how to Shoring Up Defenses Against DDoS Attacks??

DDOS Content Sponsored by BlockDos.Net Block DOS
(The Hosting News) – A DDoS attack is defined a distributed denial of service attack. This kind of attack tries to make a computer resource unavailable to users. There are different ways in which this kind of attack can be carried out. The reasons and targets for these attacks vary, but the end result is the same, shutting down a system so users cannot access it. The point of a DDoS attack is to prevent an internet site or service from functioning normally or at all. The most targeted web sites for these kinds of attacks are banks, credit card payment gateways, e-business sites and root name servers. A common method of attack is to flood the server with external communications so that it cannot communicate with legitimate traffic, or causes the server to run so slow it is rendered in effective, causing actions to time out. A DDoS attack is carried out by either forcing the target computers to reset, or consuming resources to the point that the targeted computer or server can no longer achieve its primary function. Attacks like this will also limit or stop all communication between the user the victim. A DDoS is a crime most, it violates the Internet Architecture Boards’ internet proper use policy, and TOS of all major internet service providers.

There are different programs that can be used to perform DDoS attacks, some are actually written for benign use, but can be used for malevolent purposes. These programs are written with the intent of performing DDoS attacks while others are true packet injectors and able to perform other tasks.

Examples of the legitimate tools used are hping, socket programming, and httping. There are also underground tools available for such attacks.

Signs of an Attack

The US Computer Emergency Response Team defines symptoms of a DDoS attack as :

Unusually slow network performance, either processes or opening files.

Unavailability of a website

Inability to access a web site

Dramatic increase in spam emails, this is an email bomb.

DDoS attacks lead to issues with branches of a network being attacked. The attack over loads the network; other branches will try to compensate for the increase in traffic. This causes the whole network to slow down. A large enough attack can shut down entire regions of internet connectivity.

Types of tactics a DDoS will use

These are the most common types of DDoS Attacks:

1) Consumption of computational resources: such as bandwidth, disk space, or processor time.

2) Disruption of configuration information: such as routing information.

3) Disruption of state information: such as unsolicited resetting of TCP sessions.

4) Disruption of physical network components: Such as the actual server

5) Obstructing the communication media: between the intended users and the victim so that they can no longer communicate adequately.

The DDoS attack may also use malware to cause further damage:

* Max out the processor’s usage so no work gets done
* Cause Microcode errors in the machine
* Lock up the computer by giving the processor erroneous sequencing
* Locking up the computer through the operating system through resource starvation.
* Crashing the operating system itself.

Weapons of a DDoS: What can be used against you?

ICMP Flood: ICMP flood, also known as Ping flood or Smurf attack, is a type of Denial of Service attack that sends large amounts of (or just over-sized) ICMP packets to a machine in order to attempt to crash the TCP/IP stack on the machine and cause it to stop responding to TCP/IP requests.

Tear Drop Attacks: Use corrupted IP fragments of overlapping over sized payload to over load a target’s computer. This can cause the operating system to crash due to the TCP/IP reconfiguration reassembly code.

Peer to Peer Attacks: An attacker uses other computers to attack a victim, over loading the victim’s computer.

Permanent Denial of Service Attacks: Attacks that are so destructive they cause hardware to be reinstalled or replaced.

Application Level Floods: Floods the victim server with an overwhelming number of packets, causing the CPU to become confused and crash due to lack of resources.

Nuke: This attack is just as it sounds. The attacker sends corrupt data over and over to the victim until the computer locks up.

Distributed Attack: The attack comes from multiple fronts the attacker hides his whereabouts this way. The multiple fronts then flood band width, or take up resources causing system crashes or locking up the server.

Reflected Attack: This attack uses forced requests sent to multiple locations to flood the victims computer with response.

Degradation of Service attacks: Attackers use infected computers to degrade service of a server by flooding it intermittently. This type of attack is hard to detect because the victim has to determine if the traffic on the server is normal or not.

Unintentional Denial of Service: This is not an intentional attack, but is a result of users being directed to a smaller site from a larger site. The smaller site is typically unprepared for a jump in traffic.

Denial-of-Service Level II: This locks the network off the net, by triggering a defense protocol to block traffic to the internet. This will take the network off the net without shutting down the network itselfBlind denial of service: The attacker must be able to receive traffic from the victim, then redirect the traffic then either subvert the routing fabric, or use the attackers own IP address. This type attack the attacker can use multiple forged IP addresses to launch the attack.

DDoS Attacks: End Game
DDoS attacks can take a website down quickly and emphatically. By knowing what you are facing you can defend against them. DDoS Attacks range from brute force incursions, to surgical strikes against key components of a network. The right tools to set up your defenses and a DDoS attack can be stopped cold.
source

what are the Country-wise Domains Distribution???

Rank Country Domains
1 United States 75,449,126
2 Germany 6,434,977
3 China 4,635,894
4 United Kingdom 4,428,289
5 Canada 3,838,831
6 France 3,076,331
7 Australia 2,467,180
8 Japan 2,094,023
9 Spain 1,458,640
10 Italy 1,347,722
11 Netherlands,The 1,213,614
12 HongKong S.A.R. 1,165,992
13 Turkey 970,573
14 Korea 809,869
15 India 601,679

knowledge base web hosting guide zaftech.ca latest updates and news and reviews of web hosting

what are the Global Domain Growth Trends??

Weeks Total Domains Gain Loss Net
02/21/11 121,745,129 777,324 541,662 235,662
02/14/11 121,509,467 910,946 555,119 355,827
02/07/11 121,153,640 855,688 491,562 364,126
01/31/11 120,789,514 855,773 535,827 319,946

Content Delivery Network (CDN) Service by NEXCESS.NET

NEXCESS.NET, a provider of shared hosting, dedicated servers, colocation and server clusters, today announced the availability of content delivery network (CDN) service to its hosting customers. The CDN service is powered by EdgeCast Networks, a rich media content delivery network.

The company articulates that its CDN service is designed to significantly improve web site performance by reducing physical distance, and in turn, latency, between the server and end user. It also reduces the distance from a network topology standpoint, ensuring that content requested by end users is always served by the server that will perform best for that user. Customers of the CDN service should see improved global performance over traditional web hosting thanks to the delivery of static user content from servers in 19 points of presence, distributed between North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia.

It states that in addition to performance improvements seen directly in the user experience, customers of the company's content delivery network should experience a number of other advantages over traditional hosting. This includes decreased load on servers that host dynamic content, and improved rankings with search engines such as Google, which has specifically cited site performance as a factor in calculating a site's ranking.

"We feel that our customers will see significant benefits in leveraging the advantages of CDN hosting for their static content," commented Chris Wells, President & CEO of NEXCESS.NET. "As time goes on, the web is becoming less forgiving of slow web sites, and studies have repeatedly proven that end users gravitate towards content with the fastest load times."

what are the cloud computing trends in 2011?

Hosting.com surveyed nearly 600 individuals with significant IT planning and budgeting responsibilities regarding the cloud computing industry and their purchasing intentions. The survey results and analysis are published in our annual Cloud Trends and Best Practices Report.

The Report introduces compelling data regarding the adoption rates of cloud, obstacles and usage.
Key Trends for 2011

* Explosive Growth
44% of respondents indicated cloud computing was an executive priority.

* Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery Are Driving Growth
BCDR services cited as top reason for investment in the cloud.

* Hybrid Solutions Will Be An Important Catalyst for Cloud Migration
Over 30% of respondents reported that their cloud services provider must provide integration with their existing services.

* Cloud Servers a Legitimate Threat to Server Sales: 80% likely to consider cloud servers to replace physical servers.

How to add a user in Dedicated Linux Web server?

for adding a user please follow these steps
To begin, SSH into your server as root. Once you’re logged in, you should see a shell prompt similar to:

root@server[~]#

The command to add a user is as below. I will be using the username as “support”.

root@server[~]# /usr/sbin/adduser support

Once the user is added you can verify by using the below command:

root@server[~]# cat /etc/passwd | grep support

Set a password for the user (support)

 Use the below command to set password for the user “support”:

root@server[~]# passwd support

ote: Make sure you pick a secure password which will consist between 
6-8 characters, and will contain letters, numbers, and punctuation 
marks.

To make sure this user account that you have created works, open another SSH window and proceed to log in with the user “support”. Once you’ve successfully verified that this account works, you may exit the session.

Verifying su’s command permissions, and ownership 

root@server [~]# ls -la /bin/su 

The output should be:

-rwsr-x---  1 root wheel 61168 Nov 18 07:17 /bin/su* 

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what is Web Hosting Hardware?

Hardware for Hosting Companies comes in a variety of items, including servers, switches, and the like.  Server hardware are prebuilt rackmount styled servers that can be customized to fit the individual or company needs.  Most hardware companies offer upgrade service and bulk equipment plans.  Additional services include on-location support, online trouble-shooting and customized datacenter options.  read more

what is ddos attack??

A DDoS attack is defined a distributed denial of service attack. This kind of attack tries to make a computer resource unavailable to users. There are different ways in which this kind of attack can be carried out. The reasons and targets for these attacks vary, but the end result is the same, shutting down a system so users cannot access it. The point of a DDoS attack is to prevent an internet site or service from functioning normally or at all. The most targeted web sites for these kinds of attacks are banks, credit card payment gateways, e-business sites and root name servers.  A common method of attack is to flood the server with external communications so that it cannot communicate with legitimate traffic, or causes the server to run so slow it is rendered in effective, causing actions to time out. A DDoS attack is carried out by either forcing the target computers to reset, or consuming resources to the point that the targeted computer or server can no longer achieve its primary function. Attacks like this will also limit or stop all communication between the user the victim. A DDoS is a crime most, it violates the Internet Architecture Boards’ internet proper use policy, and TOS of all major internet service providers. read more

what is cPanel Web Hosting?

The cPanel is a unix based web hosting control panel with a graphical interface and automation tools that are designed to simplify the process of hosting a website. The 3 tier structure provides functionality for administrators, resellers and end-users so that they may control the website through standard web browsers. Since cPanel is designed to function as a dedicated server or virtual private server and supports many applications, web hosting service providers and developers are able to automate standard system administration processes easily.

Microsoft Windows 7 SP1 Now Available for Download

Microsoft has released the first Windows 7 service pack today. Windows 7 Service Pack 1 (SP1) is an important update that includes previously released security, performance, and stability updates for Windows 7. Installing SP1 helps keep Windows 7 up to date.
Windows 7 SP1 has been available to MSDN and TechNet subscribers since Feb. 18. Through a recent blog, Microsoft announced that the service pack would be available for download on Feb. 22, 2011.
The new service pack update comes with two new desktop virtualization features called RemoteFX and Dynamic Memory.  read more

how to Configure qmail to use alternate SMTP port 26?

You have a plesk dedicated server and having issues related to SMTP port 25. There are issues where ISP blocks SMTP port 25, in this case we can use alternate port (I will use port 26).
Kindly follow the below steps to change SMTP port on your plesk dedicated (linux) server to 26.
Login to your server

root# cd /etc/xinetd.d

root# ls -l | grep smtp*

root# cat smtp_psa
service smtp
{
socket_type = stream
protocol = tcp
wait = no
disable = no
user = root
instances = UNLIMITED
server = /var/qmail/bin/tcp-env
server_args = /usr/sbin/rblsmtpd -r bl.spamcop.net 

/var/qmail/bin/relaylock /var/qmail/bin/qmail-smtpd

/var/qmail/bin/smtp_auth /var/qmail/bin/true /var/qmail/bin/

cmd5checkpw /var/qmail/bin/true

}

root# nano /etc/services

smtp_psa_new 26/tcp mail
smtp_psa_new 26/udp mail

read more

 

how to connect with my sql?

Interacting with MySQL makes PHP a far more powerful tool. In this tutorial we will go through some of the most common ways PHP interacts with MySQL. To follow along with what we are doing, you will need to create a database table by executing this command:

 CREATE TABLE friends (name VARCHAR(30), fav_color VARCHAR(30), fav_food VARCHAR(30), pet VARCHAR(30)); 
 INSERT INTO friends VALUES ( "Rose", "Pink", "Tacos", "Cat" ), ( "Bradley", "Blue", "Potatoes", "Frog" ), ( "Marie", "Black", "Popcorn", "Dog" ), ( "Ann", "Orange", "Soup", "Cat" ) 

This will create a table for us to work with, that has friends' names, favorite colors, favorite foods, and pets.
The first thing we need to do in our PHP file is connect to the database. We do that using this code:

 <?php 
 // Connects to your Database 
 mysql_connect("your.hostaddress.com", "username", "password") or die(mysql_error()); 
 mysql_select_db("Database_Name") or die(mysql_error()); 
 ?> 

Of course you will replace server, username, password, and Database_Name with the information relevant to your site. If you are unsure what these values are, contact your hosting provider.
php.about.com

How to Create a Link from a Database?

Often people do our database tutorials, and are able to fetch the information they need and echo it onto a page, but struggle with figuring out how to link their results. This is actually a very simple process. Basically you just echo the appropriate HTML and call the URL in the middle of it. Here are some examples. In this example we are fetching an array and assigning it to $info, and one of the fields holds email addresses.

 while($info = mysql_fetch_array( $data ))
 {
 Print $info['name'] . "<br> ";
 Print "<a href=mailto:".$info['email'] . ">" .$info['email'] . "</a><br>";
 } 
Notice how we called .$info['email'] twice, once to display the e-mail  and once to be used in the link.  The actual href linking code is placed  around the information using print or echo, and separated with dots.
Here is another example using a web address and website name.

 while($info = mysql_fetch_array( $data ))
 {
 Print "<a href=".$info['siteurl'] . ">" .$info['sitetitle'] . "</a><br>";
 } 

Again we first print the <a href= then add a dot to show we are switching gears and now printing something different, in our case the website URL we get from our database array. Finally we add another dot so we can finish our link code </a><br>.
source php.about.com

simple way to install php on mac

Before you can enable PHP on a Mac, you first have to enable Apache. Fortunately this is extremely easy. If you would like more information about Apache on the Mac you can read more here.1.) Click the 'System Preferences' icon in the Dock.
2.) Click the 'Sharing' icon in the Internet & Network section of the System Preferences window.
3.) Place a check mark in the ‘Web Sharing’ box.
That's it! If you want to test if it worked, point your browser to http://localhost/ and you should see the standard Apache test page.
For this next part you are going to need a plain text editor that will allow you to open hidden files. Personally, I use TextWrangler because it's free and it gets the job done. These next steps might be slightly different if you are using a different editor, but the principle is still the same.1.) We want to open the file located at HD:private:etc:apache2:httpd.conf. In TextWrangler we do this by choosing "Open Hidden" from the File menu. 2.) Since it is a root file, we need to unlock it before we can edit. In TextWrangler this is done by clicking the pencil button in the top left hand corner. You will get a pop-up confirming that you want to do this.
3.) Go to line 114, the line should read # LoadModule php5_module libexec/apache2/libphp5.so
4.) Delete the #, the line should now read LoadModule php5_module libexec/apache2/libphp5.so
5.) Save the file. You will be prompted for your password if you are using TextWrangler.
The next thing we want to do is make a copy of php.ini.default and save it as php.ini. Once we have done this we can edit our PHP preferences.1.) First open up Terminal. It is located inside your Systems folder which is located inside your Applications folder. 2.) Enter the following lines, one at a time:
cd /private/etc
sudo cp php.ini.default php.ini
3.) You may now open your new php.ini file using TextWrangler or another editing programing and change the default settings if you wish. It will be located in Macintosh HD:private:etc
read more

what is Backordering at a registrar versus bidding at auctions?

Backordering a domain from a domain name registrar is less than useless and a complete waste of your money. You are almost guaranteed never to receive the domain if it has any perceived value. PERIOD.
The way to go about obtaining possession of an expiring domain is to do a whois seach for the domain, find where it is currently registered, and make a bid in the ensuing auction at the place where that registrar farms out their domains for auction. Place your bid as soon as the domain expires. That way, you also avoid all the drop-catch shenanigans.
If the domain has entered pending delete status, the best way to get the domain is to bid for it at all dropcatchers. It will be delete on the sixth day after entering pending delete, and at this point, all dropcatchers that have a bid on the domain will be trying to get it.
Backordering in this article refers to backordering at a registrar, not backordering at a drop-catcher or expired domain auction house, who may also use the same terminology. Always order your expiring domain name from an expired domain name auction house partnered with the underlying registrar for that domain. It's your best chance of acquiring your name. source webhostingtalk.com

what is Platform-specific hosting?

The term hosting platform refers to the software on which other application programs can be run to provide hosting services. There are many kinds of hosting platforms on the market, each supporting certain software that must be pre-installed on clients' systems. Examples:

• PHP hosting (.php, .phtml)
• ASP hosting (.asp, .aspx)
• Rails hosting
• Cold Fusion hosting (.cfm)
• JSP hosting (.jsp)

Hosting platforms can also be described in terms of the operation system being used on the server. The most common operating systems are Windows hosting and Linux hosting. Source webhostingtalks.com

what is SMF Server

SMF is stands for Simple Machines Forum. SMF is a open source software package, which permit users to set up their online community within a few moments. Its easy to use and customize.
You can completely control and customize your message board with its template engine. The SSI (Server Side Includes) allows you to create a forum that can intereact with your website pages.
The PHP language and MySQL database are utilized for SMF. SMF is very helpful for you, because It offers you all those features that you require from a bulletin board while having a proper minimum impact on the resources of the server.

Installing Joomla!

There are several ways to install Joomla!.
First, make sure that you have an account on a web server. For most people this means signing up with a hosting company and purchasing a domain that will serve as your site's main address.

• Option One: One Click Installs. Many hosting companies offer "instant" installation of Joomla!. Follow the instructions your host provides for a one click install.

• Option Two: Conventional Installs. This method requires that you copy the Joomla! zip file to your hosting account, unzip, create a database, and then run the installation. Complete instructions can be found in the Joomla! Installation Manual. This video takes you through the steps

• Option three: Demo Site. You can create a working website at demo.joomla.org and then either follow the instructions provided to back up and move the site to your existing host or establish a hosting account at the end of the free 30 day trial. (Note that the Joomla! Project receives a royalty if you choose paid hosting from that site.)
• joomla.org source

What is Joomla!?

Joomla! is software that lets you make and update web pages easily.
You can think of a Joomla! website as bringing together three elements.

• Your content, which is mainly stored in a database.
• Your template, which controls the design and presentation of your content (such as fonts, colors and layout).
• Joomla! which is the software that bring the content and the template together to produce webpages.

Joomla Guide for begginers

Here is some useful content for you about joomla
a leading open source Content Management System (CMS) platform. Joomla! is a well-tested, extensible and effective tool supported by a very active and friendly community of developers and users.
Do you want to get started with Joomla!, but you have no idea where to begin? If so, you have come to the right place. The Absolute Beginner's Guide to Joomla! is just for you.
Although you could spend a lifetime learning Joomla!, if you master the basics you will be able to make a very attractive and useful basic website in very little time and with no no special technical skills.
joomla.org

How To Install IonCube Loader in WHM Cpanel

What is IonCube ?
Secure and license your PHP scripts with the ionCube PHP Encoder. Protect files with PHP encoding, encryption, obfuscation and licensing capabilities.
Prepare Webserver and PHP
I assume you already have apache webserver and php installed on your server.

Download IonCube and Install it :
Login as root into your server
$wget http://repository.wowtutorial.org/ioncube_loaders_lin_x86.tar.gz
$tar zfx ioncube_loaders_lin_x86.tar.gz
$mv ioncube /usr/local
Find your php.ini
$php -i | grep php.ini
Configuration File (php.ini) Path => /usr/local/lib
Loaded Configuration File => /usr/local/lib/php.ini
Edit your php.ini
$pico /usr/local/lib/php.ini
### add this line in your php.ini
zend_extension=/usr/local/ioncube/ioncube_loader_lin_5.2.so
## save this file
$
Important : if you have zend optimizer and zend manager installed on your php
Please make sure ioncube_loader is on the top of zend list.
Ex php.ini :
[Zend]
zend_extension=/usr/local/ioncube/ioncube_loader_lin_5.2.so
zend_extension_manager.optimizer=/usr/local/Zend/lib/Optimizer-3.3.0
zend_extension_manager.optimizer_ts=/usr/local/Zend/lib/Optimizer_TS-3.3.0
zend_optimizer.version=3.3.0
zend_extension=/usr/local/Zend/lib/ZendExtensionManager.so
zend_extension_ts=/usr/local/Zend/lib/ZendExtensionManager_TS.so[/code]
Restart Webserver
$service httpd restart
Verify your PHP with phpinfo or php -v
$php -v
PHP 5.2.5 (cli) (built: Mar 17 2008 14:00:52)
Copyright (c) 1997-2007 The PHP Group
Zend Engine v2.2.0, Copyright (c) 1998-2007 Zend Technologies
with the ionCube PHP Loader v3.1.32, Copyright (c) 2002-2007, by ionCube Ltd., and
with Zend Extension Manager v1.2.0, Copyright (c) 2003-2007, by Zend Technologies
with Zend Optimizer v3.3.0, Copyright (c) 1998-2007, by Zend Technologies
source wowtutorial.org

how to Getting A Grip On Your Network Security??

By now, we are all well aware of the wild, wild world of the Internet. Anyone who has stood up a server, registered the domain name, and gotten some links to their site, knows that your servers almost immediately start getting “sniffed” by various sources. In many cases, this sniffing leads to an attempt in short order to try to analyze your server for various known holes or flaws. Organizations with much larger resources than yours (think: governments and the Fortune 100) routinely are disrupted, defaced, or outright brought down for the count so you can be sure that truly foolproof network security is nearly impossible to guarantee. What you can do for your server infrastructure, however, is “get a grip” on the basics of network security. There are enough gaping holes out on the Internet – many leading to databases or network access of great interest to hackers – that if you succeed in plugging all the common security holes, you will have thwarted the vast majority of infiltration attempts. read more

how Go Daddy Wins Best Security Team Award

Many people know about Go Daddy’s reputation for racy Super Bowl commercials, but few know the world’s top Web hosting provider is also a powerhouse when it comes to keeping people safe on the Internet – blocking more than 100 million attacks every day. Last night, the company was recognized for having the IT industry’s “Best Security Team” at the 14th annual SC Magazine Awards in San Francisco.
The Go Daddy IT Security Team helps protect more than 46 million domain names under management, more than 8.8 million customers and is the authoritative DNS for one-third of the Internet, ensuring a safe online experience for users across the globe.
In its six years of operation, the Go Daddy IT Security Team has matured from one person to more than 50. The security team works around the clock, running robust, 24/7 Network and Security Operations Centers and monitoring 100,000 security events per second. Dedicated team members are constantly monitoring for attacks or anomalies across Go Daddy’s systems, proactively detecting threats and working swiftly to eliminate them.
“Millions of people depend on Go Daddy to be their personal IT security department, which allows our customers to focus on building their businesses and enhancing their Web presence,” explained Go Daddy CEO and Founder Bob Parsons. “Go Daddy is working hard all day, every day to protect our customers’ websites … it’s an honor to see our IT Security Team recognized with this award from SC Magazine.”
One strategy for security effectiveness is the team’s recurring Go Daddy “Hackfest” event which takes place internally. The team works with developers from departments inside Go Daddy. The event proactively seeks out product vulnerabilities. The approach not only secures Go Daddy products, but also familiarizes the rest of the company with security processes.
Through the use of an innovative tool called SIM (Security Information Management), the Go Daddy IT Security Team has also helped the company become a pioneer for Internet security analysis and response. SIM is a new approach based in large part on a security network’s ability to defend itself before it is attacked.
Many customers turn to Go Daddy as their personal IT security department and technology authority. Go Daddy has dedicated customer security advisors available by phone or e-mail 24/7 to assist with any security needs or concerns a customer may have.

basics of Cloud Web Hosting

Cloud Hosting
Websites hosted on the cloud hosting platform operate on clustered servers so that online operations are not limited to single servers. Cloud hosting benefits include a high level of scalability which makes it possible for website expansion to be achieved without typical server resource limitations.
Security, load balance and hardware resources are all handled virtually, so that website access includes processing power distribution over multiple servers in real time. This also means that issues such as migration between servers and sudden surge crashes can be easily avoided with cloud hosting.
Cloud hosting can also be a much more cost efficient solution, since charges are based upon the quantity of computing power used. Because cloud hosting provides near-instant expansion as service demands increase – without having to address hardware and server requirements, it is a viable web hosting solution for many online businesses.
  http://www.thehostingnews.com

US President Turns to the Cloud to Cut IT Costs

The Obama administration announced it will increase its focus on cloud computing as a means to keep IT costs under control.
During his federal budget proposal, Obama made it clear that he sees the cloud as an excellent way of lowering IT costs in 2012.
Although Obama’s $79.5 billion IT budget is a considerably large amount for spending, it is expected the administration will be able to keep spending flat, due to the cost savings it’s expecting to make through the move to cloud computing and data center consolidation.
According to numerous reports, it is estimated that the move by the federal government could reduce IT spending by around $3 billion.
Federal CIO Vivek Kundra recently announced the government “will be able to reduce our data center infrastructure expenditure by approximately 30 percent. The adoption of cloud computing will play a pivotal role in helping the government close the productivity gap between the public and private sectors.”
Kundra recently released the governments cloud technologies strategy. According to Kundra, the new strategy “will revolve around commercial cloud technologies where feasible, launching private government clouds, and utilizing regional clouds with state and local governments where appropriate.”
Kundra’s report estimates that if the government reallocates $20 billion of its IT budget to cloud technologies, it could reduce data center infrastructure costs by more than 30 percent.

what is Web Hosting Billing??

The simple process ofweb hosting billing can be easily handled with billing software that creates invoices and automatically bills customers. The software keeps track of what has been paid as well as the invoice status. There are also tracking devices in place that include account usage, so that appropriate storage or bandwidth fees may be easily and automatically added.
Some of the features of a web hosting billing program may include automated signups, payment processing and account provisioning in an online, recurring, web based system.
In addition, billing software can be used as an effective business maintenance development and management tool, since it may be set up to alert customers as service limits are approaching. When clients appreciate being notified before excess usage fees are assessed, the web hosting billing system can also serve as part of an effective customer support system. Source  thehostingnews.com

what is Exchange Hosting?

Exchange hosting is a server system which uses software to enable sending and receiving email and other kinds of interactive communications. The exchange hosting system was developed to provide easy access to business critical information for companies of all sizes, to increase efficiency and simplify business communications.
The exchange system is designed to integrate with applications typically utilized by businesses, such as a variety of email programs, shared folders, calendars, contacts and task lists. Hosted exchange server systems store email messages on a dedicated server. Users can retrieve private or shared files anywhere at any time, through a web browser, PDA or email client installed on a computer.
Since the sharing of business critical information has become a part of the modern business fabric, there is a compelling reason for companies to consider exchange hosting as a viable and essential collaboration platform. Exchange hosting solutions offer benefits in flexibility and startup costs, along with the simplicity of management and maintenance. Source thehostingnews.com

What is Hosting Automation?

Web hosting automation is the process of automating server tasks and is a necessity for every web hosting company. Since web hosts have literally thousands of clients on their servers, it goes without saying that it would be prohibitively expensive to try to operate without some form of automation. In fact, it is automation that actually makes it possible to have a web hosting business.
On an hourly basis, web hosting customers submit requests at a level that would be impossible to execute manually. The control panel software is a major part of the automation routine that manages and prioritizes tasks for technical hosting staff. Server administration tasks that are automated can include basic services such as email, databases, software installation and access control. For customer ease of use and to eliminate development requirements, hosting companies generally use popular hosting automation solutions that include full support for all operating systems. Source thehostingnews.com

What is Reseller Web Hosting?

Reseller Web Hosting programs offer anyone desiring primary or secondary income with the ability to enter the web hosting business easily and efficiently. Resellers are provided with access to completely automated systems without the usual sales responsibilities and operating costs.
In addition to hosting services, reseller web hosting programs also include billing and full technical support to the customers of resellers anonymously. This can lend heavily to the credibility factor of a reseller web hosting business.
Entrepreneurs, webmasters and web site developers who engage a reseller web hosting program have the potential to earn recurring revenue by offering complete web hosting services to clients, without the usual expense of operating a full-fledged web hosting business. Source thehostingnews.com

what is cPanel Web Hosting?

The cPanel is a unix based web hosting control panel with a graphical interface and automation tools that are designed to simplify the process of hosting a website. The 3 tier structure provides functionality for administrators, resellers and end-users so that they may control the website through standard web browsers. Since cPanel is designed to function as a dedicated server or virtual private server and supports many applications, web hosting service providers and developers are able to automate standard system administration processes easily.
cPanel hosts offer services with the kind of flexibility required in order to fully automate point-and-click hosting platforms. The multiple aspects of administration including admin, reseller, end user and email based applications provide security and ease of use for all levels of interface, from the server administrator to the email account user. Source thehostingnews.com

you decide Dedicated Hosting – Managed or Unmanaged??

Dedicated hosting is a type of hosting service where a certain server is provided specifically for a single client who can basically control and access it just like having it in his/her home. In this case, the client pays for the service, and the provider will be providing everything needed, such as the server machine, software, and the operating system needed, along with a stable connectivity to run these servers 24/7.
This environment is basically recommended for those web owners and developers who are running multiple businesses or even personal websites, as this promises total control of their websites, plenty of disk space, and high volumes of traffic. This is totally a way out of the common shared hosting service, where you will be facing competition in terms of the disk space, bandwidth, and connectivity along with the other customers who share the same server with you.
Another plus for dedicated hosting is that it offers the ability to install complex applications on your websites without worrying about how it may affect the stability of the server. This is perfect for webmasters who make business websites, since it also supports shopping tools. With this in mind, another thing to consider is security. Shared hosting plans most likely get the chance to be breached by a third-party. This is not the case for dedicated hosting. Here, the only ones who have access to the server are the client and the hosting provider, giving you a sense of security that your data, tools, and websites are safe.
Just like shared hosting, hosting providers also offer different plans for this service, and you have to weigh upon and consider the level of support, the packages, the prices, and the requirements you need in order to choose one. First to be considered is the type of dedicated server you will need – either managed or unmanaged.
Managed Dedicated Hosting
So how do these two differ? If you are running a huge business and have no time to manage a physical server on your own, then managed dedicated hosting is for you. Here, the servers will be kept and monitored by the provider within their own datacenter round the clock, along with backups, software updates, firewall, and other security management. They will troubleshoot and fix any problem that occur, and offer you support 24/7/365.
This is not offered in the typical shared hosting, and though this is very expensive, it gives you the capability to focus on more important tasks of your business, especially if you don’t have an IT around, thus makes you save more time, money, and effort. It offers a simple control panel, so you can do complex commands even if you don’t have much technical knowledge. It also provides a high-level of security and offers you Disaster recovery and Server backup restoration services in case of hardware failure. And given the fact that your server will only be for you, expect optimal performance and reliability of the hardware, together with all programming applications and customizations you need.
Unmanaged Dedicated Hosting
Unmanaged dedicated hosting, on the other hand, while also offering the physical resources you might need (the machine, the connectivity, and the operating system) and remote administration access to your server, you will be the one to take care of it. You have to maintain it, do the needed software updates, and troubleshoot – meaning you need to either have the technical skills yourself or hire a server administrator. This might come in cheaper than the managed hosting, however, hiring a server administrator is costly too, and might compromise the speed and management of your websites in case that person quits, and you will have to go through hiring another tech again.
Considering all of this, it may be in fact better to consider managed hosting, as what you will pay additionally with it is apparently less than what you have to compromise gambling on the unmanaged option. Everything is handled by the provider – even the bandwidth requirements are automatically adjusted. This gives you the time to focus on the more important things – your business and the content of your website – and this can be done wherever you are in the world, as long as there is an internet connection. However, whichever of these two you might choose, it will all depend on your needs, your capabilities, and your resources. Dedicated hosting is usually utilized by e-commerce websites and other business companies. If you are just a beginner, it would be preferable to try on shared hosting first. Nevertheless, if you are planning to put up a business or would want to scale your business up, you should certainly consider dedicated hosting. Businesses are now inclined electronically, and you have to make a step forward in order to keep up with the fast pace of businesses, and you can definitely do this by having your own website hosted on dedicated servers.
source thehostingnews.com

what is the difference between managed and unmanaged dedicated server?

At times, shopping for a managed or unmanaged dedicated web hosting server solution can be a bit daunting, to say the least, even to a seasoned hosting professional. There are some basic differences between the "managed" and "unmanaged" variety of server solutions, and it really helps to know what some of those are.
With an unmanaged web hosting account, it is necessary for someone within your organization to know how to deal with the server on a first hand basis. This would be the time to consider hiring a system administrator, if that sort of person does not exist in your company. It will be their responsibility to handle all of the server side issues and various configurations. However, for small businesses, it is rarely an option to handle the expense of a technical professional for that purpose. This is when a managed dedicated server option can be most beneficial.
With a managed dedicated server, more of the issues of the server will be in the hands of the web host that the server was purchased from. This is why it is important to ensure that the web host has a high quality staff in place who really know what they are doing – when it comes to handling the dedicated server.
Webmasters responsible for the performance of a high-traffic web site generally consider it very beneficial to enlist the most reliable managed dedicated server environment possible. For smaller to mid-size business operations, however, it is often an issue of cost that will determine whether or not they are in a position from a budgetary standpoint, to enlist a fully managed dedicated server hosting solution.
Dedicated Server Reliability
The dedicated server or cluster being used must be properly managed, whether it is done internally or outsourced, in order for it to be reliable. Some of the general issues will include the management of hardware, operating systems, applications, and the e-commerce solution.  Another high priority of concern will be security, data backup and disaster recovery. Reporting, monitoring, database management, Virtual Private Networks (VPN), connectivity, bandwidth, and load balancing are also all very important tasks that all need to be addressed.  As anyone can see, the aforementioned areas consist of quite a bit to manage on a constant basis.
Utilizing dedicated servers in a managed hosting environment usually means that the managed dedicated hosting provider is renting servers, while providing system administration support for most, if not all of the management issues discussed above.
Webmasters who use managed dedicated server solutions for businesses of all sizes can rent pre-configured, out of the box web hosting or application hosting servers – which is advantageous for anyone involved in the maintenance of a web site. In this case, the dedicated server is used only by the company who purchased the solution – unlike shared web hosting or "virtual hosting" which allows for sharing on a single server along with often hundreds, if not thousands of other web sites.
Managed dedicated servers can cost quite a bit more than most shared hosting plans, but there are often specials by some of the more popular hosting firms and prices drop from time to time, often significantly, compared to what they were just a few years in the past.
Dedicated servers provide control of options including:

• Choice of operating system
• Tolerance for 3rd party software
• Server space sharing (if desired)
• Specific performance tweaks as necessary

Managed dedicated servers offer advantages that are almost too numerous to mention, when compared to the shared hosting environment. Large web sites or a sites with a great deal of traffic should always have a dedicated server in place. When using additional third party security for a web site or having many emails could be a concern, a dedicated server solution will allow for the kind of freedom that a shared hosting environment simply will not technically offer. Webmasters generally use dedicated servers so that will have the most comprehensive access to the server, with the ability to configure and optimize it in any way that may be required.
When considering everything, there really isn’t a downside to having a professionally managed hosting service with a dedicated server. As long as a good provider is chosen – all in all, the dedicated server solutions are actually extremely cost effective and a good value for most small to medium sized businesses that either have, or want to grow a popular web site.
Costly internal resources for a dedicated server can be avoided by delegating responsibility for system administration to a managed hosting provider very easily, especially when considering the cost of hiring a full time IT staff. The managed hosting solution with dedicated servers in place offer a highly trained IT staff at the disposal of any company, which is definitely something that small to medium businesses can appreciate, and rarely afford on an in-house basis.
Ultimately, how the value of managed services is determined could depend on how efficiently the managed host responds to needs and support issues. Slow response time isn’t going to be any better than an internal short staff situation, especially during times of peak administration requirements. However, it is safe to assume that overall, a good managed hosting company will always know how mission critical their job is and respond accordingly and quickly.
One of the largest advantages of the managed dedicated server hosting solution is the flexibility that it allows for businesses over general web site operation expenses. While negotiating the terms of service with any provider, do some intelligent comparison research before signing any contract, to ensure the best deal available.
In any case, the cost of managed dedicated server hosting can vary quite a bit. Below are some of the main considerations to be aware of:
– Server Hardware Options (CPU, Memory, Backup, Number of IP addresses, Bandwidth)
– Operating System (Unix, Linux, Windows, etc.) and Type
– Number of VPN users
– Software Configurations (SSL, MySQL/PHP, Control Panels)
– Security Options, Firewall
It is a good litmus test for any managed host to see if they are able to help you figure out exactly what is needed for your situation. It could also be an indication of how responsive they will be when support is needed later. Any prospective managed dedicated server host provider should be able to provide details about connectivity and the up-time track record. For example, the Network Operations Center (NOC) should be located in the US, to allow for the fastest, most reliable connection. In addition, any reputable company should also offer money back guarantees on their services.
In order to determine what a company’s exact needs may be, the answer will be determined in how well the server can keep up with the growth of the website and business. If it seems like expansion of internal IT resources will be necessary, it is more likely that it is also a good time to explore managed dedicated server hosting options thoroughly.
Managed dedicated servers have become the best resource for mission critical and enterprise level applications over the past few years. However, there are still also countless uses for managed dedicated servers in many other situations. The reduction in prices and extension of features have made the managed dedicated server a much more affordable, as well as the best overall business choice, for many personal and small business ventures.
Superb Internet provides a complete range of managed dedicated server and web hosting solutions, from virtual shared web hosting through to high-volume, mission-critical dedicated server solutions. SuperbHosting.net’s core focus is customer service, and continuous service improvement, with offices and 24-hour/365-day operations in McLean, VA, Tukwila, WA, and Vancouver, BC, serving customers in over 150 countries worldwide.

Best Instructions about web hosting

I would like to discuss about the guide line of web hosting
Web domains. Hosting. Content. These are the three top priorities for any webmaster, regardless of how experienced they are. Unfortunately, these three essentials often leave people in the dark, as there are dozens of companies offering the “same” packages for different prices. With an overflow of routes you could take, it can get mind boggling to figure out the appropriate steps. For this reason, instructions are essential if you are looking for a smooth path.
The first thing you should do is make a list of what your current goals are. If you are making a professional site, you'll need a secure and reliable host. For instance, if you know that your website will reach thousands of people within a few months, perhaps you should find a web hosting package that includes extra bandwidth. You need additional space, especially if visitors are constantly going to be accessing your website. On the other hand, if you are just experimenting, you should stick to the free hosting packages. Geocities or Angel Fire certainly provides a basic package, which will leave you satisfied. After all, you do not need bells and whistles if you aren't serious about the website in the long run. If you do end up changing your mind, you can always switch services and transfer your website.
Once you have made your decision, you need to find a reputable service. While searching for hosting companies on Google may seem appropriate, it often stems bad results. It is important to remember that just because it is listed on a search engine, doesn't mean it is 100% safe and legit. Therefore, if you do find a potential company, you should get a second opinion. It is usually smart to join a webmaster related forum like SitePoint to discuss such matters. This way you can hear about other people's experiences and what companies to avoid. Additional references from friends or family would also be ideal.
After picking a host, you will need to provide your credit card information. For many users, 3ix.org is a favorite, as it rarely charges you much. Surprisingly, there are discount coupon codes you can acquire through the internet, to also help you with your initial fee. Due to the fact that you have to include your private information, it is absolutely crucial to make sure you find a legit business. The last thing you want is to lose any money. Therefore, you should google their name and check out the reviews from fellow users. This will most definitely make all of the difference, especially if you find out that they are a fraud.
For website beginners, web hosting doesn't have to be difficult or even too time consuming. As long as you find reputable sources, second opinions, and a great easy to use package, you are well on your way to website success. With these instructions in mind, there should be no frustrations or year long debates on what company to use. It is quite simple, once you get in the webmaster's frame of mind.
Copyright notice: This original article is the property of Web Hosting Geeks (http://webhostinggeeks.com). Web Hosting Geeks provides independent customer and webmaster reviews of top 10 web hosting providers. Top web hosting reviews, best web hosting awards, web host rating, web hosting articles and more.
Requirement: You must also post the above author information if you would like to republish this article!  Source webhostinggeeks.com

What is Virtual Private Server Hosting?

VPS is one of the MAJOR  FAMOUS  web hosting service platforms available. Also referred to as ”virtual dedicated server” (VDS) hosting, the solution partitions a physical server into multiple sections so that each has the appearance and capability of running on its own dedicated device. Virtual servers also have the ability to run their own complete operating systems and may be independently rebooted.
The lower cost advantages of virtual private server hosting can greatly assist smaller online businesses that cannot
justify the expense of dedicated server hosting. For those companies that don’t expect a great deal of growth within a short period of time, VPS is definitely an option to consider for their hosting needs.
In addition, with the development of virtualization software, VPS has experienced a resurgence and renaissance as technologies for other architectures become more prevalent. Source thehostingnews.com

how can Hosting account migration manually on cPanel server??

There is a scenario where you need to transfer a hosting account which is present on your server to another (new) server, to accomplish this follow the below steps:
Present server:
cd /home
/scripts/pkgacct username
This command will create a file cpmove-username.tar.gz in the /home directory, now this is to be copied to the new server.
scp cpmove-username.tar.gz root@server-IP:/home
This will prompt for the password, you can enter the new server password.
New server:
/scripts/restorepkg username
This will restore the hosting account which includes email, database and the contents  source

how to Downgrade MySQL 5 to MySQL 4.1 on cPanel dedicated server??

For some reason you need to downgrade MySQL 5 to MySQL 4.1 to achieve this you will have to do the following:
To check the which all mysql rpm’s are available use the command:

rpm -qa | grep -i mysql-

First of all take a backup of /var/lib/mysql, and also ask the other users to keep a backup it with them. This can also be a .sql file. The command to take a backup is:

cp /var/lib/mysql /var/lib/mysql.bk

Now, you will have to edit the cPanel config file and make manual changes under this, so edit it with the command:

nano /var/cpanel/cpanel.config

And here, find for the line “mysql-version=5.0” and change it to “mysql-version=4.1”
Now, we will forcefully install mysql by the following command:

/scripts/mysqlup --force

You can now check again with the command:

rpm -qa | grep -i mysql- 

source   supportfacility.com 

how can i recover Lost Joomla admin password ?

On cPanel dedicated server, I have come around where people have lost their Joomla admin password and don’t know what to do. Don’t get panicked, be patient – I will show how you can reset your lost admin password for your Joomla website.

First within you cPanel control panel; goto PHPMyAdmin and select the Joomla database that you have, once selected check for the table named jos_users click on it and browse the table; on the right side you will see your admin login name (I assume it is admin, some may have different as they have set when Joomla was installed) in front of the username under the column named “password” you will see some encrypted value make sure the “usertype” column contains “super administrator”. Now, click on the pencil (to edit) and in front of password put the value “21232f297a57a5a743894a0e4a801fc3” without the quotes, which means that your password is “admin” and click on “Go”. That’s all , you have reset the password.

Now, you can check by logging in to your Joomla site. It should be working now.
Note: Works for both Joomla 1.0 and Joomla 1.5 versions.  source

how to Disable exec PHP function on cPanel server?

On a cPanel server there is always security risk of PHP functions for eg. exec if you want to disable this function on your cPanel server you can do so from your servers php.ini
You can find the php.ini of your server by the following command:
root@server# php -i | grep php.ini
Configuration File (php.ini) Path => /usr/local/lib
Loaded Configuration File => /usr/local/lib/php.ini
Then, edit that file and search for disable_functions and add the function exec in front of that. source

Why Do I need 24×7 hosting support for my web hosting company?

Web hosting is a global business, and to help your customer you need hosting support services which have to be available 24×7 i.e. during all time zones which would definitely get their problems fixed within time.
In a case, if you have an existing customer who is a owner of a web design company and is in a meeting with their potential client and giving him a online presentation/demo and is facing some technical problems which has to be fixed by the web host. This is an embarrassing situation for them – especially if your hosting company doesn’t have access to the support staff 24×7, this customer will have to wait for you to come online during your working hours and get their issue fixed.
Now, think if you have a 24×7 support team – this client will come on your website and contact you by the support channels you have i.e. live chat and help desk support. And, your technical support staff available on duty is notified about the issue by the support channels you have and gets the problem fixed within no time. This is what a customer expects from your company, and I bet they would spread the name of your company across the web or known ones, which would give you more business.
Whether you’re a web hosting reseller, VPS hardware node/container owner or a dedicated server owner – it’s mandatory to have a 24×7 support online presence to help your clients. source

Apache Problem cant start??

Once you receive this error
try this one
on ssh  Linux
Login to Linux with ssh with Root username and password
/scripts/upcp --force
and it will fix your problem

what is ASP AdRotator Component

The ASP AdRotator component creates an AdRotator object that displays a different image each time a user enters or refreshes a page. A text file includes information about the images.

Syntax

<%
set adrotator=server.createobject("MSWC.AdRotator")
adrotator.GetAdvertisement("textfile.txt")
%>
source w3schools.com

ASP AdRotator Example

Assume that we have the following text file, named "ads.txt":
REDIRECT banners.asp
*
w3s.gif
http://www.w3schools.com
Free Tutorials from W3Schools
50
xmlspy.gif
http://www.altova.com
XML Editor from Altova
50
The lines below the asterisk in the text file above specifies the name of the images (ads) to be displayed, the hyperlink addresses, the alternate text (for the images), and the display rates (in percent).
The first line in the text file above specifies what to happen when a visitor clicks on one of the images. The redirection page (banners.asp) will receive a querystring with the URL to redirect to.
Tip: To specify the height, width, and border of the image, you can insert the following lines under REDIRECT:
REDIRECT banners.asp
WIDTH 468
HEIGHT 60
BORDER 0
*
w3s.gif
...

what is ASP TextStream?

The TextStream object is used to access the contents of text files.
The following code creates a text file (c:\test.txt) and then writes some text to the file (the variable f is an instance of the TextStream object):

<%
dim fs,f
set fs=Server.CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")
set f=fs.CreateTextFile("c:\test.txt",true)
f.WriteLine("Hello World!")
f.Close
set f=nothing
set fs=nothing
%>
source w3schools.com

what is ASP FileSystemObject?

The FileSystemObject object is used to access the file system on a server.
This object can manipulate files, folders, and directory paths. It is also possible to retrieve file system information with this object.
The following code creates a text file (c:\test.txt) and then writes some text to the file:

<%
dim fs,fname
set fs=Server.CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")
set fname=fs.CreateTextFile("c:\test.txt",true)
fname.WriteLine("Hello World!")
fname.Close
set fname=nothing
set fs=nothing
%> 

SOURCE W3SCHOOLS.COM

what is ASP ASPError Object?

The ASPError object was implemented in ASP 3.0 and is available in IIS5 and later.
The ASPError object is used to display detailed information of any error that occurs in scripts in an ASP page.
Note: The ASPError object is created when Server.GetLastError is called, so the error information can only be accessed by using the Server.GetLastError method.
The ASPError object's properties are described below (all properties are read-only): source w3schools.com

What do you Need? for php

If your server supports PHP you don't need to do anything.
Just create some .php files in your web directory, and the server will parse them for you. Because it is free, most web hosts offer PHP support.
However, if your server does not support PHP, you must install PHP.
Here is a link to a good tutorial from PHP.net on how to install PHP5: http://www.php.net/manual/en/install.php

Download PHP

Download PHP for free here: http://www.php.net/downloads.php

Download MySQL Database

Download MySQL for free here: http://www.mysql.com/downloads/

Download Apache Server

Download Apache for free here: http://httpd.apache.org/download.cgi

PHP Introduction php tutorials

PHP is a server-side scripting language.

What You Should Already Know

Before you continue you should have a basic understanding of the following:

• HTML/XHTML
• JavaScript

If you want to study these subjects first, find the tutorials on our Home page.

---

What is PHP?

• PHP stands for PHP: Hypertext Preprocessor
• PHP is a server-side scripting language, like ASP
• PHP scripts are executed on the server
• PHP supports many databases (MySQL, Informix, Oracle, Sybase, Solid, PostgreSQL, Generic ODBC, etc.)
• PHP is an open source software
• PHP is free to download and use

What is a PHP File?

• PHP files can contain text, HTML tags and scripts
• PHP files are returned to the browser as plain HTML 
• PHP files have a file extension of ".php", ".php3", or ".phtml"

What is MySQL?

• MySQL is a database server
• MySQL is ideal for both small and large applications
• MySQL supports standard SQL
• MySQL compiles on a number of platforms
• MySQL is free to download and use

PHP + MySQL

• PHP combined with MySQL are cross-platform (you can develop in Windows and serve on a Unix platform)

Why PHP?

• PHP runs on different platforms (Windows, Linux, Unix, etc.)
• PHP is compatible with almost all servers used today (Apache, IIS, etc.)
• PHP is FREE to download from the official PHP resource: www.php.net
• PHP is easy to learn and runs efficiently on the server side

 Source w3schools.com

how to ASP.NET - Data Binding

We may use data binding to fill lists with selectable items from an imported data source, like a database, an XML file, or a script.

Data Binding

The following controls are list controls which support data binding:

• asp:RadioButtonList
• asp:CheckBoxList
• asp:DropDownList
• asp:Listbox

The selectable items in each of the above controls are usually defined by one or more asp:ListItem controls, like this:
<html>
<body>

<form runat="server">
<asp:RadioButtonList id="countrylist" runat="server">
<asp:ListItem value="N" text="Norway" />
<asp:ListItem value="S" text="Sweden" />
<asp:ListItem value="F" text="France" />
<asp:ListItem value="I" text="Italy" />
</asp:RadioButtonList>
</form>
However, with data binding we may use a separate source, like a database, an XML file, or a script to fill the list with selectable items.
By using an imported source, the data is separated from the HTML, and any changes to the items are made in the separate data source.
In the next three chapters, we will describe how to bind data from a scripted data source.

</body>
</html>

However, with data binding we may use a separate source, like a database, an XML file, or a script to fill the list with selectable items.
By using an imported source, the data is separated from the HTML, and any changes to the items are made in the separate data source.
In the next three chapters, we will describe how to bind data from a scripted data source. source w3schools.com

asp.net Maintaining the ViewState

When a form is submitted in classic ASP, all form values are cleared. Suppose you have submitted a form with a lot of information and the server comes back with an error. You will have to go back to the form and correct the information. You click the back button, and what happens.......ALL form values are CLEARED, and you will have to start all over again! The site did not maintain your ViewState.
When a form is submitted in ASP .NET, the form reappears in the browser window together with all form values. How come? This is because ASP .NET maintains your ViewState. The ViewState indicates the status of the page when submitted to the server. The status is defined through a hidden field placed on each page with a <form runat="server"> control. The source could look something like this:
<form name="_ctl0" method="post" action="page.aspx" id="_ctl0">
<input type="hidden" name="__VIEWSTATE"
value="dDwtNTI0ODU5MDE1Ozs+ZBCF2ryjMpeVgUrY2eTj79HNl4Q=" />

.....some code

</form>

Maintaining the ViewState is the default setting for ASP.NET Web Forms. If you want to NOT maintain the ViewState, include the directive <%@ Page EnableViewState="false" %> at the top of an .aspx page or add the attribute EnableViewState="false" to any control.
Look at the following .aspx file. It demonstrates the "old" way to do it. When you click on the submit button, the form value will disappear:      source w3schools.com

how to submit a form in asp.net

A form is most often submitted by clicking on a button. The Button server control in ASP.NET has the following format:
<asp:Button id="id" text="label" OnClick="sub" runat="server" />
The id attribute defines a unique name for the button and the text attribute assigns a label to the button. The onClick event handler specifies a named subroutine to execute.
In the following example we declare a Button control in an .aspx file. A button click runs a subroutine which changes the text on the button:
source w3schools.com

what is ASP.NET Web Forms

All server controls must appear within a <form> tag, and the <form> tag must contain the runat="server" attribute. The runat="server" attribute indicates that the form should be processed on the server. It also indicates that the enclosed controls can be accessed by server scripts:
<form runat="server">
...HTML + server controls
</form>
Note: The form is always submitted to the page itself. If you specify an action attribute, it is ignored. If you omit the method attribute, it will be set to method="post" by default. Also, if you do not specify the name and id attributes, they are automatically assigned by ASP.NET.
Note: An .aspx page can only contain ONE <form runat="server"> control!
If you select view source in an .aspx page containing a form with no name, method, action, or id attribute specified, you will see that ASP.NET has added these attributes to the form. It looks something like this:
<form name="_ctl0" method="post" action="page.aspx" id="_ctl0">
...some code
</form>
source w3schools.com

ASP.NET vs. ASP

ASP.NET has better language support, a large set of new controls, XML-based components, and better user authentication.

ASP.NET provides increased performance by running compiled code.

ASP.NET code is not fully backward compatible with ASP.

How Does ASP.NET Work?

• When a browser requests an HTML file, the server returns the file
• When a browser requests an ASP.NET file, IIS passes the request to the ASP.NET engine on the server
• The ASP.NET engine reads the file, line by line, and executes the scripts in the file
• Finally, the ASP.NET file is returned to the browser as plain HTML

What is an ASP.NET File?

• An ASP.NET file is just the same as an HTML file
• An ASP.NET file can contain HTML, XML, and scripts
• Scripts in an ASP.NET file are executed on the server
• An ASP.NET file has the file extension ".aspx"

ASP.NET is NOT ASP?

ASP.NET is the next generation ASP, but it's not an upgraded version of ASP.
ASP.NET is an entirely new technology for server-side scripting. It was written from the ground up and is not backward compatible with classic ASP.
You can read more about the differences between ASP and ASP.NET in the next chapter of this tutorial.
ASP.NET is the major part of the Microsoft's .NET Framework. w3school.com  get more updated knowledge of zaftech.ca

asp.net intro

ASP.NET is the next generation ASP, but it's not an upgraded version of ASP. ASP.NET is an entirely new technology for server-side scripting.

ASP.NET is a part of the Microsoft .NET framework, and a powerful tool for creating dynamic and interactive web pages.

Who are Script Kiddies

A script kiddies is a term used to describe those who use scripts or programs developed by others to attack computer systems and networks and deface websites. Script kiddies have a large number of effective, easily downloadable malicious programs capable of breaching computers and networks.

  For example, Martin Calce, a high school student from Montreal, Canada, was arrested in 2000 for using downloaded tools to launch a series of highly publicized Denial-of-Service attacks against high-profile Web sites such as Yahoo!, Dell, eBay, and CNN. The financial damages were estimated at roughly $1.2 billion in global economic damages.

New online backup service designed fasthosts

Fasthosts Internet Ltd, a web hosting provider, recently launched a brand new online backup service designed to provide protection for valuable business data. The company explains that priced from only GBP 10/month+VAT, the service can automatically backup up to 1TB of data, transferring it via SSL and storing it encrypted within a secure state-of-the-art UK data center. Backups upload only incremental changes to files meaning that bandwidth usage is kept to a minimum. The service is ideal for small and medium sized businesses that require secure, external protection of valuable data in a highly flexible and cost effective format. 'Cloud-based' services, such as Fasthosts Online Backup, enable businesses to access their data from any internet enabled computer, whilst always ensuring that data is stored and transferred with superior protection against any electronic or physical risks.

It says that its Online Backup service fulfils an important requirement for all businesses in protecting valuable business data and files from loss or corruption. A common deterrent for businesses looking to protect their data can be the required investment in hardware. The company's solution resolves this by using a scalable 'cloud-based' model to deliver fast and highly secure backup on demand, which works alongside their existing on-premise infrastructure. Furthermore, a highly intuitive user interface helps small business users to integrate data protection measures easily into their workflows. source webhosting.infohttp://www.webhosting.info/news/1/fasthosts-launches-online-backup-service_0214114189.htm

Go Daddy Introduces new Premium DNS

Go Daddy, a domain name Registrar and hosting provider, today introduced Premium DNS service. The company mentions that there are more than 200 million registered domain names that comprise the Internet, all of them running through DNS - a critical process which matches meaningful domain names (i.e. 'GoDaddy.com') with the numerical IP identifiers to locate that website on a particular server (i.e. 97.74.104.201). Its Premium DNS service provides users with tools to enhance and protect that process.
It avers that through the company's global Anycast (DNS routing) network, Premium DNS service offers faster, more reliable and more secure DNS resolution. Traffic is balanced across its multiple data centers throughout the United States, Europe and Asia, to eliminate a single point of failure and to route DNS activities for maximized performance. source webhosting.info

How to enable Mail Relay in Mail Enable server

Mail relaying needs to be enabled in order to send mail. Otherwise MailEnable will only be able to receive email. There are four options available to limit who can send mail out through the server. It is possible to select any combination of the four, however, a client only has to match one of the items in order to relay through the mail server.
Allow relay for authenticated senders
Requires that people sending mail through the server enter a username and password (i.e. this option enables SMTP authentication). To set this is different for various mail clients, but in Microsoft Outlook Express and Microsoft Outlook for instance, this is done in account properties via the "My server requires authentication" checkbox under the "Servers" tab. It is advisable to have this option enabled if the server is not using privileged IP ranges. Also, ensure that Secure Password Authentication (SPA) is not enabled.
Authentication method
Select the authentication method for authenticated senders.
MailEnable/integrated authentication: uses the MailEnable username/password
Windows authentication: uses the Windows username/password valid for that machine
Authenticate against the following username/password: specify your own username and password.
Allow relay for privileged IP ranges
Allows people with certain IP addresses to send email through the server. If the IP addresses of persons who are able to send email out through the server is known, use this option. DO NOT select this option if the list of IP addresses is unknown, as this may inadvertently allow everyone access. This option is usually required to allow sending through the server from a web server or web page.
Allow relay for local sender addresses
Allows people to send mail if their ‘From’ address has a domain that is hosted on MailEnable. For instance, if you host example.com, and someone sends a message from your server that has their ‘From’ address as peter@example.com, the email will be sent. Unfortunately, spammers may still abuse this by spoofing ‘from’ addresses, so most servers will not use this option. Using this option may cause some anti-spam blacklists to consider the server as “open relay” and block email from the server.
POP before SMTP authentication
The IP address of users who authenticate via POP is remembered and permitted to relay. The time period to remember the IP address for can be set. Some client applications will try to send email before retrieving (e.g.: Microsoft Outlook), so they will generate an error message on the first send try. Subsequent send attempts will then work if they are before the specified time. This is required due to some ISPs and certain routers not allowing SMTP authentication. This feature will bypass this issue by authenticating a client using POP. If this authenticates then the SMTP service will allow this IP access for a designated period of time. To remember the IP address, a file is written to the Mail Enable\Config\Connections directory. The file name is the IP address and the file extension is .pbs.

what is smtp relay option in Mail Enable

Mail servers accept messages for recipients that have their mailboxes hosted on the mail server itself. Any attempt to send a message to a non-local recipient (i.e. a recipient on a different mail server) is called a ‘relay’. It is critical to regulate who can send messages to others (non-local recipients) or the server will be identified as an Open Relay. This means that people on the Internet can send email out through the server without authenticating. Secure the server by configuring strict rules as to who can relay messages to non-local recipients.
For a server on the Internet, the best relay setting to have is to only have Allow relay for authenticated senders checked, and leave Allow relay for local sender addresses unchecked. This will make everyone who wants to send email out via the server provide a username and password.
To access the SMTP Relay options, open the Administration program, expand the Servers >Localhost >Connectors branch, right click on the SMTP icon, select Properties from the popup menu, and click the Relay tab.
The following provides an explanation of the various relay settings.  Source www.mailenable.com

how to enable and disable IMAP On Mail enable server

In order to enable/disable IMAP service for a particular domain from MailEnable one need to perform below mentioned steps:

1) Login into MailEnable Professional.
2) Click on MailEnable -> MailEnable Management -> Messaging Center -> Post Offices.
3) Right Click on domain name -> Properties for which one need to perform the task.
4) Go to the Tab “Service Selection”.
5) Select the ‘Enable or Disable’ from drop down menu against IMAP Service.
6) Click on apply and Ok.

how to choose a cloud hosting Provider

A good service provider is the key to good service. So, it is imperative to select the right service provider. One must make sure that the provider is reliable, well-reputed for their customer service and should have a proven track record in IT- related ventures. The Cloud Computing Incidents Database (CCID) records and monitors verifiable, noteworthy events that impact cloud computing providers. Visit the following Wikipedia link to obtain the list all such events. http://wiki.cloudcommunity.org/wiki/CCID           source

Cloud Computing Concerns

Security of confidential data (e.g., SSN or Credit Card Numbers) is a very important area of concern as it can make way for very big problems if unauthorized users get access to it. Misuse of data can create big issues; hence, in cloud computing it is very important to be aware of data administrators and their extent of data access rights. Large organizations dealing with sensitive data often have well laid out regulatory compliance policies. However, these polices should be verified prior to engaging them in cloud computing. There is a possibility that in cloud computing network, sometimes the network utilizes resources from another country or they might not be fully protected; hence, the need arises for appropriate regulatory compliance policies.
In cloud computing, it is very common to store data of multiple customers at one common location. Cloud computing should have proper techniques where data is segregated properly for data security and confidentiality. Care must be taken to ensure that one customer’s data does not affect another customer’s data. In addition, Cloud computing providers must be equipped with proper disaster recovery policies to deal with any unfortunate event.

Different forms of Cloud Computing

Google Apps., Salesforce.com, Zoho Office and various other online applications use cloud computing as Software-As-Service (SAAS) model. These applications are delivered through browser, and multiple customers can access it from various locations. This model has become the most common form of cloud computing because it is beneficial and practical for both the customers and the services providers. For customers, there is no upfront investment and they can Pay-As-They-Go and Pay-As-They-Grow. On the other hand, the service providers, can grow easily as their customer base grows.
Aamzon.com, Sun and IBM offer on-demand storage and computing resources. Web service and APIs enable developers to use all the cloud from internet and allow them to create large-scale, full-featured application. Cloud is not simply limited to providing data storage or computing resources, it can also provide managed services or specific application services through web. source

Cloud Computing Architecture

Cloud computing architecture, just like any other system, is categorized into two main sections: Front End and Back End. Front End can be end user or client or any application (i.e. web browser etc.) which is using cloud services. Back End is the network of servers with any computer program and data storage system. It is usually assumed that cloud contains infinite storage capacity for any software available in market. Cloud has different applications that are hosted on their own dedicated server farms.
Cloud has centralized server administration system. Centralized server administers the system, balances client supply, adjusts demands, monitors traffic and avoids congestion. This server follows protocols, commonly known as middleware. Middleware controls the communication of cloud network among them.
Cloud Architecture runs on a very important assumption, which is mostly true. The assumption is that the demand for resources is not always consistent from client to cloud. Because of this reason the servers of cloud are unable to run at their full capacity. To avoid this scenario, server virtualization technique is applied. In sever virtualization, all physical servers are virtualized and they run multiple servers with either same or different application. As one physical server acts as multiple physical servers, it curtails the need for more physical machines.
As a matter of fact, data is the most important part of cloud computing; thus, data security is the top most priority in all the data operations of cloud. Here, all the data are backed up at multiple locations. This astoundingly increases the data storage to multiple times in cloud compared with a regular system. Redundancy of data is crucial, which is a must-have attribute of cloud computing. source

cloud computing Key Characteristics

Cloud computing is cost-effective. Here, cost is greatly reduced as initial expense and recurring expenses are much lower than traditional computing. Maintenance cost is reduced as a third party maintains everything from running the cloud to storing data. Cloud is characterized by features such as platform, location and device independency, which make it easily adoptable for all sizes of businesses, in particular small and mid-sized. However, owing to redundancy of computer system networks and storage system cloud may not be reliable for data, but it scores well as far as security is concerned. In cloud computing, security is tremendously improved because of a superior technology security system, which is now easily available and affordable. Yet another important characteristic of cloud is scalability, which is achieved through server virtualization.
In a nutshell, cloud computing means getting the best performing system with the best value for money.source

cloud computing Introduction

"Cloud Computing," to put it simply, means "Internet Computing." The Internet is commonly visualized as clouds; hence the term “cloud computing” for computation done through the Internet. With Cloud Computing users can access database resources via the Internet from anywhere, for as long as they need, without worrying about any maintenance or management of actual resources. Besides, databases in cloud are very dynamic and scalable.
Cloud computing is unlike grid computing, utility computing, or autonomic computing. In fact, it is a very independent platform in terms of computing. The best example of cloud computing is Google Apps where any application can be accessed using a browser and it can be deployed on thousands of computer through the Internet.   source

how to avoid To Fail In The Cloud hosting

Our 2011 InformationWeek Analytics State of Cloud Computing Survey shows a 67 percent increase in the number of companies using cloud services, up from 18 percent in February 2009 and 30 percent in October 2010. IT now has a choice: Grab ownership of what's poised to be a core part of the enterprise technology toolset, or shortchange key functions and set ourselves up for disaster.

This shouldn't be a hard call, yet over and over we see CIOs underfund or ignore six major areas: integration, security, connectivity, monitoring, continuity planning and long-term staffing. Only 29 percent of companies using or planning to use the cloud have evaluated its impact on their architectures. Just 20 percent implement monitoring of applications and throughput; 40 percent don't have any monitoring in place. Talk about blind trust.

There's a misperception that it's smaller companies driving the cloud usage upswing. But don't write off management shortfalls as an SMB problem; we saw almost the same rates of use and planned use regardless of company size, once we delved into the data. There are now viable cloud options for almost every layer of the technology stack--from raw computing, storage, databases and utilities to e-mail to the spectrum of enterprise applications, all with a "point, click, go" functionality that has maverick business units everywhere rejoicing. Ignore management at your peril. source

Cloud hosting Future Is In China???

Can we expect that cloud hosting will be focused on China within 10 years? The infrastructure, the money, the central planning and their enviable access to resources make this inevitable. And why not? In the great marketing machine that surrounds cloud computing, the claim is that your data can be anywhere and that compute power should not be close to you, nor should you even care. And as China moves from agrarian subsistence to manufacturing and then onto a tertiary economy, it will be positioned to move into a services economy. Indeed, the country is doing so already in a range of areas. It seems clear that with access to capital, town planning and labor it is not so hard to conceive that China will be better positioned to be an early mover in the cloud marketplace.

It's already happening. IBM has announced its China Cloud with data center floor space ranging from 330,000 square meters to 620,000 and employing between 60,000 and 80,000 people.

Every data center has practical and physical requirements to build and operate. Today, the infrastructures that we use are often inadequate, and next generation data centers need strong capital investment, good local planning process for building permissions, redundant power supplies (and even power stations) and access to quality human resources.

Power Buildup
The Chinese government already knows that it has a power shortage today, and it's already taking steps to massively invest in alternative power generation with nuclear energy alone exceeding a planned 70 gigawatts.

China is also building out a new electricity grid that will be more efficient, more reliable and more capable than those of America or Europe. If only because it is using newer technology, China will have a significant edge in power in the next decade while Europe and America will still be debating what power policy to have.    source