the cheapest version of Office ™ can freely access the online version of the applications.

Reduced Software Maintenance

By reducing the amount of software installed on users’ computers, the maintenance required is also reduced.

Nowadays almost all programs have automatic mechanisms that seek their updates which fix bugs, close security flaws, or even add new features.

In a cloud, updated software is not required because nothing is installed on the user’s computer.

Increased Reliability

The reliability of the cloud is proven to be mounted high performance infrastructure designed to have redundancy. If a user or a company wanted to have this level of reliability required to implement systems for high performance servers (hundreds of servers to meet demand), install backup systems for those servers, controlled environment rooms, electric power systems test failures, not to mention the capacity of communications connections necessary for the flow of information.

We can also see more everyday. If a user, for example, had the unfortunate lost or theft of laptop, the information would be lost with it. An information tag is mounted on systems that ensure a high percentage of effectiveness.

Increased Scalability

You’re running out of hard drive space? Might need to add another hard drive, or buy an external one. In a cloud, space is not a problem. Providers of cloud computing services make the storage capacity available like never seen before.

The same applies to the demand on the servers for applications. A company would have to buy more servers and increase their connections, in a cloud you do not worry about it.

Cost Reduction

Costs are reduced in many ways.

You save the license to use office software. Start making accounts: $ 150 for the cheapest version of Microsoft Office ™ for every computer.

No need to buy more equipment. Instead, the team you have now would work much better in fewer resources that are required to operate the software in the cloud.

Want more? Well, another tangible savings you might have is to save in lower maintenance to existing equipment.

And yet I have not mentioned that your staff can work from anywhere (even in motion), stay connected all the time; you can reduce the need to send emails, and much more!

Environmentally friendly

A cloud computer is friendly to the environment in more ways than you can imagine. Now you can reduce computer waste generated in your company because you don’t need to make changes to your computer over time. The fact that you’re current PC run better and without as much pressure that will reduce the heat they generate and the electricity they consume. Data centers which host most of the applications and services meet very strict requirements for environmental care. It is another way to part in caring for the environment.

It is a trend in the actual computation

Laptops, Netbooks, Smartphones, Wireless connections are a fundamental part of the team. Now the team is intended to be so strong and efficient, i.e. do a lot with little.

Can you imagine a computer without internet?

I think no.

And the same computer with internet but “attached” to a desk?

The computing power no longer depends on what you have in your hands, but that power is shipped from the servers on which the cloud is mounted.

Portability and Accessibility

The computation tag allows you to move in many ways. Not only that you move your computer to yourself, but also may use of your computer at home and don’t take it to the office to continue the work with the team. And if then you have to go to a meeting, you might not have to carry your laptop but enough to carry your blackberry or your iphone, smartphone or whatever you like.

Companies have understood the need to provide their employees with tools for the journey, not the desktop.

Software version

You do not have to worry about “what version you have installed. Changes and updates are done without even noticing it which includes the files and information that you generate is accessible and virtually available for universal use. And that in turn is linked to the savings in the purchase of software and its updates.

Universality

At home you have Mac ™ and PC in the office?

In the office you use PC and use an iPhone ™? Do other members of your team use Blackberry ™?

None of that limits the use of the cloud! The information generated is shared in the tag computation which is accessible with any platform and everywhere.

The Cloud Computing is the new way in which Internet is being used as a productive tool. Internet is not just for fun, it is also minimizing the impact on environment. You gain the flexibility to access and use information. Everyone has the ability to use the tag regardless of whether they have Mac ™, PC, Blackberry ™, iPhone ™, whatever. No more worry about the version of the program.

What’s more, the interface used is something that practically everyone is now comfortable with.

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What is Cloud Computing?

Posted on December 26, 2010 by admin

The idea of a “cloud” principle applied to the Internet itself. Given its scope, size, complexity, it is difficult to represent in a diagram, as simply shown as a large “mass”, a cloud.

The growth of infrastructure suppliers, both connection and Internet access, such as content and services has allowed the Internet now to provide not only information but also possible to have services running as a full application as as would be the desktop computer.

This is known as Software as a Service (SaaS)

In a cloud computing applications work, communicate, play, share, collaborate, and so on, they are hosted on web servers, along with information and all the functions and resources needed to operate. The user only requires access to the platform using a web browser, as you would when visiting any other website.

The Internet can do everything you do on your computer. Using a web browser, either from your desktop, laptop, netbook, blackberry, iPhone, or any other phone, you can enter to review your files, work with them, leave them there and then continue later on with your work right where you left and everything no matter if you do from your office, your home, or having coffee.

This is done because everything is online, not in a fixed location and closed.

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10 Tips For a Web Designers

Posted on December 21, 2010 by admin

In the current Web, the most diverse sites vie for the attention of the navigators. In this battle for attention, the visuals a lot, but just good look is not synonymous with success. Speed, organization, clarity and accessibility are of vital importance, as it can be seen in the ten tips below:

1 – Speed Is Essential

Users hate wasting time looking at the computer screen while the page loads. The great villains of history are often the images. Digital cameras have evolved dramatically in recent years, allowing to take pictures with high resolution, but this does not always benefit when it comes to internet. The ideal site is using a lightweight pages with more text and fewer images possible. Avoid pages that are larger than 10 kbytes are the basics when it comes to web designer. GIF is a great ally in these hours.

2 – Establishing Priorities

Each site is designed for a different audience. Each one is from a field or a different area. However, what everyone should have in common is that the subject / main objective of the site should be the first thing that the Internet gives away. The most important information must be on the main page, preferably on top of it. Do not expect a visitor to use the scroll bar if nothing has caught his attention initially.

3 – The Inverted Pyramid

This is a technique for dealing with journalistic writing long texts. The aim is to present the conclusions first and then the fundamentals (with specific details and information). The truth is that many Internet users are too lazy to read and may end up abandoning long texts in half. That is, fewer barely half that he has read have already been handed the most important information.

4 – Easy Navigation

Of course, programmers and web designers know the most varied resources and navigation would be able to create pages that would be a maze and fend still inside. However, the target audience of web sites are not they. We must always think with the head of the Internet, from the simplest, with little familiarity with the Web should not be forced visitors to have knowledge of basic icons such as magnifying glasses and envelopes. The home should always be accessible in any sector of the site and should be avoided to the maximum use more than three levels of hierarchy.

5 – Fad

Of course, originality is something positive that should always be encouraged, but it is always good to avoid exaggerations. If users are accustomed to clicking on the logo and go to the home or to find a way to connect the right site and so many other fads that are out there, you better take advantage of it than fighting tendencies. Of course the simple word “fashion” now gives an idea that maybe in the future these trends are others and you are one of the pioneers to change these patterns. However, in most cases, users who enter a page, look for resources that are familiar and are not, tend not to like the idea, unless the innovative layout is actually quite intuitive.

6 – Site Map

Ok! This is an unnecessary action if the website is very small. After all, if the user is on the main page and can view all pages on the site there on the menu, the menu itself is already a kind of map of the site, right? However, large portals and more complex sites, it is a great resource for the user to reach a specific industry with greater agility.

7 – Never forget Titles

Use the same title on all pages (or not use any) besides being a bad practice in terms of SEO, harm users accustomed to tabbed browsing. Internet users often open several of them (in some cases due to the problem of load pages slowly quoted up there), but neither may end up viewing a page without a title, actually thinking that the page was not loaded and therefore did not show anything tab so far.

8 – Caprice in “Calligraphy”

Ever since the school everyone hear that phrase from teachers. Then you grow up, became independent most of her writing and decides to continue hurting my readers using sources that anyone can read right? What a shame, boy! Two important rules should always be observed when the subject is the use of sources: not all users have unusual sources and should be avoided to the maximum use more than two distinct types of sources within a web site. Remember that the goal of a site is as clear as possible to transmit information to the internet.

9 – Broken Links

Visitors hate error pages! Moreover, not everyone knows that just hit back to leave these pages and some even think that is virus and never return to sites where they found such a page. At these times it is essential to review all the links from your page before publishing it. At worst (if your site is not ready yet), use a # links to prevent the user is “lost in space.”

10 – Support and Encourage Suggestions

If a user use their “Contact Us” page only to criticize and point out your mistakes, do not be angry. Quite the contrary, thank you, because it is precisely this kind of return you always need. Many times we limit ourselves only to our vision for a scenario and we forget that every human being is different, has their tastes and their peculiarities and so, even if you do not like the suggestion received and prefer to keep your page way, you at least have made an alternative assessment of how he might act.

Details: If many users give the same suggestion, do not think it’s time to really accept it?

Well, the article ends here. But the good practices to develop more efficient sites not! New and varied tips are always being given in books, magazines and web forums.

Stay tuned for updates and never limit yourself!

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How to Manage Bandwidth

Posted on December 21, 2010 by admin

The choice of technology availability management applications is becoming increasingly important due to the fact that most companies move their data centers into virtual environments.

In this case, they are confronting the issue, is to switch to virtual versions of control programs or rely on traditional bandwidth control device and application availability.
Many organizations now understand the benefits of implementing virtualization in their data centers. A recent study on server virtualization shows that it is implemented in more than 90% of organizations. And, investing in virtualization, the company would like to have a solution for bandwidth management, which would have enjoyed benefits such as consolidation, server containerization and business integrity.

The complexity of virtualization

Despite all the benefits of virtualization, which are widely used in various industries, it carries a number of problems. In a virtual environment, multiple applications are deployed on one physical server. In the case of consolidation, it has many advantages that many companies have already managed to use it. According to industry analysts, up to 80% of all information technology departments are working on centralizing their computer infrastructure of their companies, which will reduce costs for data centers, improving the efficiency of their use with conventional 5-10% to 60-80%. All this is very tempting, but do not solve all problems.

Moving into the virtual environment, critical applications impose the same requirements for business continuity, as in ordinary physical environments. But in virtual environments, they dynamically move the system to ensure constant availability of these complicated applications. Therefore, companies have decided to move their mission-critical applications in an environment that should use the same dynamic and versatile bandwidth control system to prevent downtime and ensure continuous availability.

Because virtualization allows you to create an environment in which you can quickly deploy more resources, adding or removing virtual machines much easier. While in ordinary physical environment, it took a few weeks. In a virtual environment this can be done in minutes. Unfortunately, this does not apply to the ADCs. To ensure the availability and adequacy of the virtual application slightest change in the configuration of the virtual environment, such as adding or removing the server must be accompanied by a corresponding change in the configuration of ADC.

During the deployment, move and delete virtual machines, companies must ensure that redirect incoming traffic at the most affordable and high-speed server. Bandwidth management solutions improve the speed of computers, making them more reliable and secure. It also simplifies administration by driving traffic to the appropriate server. This mainly concerns virtual environments where network bandwidth and scalability are clear limits.

Benefits

However, not every bandwidth control system provides such opportunities. They can be obtained only by using the software controller application. Nevertheless, companies continue to produce the hardware solutions bandwidth management, despite the rapid development of virtual and cloud-based technologies. If necessary, program can easily install and expand on existing equipment, while at the same time; they can be managed like any other application. This is especially useful during the transition to “cloud” technologies. On the background of the rapid development of universal hardware and software systems hardware is rapidly losing its advantage that it could have, say, five years ago.

Cloud systems have even greater requirements for bandwidth management with regard to extensibility, peak load, updates, and greater flexibility than the standard “physical” system. Therefore, data centers must be built on hybrid technologies, it is necessary to use solutions that provide automatic switching between the physical, virtual, “cloud”, and hybrid environments. This will be particularly important if the company later decides to change the location of their applications. And in response to increasing numbers of companies that go to “cloud” technologies, such changes become more frequent.

According to recent estimates, market turnover for “cloud” technology, amounts to about 46.4 billion dollars for now, but it will rise to 150.1 billion dollars by 2013.

The use of hardware solutions manage bandwidth

Although these benefits are evident from data center operators, you need to take commercial interests of end users into account. If software ensures stable operation of the data center, the company is better at handling a larger number of queries and bursts of traffic thereby satisfy the requirements of end users. Nevertheless, this problem is more complicated in the modern systems, due to the high standards of business continuity. Many companies face the daily challenges of network bandwidth and additional capacity.

The most striking example is a Twitter service, whose failures in recent years too often violate the plans for its users by up to 190 million per month.

End users suffer not only from ineffective means of combating the temporary bursts of bandwidth, but also on the technical inspections. So, recently the majority of Facebook service users were upset by the lack of access to their accounts due to the fact that the site has been disabled for technical reasons. Why disable the entire site to address the small problems? After cleaning one department, it does not need to close the entire supermarket, and customers can continue to make purchases in other departments. And what a website is worse?

To eliminate such delays, should use traffic control system that could redirect users to other pages in case of updating. And since such technologies do exist, there is no excuse, even minute interruption of service.

Removal of the three major problems of data centers

100-percent smooth functioning of all systems continues to provide data-center, and, unfortunately, some of the shortcomings of its infrastructure caused by lack of relevant applications can impact the work of end users. Fortunately, with three major problems that often occur in data centers, we can easily cope with the appropriate traffic control programs.

Firstly, it is a problem of server crashes. In this case, processed requests are discarded. Solution for traffic management can eliminate this problem by redirecting traffic to other servers. Moreover, it constantly checks the status of the failed server, and when it again begins to function, it includes a number of active servers.

Another common problem is insufficient capacity of server. And while virtualization can increase the efficiency of the server, there may be situations in which it cannot handle the additional requests. To prevent such problems the program for traffic control monitors the response time of the server and, if necessary, in advance of deploying additional virtual machines or additional resources. And thanks to a dynamic and flexible nature of virtual environments, which will not cause any difficulties.

And finally, if you want to disable one of the virtual machines on one reason or another, solutions to traffic management can clean the virtual machine on the network requests to the extent of their processing, so the processed requests will not be lost, and the connection that is established will not be broken. After all, the virtual machine can be safely disabled without disrupting the other servers, and then turn on, after the completion of its renovation.

The right choice

Since the data centers industry is constantly evolving over time with necessarily new complications. And in order to solve these problems and meet their requirements for traffic, companies must use the same dynamic and flexible software as the world around us, which allows companies to negotiate an effective traffic management with the development of its business and does not require unplanned interruptions or downtime, regardless of the type of the data center: the physical, virtual, cloudy or mixed.

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The Introduction Of Computers In Education

Posted on December 20, 2010 by admin

The introduction of information technology in education, according to the proposed pedagogical change, requires a very broad and deep training of educators. This is not to create conditions for the teacher, simply mastering the computer or the software, but help you to develop knowledge about the actual content and how the computer can be integrated into the development of that content.

Again, the issue of teacher shows to be of fundamental importance in the process of introducing information technology in education, requiring innovative solutions and new approaches to justify the training courses.

However, what we see, especially at this time is that, teacher education has not kept pace with technological advances as much as the level of understanding about the issues of information technology in education we have today. This has happened partly because the pedagogical changes are very difficult to assimilate and implemented in schools. The other difficulty is presented by the speed of change of information, creating a wide range of possible uses of the computer, requiring much more of this teacher training, which ends up paralyzing them.

“It’s the experience that brought knowledge of both. Students and teachers. Faced with other knowledge, systematized and historically called” knowledge “that dialogue in the classroom” (Gerald, 1997, p. 21).

The use of technological resources in the school environment should occur in context through the development of projects.

With the use of ICT, it can break the walls of the school and interact with other producers of knowledge spaces, turning everyone into a learning society.
In the process, the teacher is the advisor, organizer, mediator and advisor of student development. Creating a climate of trust, respect for differences and reciprocity encourages the students to recognize their conflicts and discover the potential of learning from their mistakes.

Likewise, the teacher will not have inhibitions to recognize their limitations and to seek its clearance, an attitude of humility before the partnership and knowledge that characterizes the interdisciplinary (Treasury, 1994).

There are many possibilities of using ICT by both the student and teacher for better innovation. A range of resources that can assist the process of teaching and learning, for example:

World Wide Web: The WWW is considered as a virtual library and a great resource for the classroom;

Wiki: is a tool for collaborative writing that encourages social interaction, information sharing and knowledge building and socialization.

Mailing lists and forums: they serve to debate and discussion of themes or common issues, sharing interests;

Webquest: research activity using the internet that gives the students access to authentic information and updated collaboratively and the educator an opportunity to modernize the ways of doing education;

Blog: to log or record of individual research expertise of a group, as well as space for discussion and reflection of students assisting them in building the knowledge autonomously and collaboratively;

E-mail: used to send messages, exchange information and experiences among teachers, students or both.

Hot Potatoes: consisting of five tools that enable exercises as complete gaps, activities for short answers, crosswords, order sentences, the association between columns. It is free for educational purposes;

Video conferencing: allows integration of geographically dispersed people, using audiovisual. It is widely used to study the distance;

Chat: allows the exchange of information and specific discussions on the Internet in real time through chat rooms.

HQ: The comic is more of a resource that can be built using technology, serving as attractive for the development of proposed activities.

Besides the features mentioned above, the teacher can still bring the production of videos and newspapers, creating educational radio, concept maps, using simulation games, etc.

Therefore, if the school can reinvent itself and create a learning environment in which the task of discussing, analyzing, evaluating and implementing not only the teacher’s role, but in a group where everyone is alternated in the role of teacher and student will be able to meet most of the learning needs of people. More than educating for the technology, the task must be to educate the technology.

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Green Revolution In Cooling Data Centers

Posted on December 19, 2010 by admin

Are the owners of data centers abandon the “hot” and “cold” corridors and immerse their servers into a liquid? There is a possibility to develop a Green Revolution Cooling body liquid cooling system servers, which can significantly reduce cooling costs of server racks, compared with standard air cooling system.

Cooling technology in a dielectric fluid can resemble an overturn server rack, in which servers can be inserted vertically into slots shell filled with liquid refrigerant, similar to mineral oil.

Green revolution in cooling technology can significantly reduce the costs of engineering infrastructure, allowing you to build and use the data center without raised floors, air conditioning unit’s computer room or chillers.

The idea of computer cooling by immersion in liquid is not new. Mineral oil can be used in the cooling system of an immersion technique, because it is safe, has almost the same conductivity as the water, but do not conduct electrical current. Some readers may have heard about the substance Fluorinert. This dielectric liquid coolant is developed by 3M, which was used in the Cray 2.

The liquid refrigerant can be designed specifically for use in data centers; it can withstand heat loads up to 100 kW per server rack, which is much better than thermal loads in data centers with air cooling, which can be achieved by using special techniques and methods to a maximum of 30 kW per rack.

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Frequently Asked Questions about DMOZ

Posted on December 5, 2010 by admin

If your website is in the Open Directory Project (ODP, DMOZ), then this is a very important step to successful website promotion in search engines, especially Google! But the newcomers have many questions such as what kind of directory is DMOZ? How to correctly add your website? Which websites are tested and added to the directory? I have tried to answer these and other questions related to one of the most important online directory.

What is the Open Directory Project?

Open Directory Project, better known as DMOZ, is probably only the highest quality and authoritative directory on the web. Adding websites to the directory is free. All websites are considered by moderators (editors), working on a voluntary basis.

In each category, subcategory, etc. has its own moderator. The number of categories is striking. In this directory, each of you will find the most appropriate website subject category. Also, do not be amiss to say that this directory covers the majority of those present on the Internet.

Why DMOZ is the most authoritative online directory?

DMOZ directory is vital for several reasons. The directory websites are on the “special” account with Google, because DMOZ is moderated by hand, and, accordingly, very high-quality directory.

Inclusion in DMOZ directory is the only way to get into the Google Directory. Most of the smaller search engines and directories use the DMOZ directory lists websites as their “foundation”. As a result, the link popularity of websites included in the directory DMOZ is very high.

Is DMOZ directory different from search engines?

Open Directory Project, as the name implies, is an online directory. Another difference is that the websites are made to this directory, pass a rigorous test, following which it becomes clear to your website is listed in the directory or not.

There is no other way to get into DMOZ, except on the basis of rigorous testing website directory editor. In contrast to DMOZ, the search engines process to index the website automatically.

From which website is a directory?

Open Directory Project contains nearly 600,000 categories and subcategories. There will be a place for almost every website or blog, it is unique and useful for its targeted audience. Large numbers of websites are not accepted into the directory because of the fact that they do not contain unique content. Websites affiliates also very often find themselves “outside” for the same reason.

How do I get to make my website to the DMOZ directory?

First you need to add the website to the DMOZ directory. To do this, first you must go to the DMOZ and choose the most appropriate category for your website category. After selecting a category, go to it and press the Add URL. Read all instructions very carefully. These instructions are the requirements to be observed.

Remember to add only the home page and only one category of the directory. Adding a series of pages or multiple addition of the same page of the website will be treated as spam and your website is immediately dismissed.

Can I add a blog to directory?

Because Blogs are a special type of dynamic Web websites, then, of course, they are eligible for inclusion in DMOZ directory. The directory even has a special category, which is only added for blogs.

Very often you can find blogs in other categories of the directory along with the usual web websites, and there is nothing unusual.

Who determines the future of website: will or will not include in the DMOZ directory?

DMOZ – Manually edited and moderated online directory. Each category, subcategory, etc. has its own editor. When a website is added to that sub-category, where there is no editor, review editor of the website deals with a category that is higher in the hierarchy.

Whether the website is included in the directory or not depends on the uniqueness and usefulness of its content.

I have heard that some editors are biased, dishonest and unfair. Is this true?

The vast majority of editors of DMOZ is devoted to their occupation. They are working to create the largest and highest quality online directory. Even if there are such biased editors, they can be counted on the fingers. Editors of the most important category in the hierarchy of good faith are working on quality control to add websites.

But, of course, like any other human activity, the editors are not ruled out flaws and mistakes. Biased, unfair and unjust editors or corrected, or deprived from official powers once and for all!

How to choose the most appropriate category for my website?

The most appropriate would be to check the different categories and sub-directory. In doing so, you’ll find most relevant category for your website. As I said above, the directory contains a truly huge number of categories, subcategories, and so on. Be very careful when choosing a category, as choice goes incorrect or not relevant to your website categories can lead either to a long period waiting for the check result, if any, in the rejection of your website a. Better to spend a little more time on the “deep” search than later to get a lot of problems.

You must add your website only in the most appropriate category and only once! One way to verify the correctness of your choice is “deep” study of the directory. If you see a category you find websites of your direct competitors, the category is selected correctly, but if you do not get it, keep searching!

How to properly make a description of your website?

The website description should be written as objectively as possible. Imagine that you are a visitor of your website, write about the website so as to write about it as a potential visitor.

Objective description of your website has virtually no chance of being rejected or corrected. Also, your description should not consist only of keywords; it will help your website to get into the list of directory websites much faster.

How long should I wait for test results for my website?

On Time, website in the directory may vary both in large and in the smaller side, depending on various factors. Usually the waiting period varies from several days to several months and possibly up to a year. But the average term of a couple of months.

Will I receive notification from the editors after checking my website?

Editors do not notify website owners about their decision. The reason is banal protection against spammers, who learned to the negative test result will immediately attempt to add the website again and again.

Should I add my website to several categories of the directory to be sure that will approve at least one of them?

In any case, do not make this common mistake. Not only your website will not be accepted by any of the categories you listed, but your website may get banned. Let the waiting period be long, but you are obliged to wait. A number of categories of the directory do not have its editors, so going to all the websites is very difficult for an editor of the highest category in the hierarchy.

Selecting the most appropriate website category will make you sure that your website is not rejected because of wrong choice of category.

Name the most basic reasons why the editors might reject my website?

There are several reasons why the editors have the right to reject your website. The following is the most basic of them:

  • Choosing wrong category for your website.
  • You’ve added a website that is not eligible for inclusion in this directory for any reason.
  • Website in terrible state (terrible appearance of the website, absence of a unique and useful content to target visitors, the availability of pages with the words under construction, under development).
  • SPAM: adding the same website again and again.

How can I contact the editor?

Contact the editors can be done by following the link “Contact Us” (such a link is present in every editor). Make sure that you are in his report pointed out the exact date of adding the website and the exact category. They require the information from you. They need to make sure that you have added the website in relation to its subject category, as well as the fact that you have given sufficient time to editors to decide.

How do I know the current status of verification of my website?

I believe that the best way to ask this question on the DMOZ forum.

To read the messages posted in the forum, you will not need to register. But if you are going to join the discussion, then registration is required. Again, do not ignore the forum rules. You specify the date of adding the website, the category you choose, as well as coordinate the editor of category.

While you read a forum, or to ask something else, the moderators will try as quickly as possible solve your problem. Despite the fact that the exact date of adding your website to the directory, they can not communicate, they will tell you whether you’ve selected a category for your website or not.

Can I change website description my or category?

To be able to make changes to the description, or select a different category, you should be on the DMOZ website directory, click on Update URL. Next, fill out the form below. Clearly observe the imposed regulations and requirements.

If you feel that your website was added to the inappropriate category, then simply contact one of the editors of that category and explain the situation. Politely ask the editor to move your website from one category to another, charging good reasons for this. But remember that the changes in the DMOZ directory are very slow.

What is a regional list?

Regional list is for only those firms and companies that operate in a particular region. When adding a website in the regional list, make sure that your website has listed physical address of the firm or company. This address should be noticeable while browsing the website. Typically, this address should be on every page of your website. Just make sure that the address can be seen without any effort.

If the website represents a company engaged in big business in a particular region, then it has every right to be listed in the regional list of DMOZ directory.

How do I make my website meet the most relevant requirements of the DMOZ directory?

First, make sure that your website is not empty, unfinished or with the inscription “under construction” or “under development”. This is due to the fact that if the editors during the inspection of your website stumble on these pages, then they will not add the website to the directory. So do not tempt fate. Remove all these pages from your website and only after that add the website to the DMOZ directory!

Is it true that a professional looking website has a better chance of adding to the directory?

First check the website for typos and errors. Of course, those individual errors do not affect the final decision of the editors.

Remember that websites created soundly and professionally, are more likely to be listed to the DMOZ directory

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How to Choose a Web Hosting Provider

Posted on October 10, 2010 by admin

In this article I would like to answer the question that are often asked from the subscribers, some of them are, which may clear your doubts as well, like:

“Where do I host the website on internet?“.

The question, I must say, is very important, especially for those who have gathered on net to conduct serious business on a permanent basis. Here I mean, not a personal page with a couple of photos and brief biography of yourself, but to create a truly useful resource, with lots of pages and constantly updated content.

But whatever the site is about, in any case, you should pick up the hosting service provider that keeps the website online and available for visitors round the clock.

Here, the question arises : where should I host it? Which web hosting company to trust? Which is better? How do they differ from each other? Etc.

I will not tell why you should choose paid hosting, nor I will talk about its main advantages. I will only talk on what you necessarily should pay attention before making the choice in favor of a hosting company for your website.

At first glance, price makes no difference,but in fact, quite a lot, and especially in the hardware configuration and performance of the server.

So, always suggest to consider the following:

1. Type of operating system installed on the hosting.

It is the fact that not all OS are equally good. And depending on the type installed on the server, operating system depends on the stability of your website. The most common today is Windows, Linux and FreeBSD. Without going into technical details and differences of each of them, I would suggest that Linux (Unix) is a great OS. If your site will be hosted just under it, you will have a great working time.

Unix-hosting, is considered as one of the most stable and reliable platform, although this aspect depends on the professionalism of the company. However, by uploading your sites on the server that is running on this operating system, you will not only get the quality of work, but also the opportunity to use the most advanced and reliable technologies, among which there are many free distributed applications for your website. All of this together, distinguishes Unix-hosting from others.

2. Bandwidth, communication channels and the power of servers

This is quite important indicator that affects the duration of loading your website. If a page is not opened for a long time, the user most likely do not wait to see the page loading, and close the window. So it makes sense to ask, which server is provided from the company, as there are channels of communication with the network, and should know about their capacity.

3. Existing limits on Bandwidth

Any site, one way or another is created in order to be visited by its users. Each visit uses some bandwidth, ie amount of data transmitted from the server to the user, and vice-versa. Depending on the direction the traffic is inbound and outbound, as well as different geographical location.

The more your site is visited, the more bandwidth is used. For example, if you consider the average weight of each page as 50 KB, then at 1000 hits per day, produced 1.5 GB per month (and this is only on viewing). If there is something like music, videos, files with programs, etc., for your visitors to download, this figure will increase even more.

Therefore, you should find out the existing limits from hosting provider to choose an optimal tariff. Otherwise, your site can shut down, and until next month it will not be available, if selected resources are consumed by traffic. Either you will always have to pay extra for consumable surplus in excess of the hosting standards.

4. Availability Scheduler

As per Wikipedia : Daemon scheduler in UNIX operating system is used for periodic assignments in a given time. In other words, this is a special feature on the server, which allows you to perform certain tasks periodicity.

For static resource it is necessary, but if you plan to use any script on your site that you want to constantly run to execute, then it lets you live much easier life. This can be a daily mailing of letters, automatic check of websites for updates, and subsequently, a user backup (self-preservation of important data), etc.

In general, the task scheduler is very much important. And with the development of your site, you may need it in the future. But remember, it only comes with Unix-hosting, with Windows it uses a different thing.

5. Support for modern programming languages and databases

At this point, I would like to stress the importance of support for the hosting technologies. After all, modern dynamic projects with many of its modules (dispatch, shop, forum, directory and so on.) requires to work properly, not only the support of special programming languages and the necessary databases, but also the corresponding versions of these server technologies.

Therefore, while choosing a hosting provider, make sure that it fits in your budget. Also, find out whether it is possible to install a newer version of applications on the server or not, you may need a upgrade in future.

6. The ability to create sub domains

Sub domain is a new domain under the main project, but has its own unique name. Let me explain with an example. The domain of this main project is host.co.in, sub domain for it will serve with any name, for example, blog created by us with direct link blog.host.co.in.

What are sub domains? First, any normal project that is developed, over time it appears with more and more new material, increasing the number of visitors, etc. So one day it has to create the sub domain to which you can make a forum, blog, web page lists, new product catalog, a service etc.

Of course, you can register a new domain, but why would you do if you can create a sub domain, which would be a logical extension of your main project, and may still be thematically associated with it. In addition to the new domain, you will always have to pay for the renewal and a place on the hosting, and registration will be hard to find a suitable name, because many names have long been occupied.

But the question may arise: what is the point of the sub domain, if you can create a separate directory (folder) in the root of the site, and place all files there (eg, as is the case with our blog, have an address type host.co.in/blog? The fact is that, there may be some difficulty in the promotion of resource.

The same directories, in most cases, require registration to indicate the main address of the site without subfolders and specific pages, i.e. only the address, which is precisely the main page, or you simply refuse. Besides, when you copy content from your project, as the source of most states the primary domain, but not a long way to the page containing this information.

Therefore, the possibility of creating sub-domains on the hosting is also an important aspect of doing business on the web. Some hosting companies allow to create 3, other 5, and some, unlimited free sub-domain, if there is a lack of resources on your service plan, otherwise you will be asked to pay extra or upgrade to more expensive.

7. Number of email accounts created

Mail account, it is a regular email address, which can be created within your domain. It may take the form username@searchenginejournal.in. Some hosting companies limit the number of creating mailboxes, and on different tariff plans can only have a certain number of them. Obviously, you can create a mailbox with a free service provider, but seriously, it looks very undignified.

8. Parking or binding of additional domain names on your account

When you start with a new project, the day may come when you want to start another and another. So here, you can use the domain parking. It will help you to tie your new site to an existing account on the hosting, and thereby obviate the additional cost of another domain. Thus, you will be on hosting two different sites, each with their own domain name, but you’ll pay the same as if you serve only one site. The only nuance, resources, your service plan will split between two projects.

9. Being able to backup the files

Backing up files, or backup, this is a very important function, which gives insurance against various kinds of troubles that may arise in the course of work with the site itself and the server, where it is located.

We all know that no matter how completely we are equipped, it can always be damaged. Anyone, even the most modern and powerful computer might fail, fly program, burn detail, will be hacked and etc. In general, can happen anything. That is why, to protect the clients, hosting provider periodically back up all files. And in the case of major problem, you can always restore the lost data.

10. The possibility of increasing disk space and other limits, both individually and in the transition to a different tariff plan.

Time passes, the author works, the project develops. Periodically write articles, new sections of the site, add e-books, scripts, programs, music, video, etc. All of this is the byte weight and occupies a definite place on the server.

Over time, this place may not be enough, and need to expand limits. In this case, it is important to know whether you have the opportunity to get the necessary server space and how much it will cost. In some cases, you will increase the quota for free, in others, take a small surcharge, and a third – will have to change the tariff plan, or look for more suitable hosting.

But apart from space, there are other limits. For example, the number of emails sent per hour, day, the number of pieces in a pack. Also there is a limit on the number of created databases, mail and ftp-accounts, the time of the script, and many other limited processes and resources.

In some cases, on request to tech support, you can go forward, making individual assignments. Since I already had to ask my provider to increase the limit to send letters to my users.

11. Pre-application

Do not seek and do not download the scripts of popular CMS, forums, blogs, directories and galleries, the hosting is the ability to install these applications in two clicks, without the hassle and problems of their possible incompatibility with the server software. Hosting companies care about their customers, providing a service to automatically connect to the most popular web applications among the users.

12. Ability to select the necessary resources and services, or presence of a large number of tariff plans

Eventually, when the site grows and develops, it begins to consume an increasing amount of resources, and for its future sustainability of the work, it require to connect new services or increase existing limits, which are no longer sufficient in the chosen tariff plan.

Therefore, the hosting provider should offer different packages of services, since all sites are different, and what is good for one, not necessarily suits to another. For example, one project may be quite less than 40 MB of space, the second – 500 MB, while 10 GB might be not enough for the third project.

But this is just disk space. Another site may have different scripts, sliders, forums, blogs, and CMS (content management system) to work correctly, which also requires more resources and technologies to host, such as PHP, Perl, Python, CGI, SSI, MySQL, etc. .

Every site owner should have a choice of services connected to pick the best option for your project. Otherwise, have to constantly pay extra money for something that you do not use, and at the moment you absolutely do not need.

13. Registration complete statistics

Site Statistics is a way to keep a hand on the pulse of your business. Web hosting companies should provide all the necessary tools for conducting and recording of statistical data of your project,i.e except for performance of its place on the server, the number of files of the site, used databases, the number of email accounts and other things that you should also know:

How many visitors has visited per day? How much per month? How many pages are viewed by one visitor? Which pages are most visited? How long do they make? Which browser is used by your visitors? Where did they come from? How many times the file has been downloaded? And so on.

All these parameters are very important for all the webmasters, because they can not only see the overall picture of the development of the project in the web, but make certain decisions based on concrete data rather than their own conjectures.

14. Ability to set access restrictions and different passwords.

All files and folders of your site are hosted on limited access. Depending on the level set by the rights, the server will decide that someone can, and that anyone can do with your files. For example, some files and folders can be put only “read”, and then no one would be able to edit or delete, and others, set a higher law, and allow not only viewing.

Also, in order to enhance safety, the hosting provides ability to set different passwords for different resources. For example, to mail a password for the MySQL database the other, for FTP third, etc. If an attacker gets hold of one of the passwords, he can not get access to the entire site and cause significant damage.

15. Convenient control panel

Control Panel – this is such a thing in the hosting of smart design and functionality which depends on the convenience and efficiency of working directly with the site itself. In Control Panel, all the information about the resource is consumed by your site, the number of parked domains, the remaining days until the expiration of service, the tools to pay for installing applications, work with e-mail, scheduler, communication with tech support, etc.

In general, a good, intuitive and functional control panel, can greatly facilitate the life of webmaster, to work with the site.

16. The number of payment methods

Serious web hosting company that cares about its customers, always offers many options for payment for its services as much as possible to simplify the process and invite everyone to choose the most suitable and appropriate option. The more payment options exist, the better. And they should not be limited to only one electronic exchange, and there should be options for payment through bank payments, postal order, via SMS and, preferably special prepaid card.

The latter method, mean the seriousness of intent and approach of hosting companies to provide services in the market of professional hosting, its continuous development and introduction of new additional services to its customers.

17. Availability Partner Program

Not every company that provides hosting services, has its own affiliate program. But the presence means that the company is confident about themselves, and that it can allow a permanent increase in the number of existing customers, without compromising the quality of its services.

Also, the affiliate program provides an opportunity of earning extra money to any webmaster who is satisfied with the services and wants to recommend it to visitors, friends and acquaintances. With each new client’s affiliate link, he gets a percentage. All money earned can be easily deduced from the system, or transferred to pay your own hosting services.

18. Having your own server hardware and office

This is quite an important indicator of the seriousness and reliability of the hosting company, because there are a lot of resellers on the web. In Wikipedia, it is mentioned as follows. Reseller : “Reselling is way to sell hosting services, when the owner of the physical server share the part with a view to resale of its facilities to other hosting providers. Resellers are hosting a large discount for payment of services, selling hosting under their own brand, their own support or by the parent company”.

In other words, the reseller is someone who does not have its own equipment, and buys (or rents) wholesale space on a server of another provider, and resell it all at retail for its own cost and under its own brand, actually being a mediator. For often, all resellers, it is individual, not encumbered by any legal obligations to its customers. In case of problems, they can not solve them alone, and always “kick” the ISP, because very limited opportunities are given to them, because Resellers do not have physical access to server hardware and therefore are forced to seek assistance from their host.

But this is not the main danger, waiting for all clients of reseller hosting. It may happen that the reseller simply wants to go out of business, and stop paying your provider. That will block your account, and all the sites that were on it, in a moment disappear from the web. Normal people, of course, arrange in advance to transfer their clients to another host, and it is painless to move them, but without excluding other, more mournful version, which I mentioned above.

So, much safer will be hosting at a large company, which has its own server equipment, professional staff who take care of it for work, and the office where you can come personally to resolve any issues related to the maintenance of your site.

19. Experienced hosting company

The longer a company is on the market providing hosting services, the better for its customers. After a long period of work, accumulated a huge and invaluable experience, professionalism and knowledge, which beginners do not have. In addition, long-term work of hosting companies on the market, is a certain guarantee of its reliability and stability that are time tested. Therefore, companies that cause much less fear than any other half-baked organization.

20. Quality of Service Support

In this job, you will sooner or later have to deal with the technical support service. And the quality of its work will depend on your calm and comfortable stay at the host.
The better professional and friendly staff will be, the best the support is. Before you decide to host your site on a particular hosting, you must communicate with the service tech support. Ask them some questions about the hosting, ask about the existing restrictions on the server, the possibility of increasing some limits, or receiving assistance during the installation script, etc. Consider these answers, take a look at their quality, completeness disclose an answer, the speed with which you received them. This will allow you to draw certain conclusions, and hope for the future support from the hosting company, in the event of any problems.

Although sometimes happens that the polite and timely responses to a person receives only until it becomes a client, and after paying a hosting service, he is treated no longer as good as we would like. Therefore, if the hosting is able to raise estimates derived from a support replies, always do so. This may affect the quality of care for the next hit.

21. Free trial period

Before I give my preference to any hosting company, please note whether there is a chance to test it for free services. Any company, that is confident about the quality of customer service, offers free hosting for certain time on its servers, so you can verify the truth of the saying in the advertising text words and their own experience tested the possibility of hosting. The test period will help to understand this company, how easy is it to work with the interface control panel as “feeling” a site to this hosting, etc. based upon the experience of the free service period, you can decide to pay for hosting service, and if you are happy, you can stay without problems with this hosting company.

22. Uptime

UpTime – the percentage of uptime of the server for a certain period of time. In other words, uptime means the availability of your site on the web, the time that the server is working without a glitch or a reboot. It is understood that 100% uptime is almost impossible to achieve. The value that should be used is 99.9%.

Uptime is a measure of stability and reliability of the hosting. It shows the percentage of time when the server has worked without error and will be available to Internet users. This is a very important aspect when choosing your next web hosting, because it gives a clear idea about how often the server technical problems occur and how quickly they are eliminated. After all, until the server is up, your site will not be able to get visitors, which means you will incur some losses due to the inaccessibility of your project on the web.

To find the value of uptime, contact Support with this issue, or use the services of one of the independent services that provide the ability to monitor third-party servers to their efficiency. Enough to type appropriate phrase in Google search engine, and it will give a whole bunch of links to such resources.

23. The number of existing customers

The longer the hosting company has been on the market, the more it has developed its clientele . Their numbers suggest that people trust this company, the quality of its services to meet many, and therefore you can trust them by placing your own website. Above all, the hosts do not chase a large number of clients at the expense of existing ones. Since to pursuit profit, some companies are gaining as many customers as they can, oblivious to the fact that their capabilities and server resources are limited. Therefore, service quality begins to suffer, for example, if the capacity of a server is of 100 websites and 140 site are hosted and uses a certain amount of system resources, all of them will simply face problem with downtime.

24. Reviews on the hosting web

As we know the real customer feedback is one of the most objective evidence of quality of services in any area. During the work of any project, generate a “public” opinion, which is formed as a result of customer service. People are satisfied with the quality of its services, talk about it you know, friends and colleagues. Recommend this company, but leaving positive reviews.

If the customer is not satisfied, he or she would never advise other people to use the services of the company. Therefore, when choosing a hosting company, always consider the views of those people who have already benefited from its services, and they can share with you. Unlike offline, the web is very easy to find reviews about almost any company, service or product. So do not be lazy in the search engine to find reviews of hosting providers, to verify the correctness of your choice, not regretting it in the near future.

On this list, the main points that determine the choice of reliable and quality hosting for your site is completed. Of course, it is not exhaustive, and it could continue, but even these 24 factors are sufficient to independently investigate this matter and make the right choice.

You may be wondering which Web Hosting company did i choose?

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