At 07:28 18-02-00 , SDJThorin wrote:
>In my search for a new host I've found mention 
>of virtual servers.

Quite possibly you've found the term being used to mean the same thing by
different folks... and quite possibly to mean very different things.

[[tirade about know-little-and-flaunt-it Internet sales-fools omitted]]

Key issues here are whether you want to host your information on your own
server, or on someone else's system... and whether you have a dedicated IP
address or share an IP address with others.

If you have seriously-private information, you'll want to host on your own
system... but most people are ~publishing~ only public information
(information they've made public) anyway, so it is much less of a
consideration.

Perhaps the acid-test is that when something goes wrong (an optimist might
ask ~if something goes wrong~) will the consequences be met with red faces
or red pocket-books. If a few of your requests end up at a parrot shop it
is one thing, but going to a competitor, a porn shop, or a gadfly critic
might be something else. Similarly, if (for example) private-employee-only
information becomes public, do you want your key prospect to see an
analysis of their vulnerabilities that was prepared for your sales-force,
as an example.  [This is a sliding scale of concerns, and can have more
than one viable answer.]

Having your own IP address allows all Web browsers to get to you. Sharing
an IP address means that only those using newer Web browsers, those
implementing the newer HTTP 1.1 protocol (or a sufficient hybrid of HTTP
1.0 and 1.1 features) to get directly to your site.

[[Apache for example provides ways to get the best of both worlds with some
design and discipline... IIS pretends that the issue does not exist... and
of course, since those that don't get to you don't, you'll often just not
know (to know the magnitude) of those you've perhaps failed to serve.]]

> - What kind of knowledge-base will I need to 
> maintain it and use the virtual server to it's fullest extent?

If you are using one hostname (e.g. www.super-folks.tld) then you only need
to know enough to assess issues of your host's match with your needs.

If you are hosting multiple hosts (whether the same or differing domains)
then you need to know quite a bit more. This is definitely a case where a
little knowledge can be dangerous, and knowing more than you need much
better than knowing too little.

Whether you know by knowing, or by hiring knowledge, is of course your call.

Safe computing,  /Harold

ps. The O'Reilly books, choosing the one that matches your needs, are
almost always a good choice (http://www.ora.com).

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Harold A. Driscoll                 mailto:Harold(at)Driscoll.Chi.IL.US
#include <std/disclaimer>                 http://Driscoll.Chi.IL.US

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