Web Hosting on a UNIX Server

What is UNIX?

UNIX is a portable, multi-tasking and multi-user computer operating system originally developed

by a group at AT&T Bell Labs.

What are the benefits and advantages of using UNIX?

_ UNIX can communicate with many different types of computers, it is not limited to a specific

brand, type, or operating system.

_ Most UNIX operating systems come with a free email program called Sendmail.

_ UNIX provides tight administrative control, it has a mechanism for limiting a user's disk usage

in addition to passwords and file permissions.

_ UNIX allows shared network filesystems to be mounted at any point in a directory structure. A

network share can also span multiple disk drives (or even different machines) in UNIX, thus

allowing administrators to maintain pre-existing directory structures that are well-known to

users, yet allowing them to expand the available disk space on the server, making such

system changes transparent to users.

_ UNIX was conceived as a client/server operating system for professional use.

_ UNIX operating systems are equipped with scripting languages such as Bourne Shell, Korn

Shell, C Shell, and sometimes Perl, and a "cron" facility for scheduling jobs to run at fixed

intervals (every n minutes, every n hours, once a week, once a month, etc.). Cron scheduling

is highly configurable.

_ A great deal of UNIX system administration is automated and customized for site-specific

needs, which in effect cuts down on personnel costs.

What companies are using UNIX?

The exact number and type of companies using UNIX servers is difficult to determine however a

partial list is below.

Cisco Systems

Several Universities

NASA

Boeing

Amazon.com

Dow Corning

Hotmail

United States Postal Service

S

trengths vs. Windows hosting

In a Comparison of Web Hosting Platforms Unix is the most widely used operating system for

Internet servers.

_ UNIX allows for more flexibility in web site use. The functionality of UNIX allows for more

users to access the site and the site features without bogging down.

_ UNIX is reliable and stable. No more ‘blue screen of death’. A UNIX server’s uptime can be

measured in years whereas a Windows server has to be rebooted frequently. This translates

directly into monies earned as who knows how many transactions you are missing while your

server is down.

_ UNIX has secure systems less vulnerable to attack and has proven dependable. The

Windows OS is more vulnerable to security breaches and hackers and is less portable.

_ You need technical expertise to run a Unix server while Windows server management is

easier to learn and someone with little experience can use advance features quickly.

_ Because it is open-source there are many free server applications available and Unix handles

high traffic more efficiently. Windows server software on the other hand is more expensive.

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