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Unix Hosting ExplainedThe debate on website hosting solutions rages on. Not only do you have to select between shared hosting and dedicated hosting, but you will also want to keep in mind which operating system your server runs on. This probably won't be such a significant factor if you are on a shared server because the differences for you may be trivial. In some cases, you may not have a choice which operating system your host runs. For dedicated servers, however, you generally have complete control of your server setup, both hardware and software. If you are expecting heavy loads and high traffic, then you will definitely want to carefully choose your operating system. Many webmasters and system administrators will suggest Unix hosting over Windows hosting. A large factor in this is stability, plain and simple. Under lesser loads and mild traffic, both Unix and Windows will probably give you similar performance. If you expect a considerable amount of traffic, however, then Unix is the safer bet and will provide you with more up-time in the long run. At its core, Unix is a stripped-down operating system. This is not to say that it is not a powerful operating system, because it is. What it is not, however, is bogged down by unnecessary aspects, such as a graphical user interface. Windows has been the leading operating system with a graphical user interface for many years now, and their server software is no different. These “extras” such as a GUI are unnecessary for many users, so some individuals choose to go with a Unix web hosting solution. The fact that Unix is a text-based operating system makes it run much faster than Windows and is far less susceptible to crashes from high loads or from complex processes such as database manipulations. Windows is a resource hungry operating system, so you should be prepared for potential slow downs with high traffic. This can be allayed to a degree if you purchase some heavy duty hardware to run your operating system on. This option, of course, can add significantly to your budget. Moreover, even on high end machines Windows will still require periodic rebooting to help keep your server running smoothly. If you are unfamiliar with Unix or text-based operating systems in general, however, you may find it easier to use Windows or perhaps just higher a system administrator to assist you with what you need to do in Unix. |
Another financial factor that you will want to take into account when you're choosing an operating system for your server will be licensing fees. As many of you are aware, Microsoft charges a licensing fee for each computer any of its operating systems are installed on. If you are reading this article on a PC right now you are more than likely running some iteration of Windows. You paid for the software and the license so that you could install Windows on that machine. Servers are no different than personal computers. Depending on how many servers you are running, this can get expensive, especially if you also need to purchase several of the other website development programs that run on Windows, such as Microsoft Access for your databases and Microsoft Frontpage to code your site. Linux, on the other hand, is free. You can install and run it on as many servers as you like without having to burden yourself with budget constraints.
From a software point of view, it may be easier to run a Unix host because most server and web applications have been programmed and designed for Unix from the ground up. Languages such as C++, C, Java, and MySQL will still run on a Windows server and may not ever give you any problems, but if they are run on a Unix platform your chances of having to troubleshoot a problem are far less. Some find the gamble not worth taking, especially if they see that the advantages of running a Microsoft Windows server do not really suit their hosting needs.
An additional software consideration to keep in mind is that Unix is an open source operating system. This means that the source code on which Unix is built is openly available to everyone everywhere. Therefore, if there is a bug in the software any programmer in the world can take a look at the code and try to find solutions for the problem. Sometimes, patches and bug fixes can surface on the internet as quickly as the next day. In essence, the Unix community is your tech support. Microsoft, on the other hand, keeps Windows closed to the public. The source code is actually very closely guarded. This has its advantages since it can help prevent hackers from finding weaknesses in the software. A disadvantage, however, is that the turnaround for patches is generally much slower. So, if you are waiting for a bug fix you may have to wait some time before an approved solution is created.
When it comes down to it, you will have to carefully weigh which operating system suits your needs best. Both Unix hosting and Windows hosting can handle specific and different aspects of web hosting well. For stability, reliability, and sheer processing power, it can be difficult to argue a case against Unix. If continuous up-time is crucial to your business, then Unix will most likely be your safest option. Additionally, Unix is also a less expensive hosting solution than Windows, especially if you will be working across multiple servers. The only time you would really have to choose Windows over Unix (granted that you are equally familiar with both operating systems) is if your site would use .NET or Visual Basic heavily. .NET is a language designed to be used specifically in a Windows environment, so you would save yourself a lot of trouble by just going with a Windows host and making sure that you have the adequate hardware and support to ensure that the system loads and server instability issues do not become a severe problem. With the right maintenance, these issues should be minimal or non-existent anyway.
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