Hosting Your Own Web Server Things To Consider

Hosting Your Own Web Server: Things to Consider

by: Ant Onaf

Are you disgusted or disappointed with your current web host? Have

you switched web hosting companies too many times? Have you

thought of hosting your own website(s)? Do you have the ambition to

control and manage your own web server?

If you answered 'yes' to the questions above, then you may be ready to

host your own sites. This article will give you things to consider while

making the switch.

When being your own web host you should be technically inclined and

have basic knowledge of operating systems, understand technical

terms, understand how to setup a server environment (such as: DNS, IIS, Apache, etc.) have basic knowledge of scripting languages and

databases (PHP, Perl, MySQL, etc.), be familiar with current

technologies, and have a basic understanding of hardware and server

components.

You should realize the pros & cons. It is one thing to say, you want to

host your own web server and it is another thing to actually do it.

Pros:

? Own sense of responsibility

? Awareness level raised (you are at the frontline of all server

happenings)

? No monthly hosting fees/accounts

? Incompetence no longer exist

? Non-shared environment (dedicated server)

? Unlimited websites, databases, content, storage, etc.

? More bandwidth

? No more waiting on someone else time

? Complete control

Cons:

? Exhausting at times

? Faced with server/hardware problems

? ISP business account (monthly business/broadband expense)

? If server goes down then the website is offline

? No technical support team

? Software, hardware, and network expenses

There could be many more pros & cons but I've pointed out some of

the major ones. Managing a web server starts as a full time job, you

must constantly monitor its performance and security. This can

sometimes be an exhausting task, especially if you currently have other

responsibilities. Though, the control you will have over your website

and its performance is rewarding enough. You no longer have to wait

for technical support or approval to install a script onto the server.

You can have as many websites and databases you want, as long as

your hardware can handle it. You no longer have to go into the

discussion forums and search for the best web host or rant about how

much you hate your current host. You can even begin hosting family &

friends personal websites.

Ask yourself, how technically advanced are you? Many times you do

not have to be a tech guru or anything of the sort, but you must be very

resourceful. You must know how to find resolutions and answers to

problems, quickly and efficiently. This means you must be internet

savvy. Not just the average surfer, who surfs aimlessly, but you must

be the surfer who can always find what they are looking for. This is

key, because with any server environment you are going to run into

problems and finding the answers are most accomplished online, using

multiple resources, search techniques, and engines. Sure you can hire

someone to fix your problems, but as we should have learned from the

"web hosting", having someone do it for you isn't always the best

option. Here is a test to see if you are ready to find solutions. I need a

solution to a Microsoft Windows 2003 Server Event Error - "Event

ID: 1056" it's a DHCP Server Error. How would you search? Go

ahead find the solution.

Did you first go to Google? If you did, that was a nice effort and

common for most, plus a good place to start, but usually it is best to

start at the developers' website. In this case "microsoft.com" would

have been the first option. Why? Google would more than likely

provide you with the answer from Microsoft and other sources, but you

don't want to get inaccurate information from other sources. It is

common to get information from Microsoft that would not specifically

resolve your problem, but the Developer'should always be your first

place to search for the answers. Now search the error again and go to

the Microsoft site and find the solution.

You should had found this link:

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;282001

(Event ID 1056 is Logged after installing DHCP)

What search phrase did you use? It should have been Event ID: 1056, because the Event ID is the exact error, it pinpoints your exact problem

without broadening your search. Sometimes the error description is

also appropriate to search, just the error description by itself or in

combination with the Event ID. It depends on your error, your search

feedback, your ability, and technique. For this example I did not

include the error description.

Google or Yahoo! should have been your second option (the two

largest search engines). Then search other smaller and niche search

engines. A good search site which makes use of Google's operator tags

is www.soople.com. Next you should search within forums and

discussion groups. If you are pretty internet savvy and have a plentiful

or few forums and discussion groups which you frequent then you

might actually visit those places before visiting Google or Yahoo!.

You can even visit those before visiting the Developer'site since it is a

trusted source, but I wouldn't recommend it, I still would go to the

developers' site first. Okay, so now we have planted our feet and have

familiarized ourselves with being internet (search) savvy. We are

ready to purchase a server!

When making a server purchase you need to consider a few things

before doing so. What to buy? A top of the line, quadruple processor, and super fast turbo server is always ideal, but many times it is not

logical or affordable. Therefore, you need to weigh your options

(sensibly).

What to buy?

? First determine your budget. Be realistic and expect to spend at

least $2,500 for a low-end server. For a low-end, quality

server with other needed equipment and services I spent a little

over $4,500 easily.

? Determine your ISP (broadband) provider. Research and speak

with several different vendors before deciding which

broadband solution best suit your needs. Each provider plan is

different and has different benefits, determine the best one

which fits your needs. Bandwidth should be put into

consideration when choosing your ISP.

? A backup device should be purchased before implementing a

server install. The backup device should be double the server

storage space. This could be a standalone unit like an external

hard drive or network storage device or the backup device

could be multiple devices such as: backup tapes, disc, etc. The

reason the backup device should be larger is because you want

to be able to have months worth of backups and not just weekly

or monthly backups. You should have at least 24 weeks of

backups without the concern of storage space. The backup

device or safe deposits should also be external, removable, and portable. This is so the backups can be stored in a remote

location. Usually for safe-keeping, in event of a theft or

disaster.

? Determine your daily traffic goal (the daily traffic which you

hope to see within 1 year - be realistic), divide that number by

the daily traffic you currently receive, and then multiply that

number by 5. That is the total number of GB space you need.

Example:

Daily Traffic Goal: 10,000 (Divided by) Current Daily Traffic: 500

(Times X) 5 = 100GB

In the example you should purchase a 100GB Hard Drive, it is best to

buy 2 or more drives oppose to 1. In this case, since 50GB drives do

not exist or harder to find, you would buy two 60GB drives giving you

a total of 120GB. 2 or more drives are usually needed in a server to

configure the proper RAID option, in some cases 3 or more are

needed. Your backup storage space should be a minimum capacity of

200GB (or 240GB, optional).

? Determine your memory. If your web server daily traffic goal

is 500,000 then I would recommend at least 2GB worth of

memory. If it is a shared server, meaning it also has other

server services running on the machine, especially a mail

server or database server (which is not recommended) then

your memory should at least be 3GB or more. Otherwise you

can think small and upgrade as needed, a 1GB memory stick

should be fine for starters.

? Determine your network components, which NIC card best

performs under high traffic levels and which router best

performs for your LAN / web server. It is best to get a router

which has a built-in firewall (commonly known as a "hardware

firewall"). Your ISP may provide you with a router or

hardware firewall, this is how they are able to authorize your

traffic on their network. Like a cable box does for cable

television. The router also shares your IP address with other

clients on your network. This enables you to share your internet

connection without having to get a different IP from your ISP.

The hardware firewall is simply a router with a built-in

firewall, which means it shares your IP address as well as

provides added protection to your network. It blocks bad

addresses and ports at the forefront, before it can even make it

to your computer. It is not recommended to rely only on a

hardware firewall for security, this is just the first step. It is

recommended to also include a software firewall (firewall

software which installs on your computer) and it is

recommended to continue timely security practices, such as

updating and patching your system on a scheduled routine.

? Determine your processor speed and power. Regardless of the

amount of traffic you are expecting I would recommend a dual

processor or greater. A dual processor or greater is best

because if your website unexpectedly take off then you will be

well prepared and if you host other server options or websites

on the same server then you will have better performance. At

the time of this writing the 64-bit platform is the processor

direction. 3.8GHz is the most available speed. If your pockets

can afford the latest technologies then that is ideal, but keep in

mind at this particular time a 64-bit compatible processor is

not necessary, without having many applications that require or

deliver on that platform. That is a lot of speed going no where

fast. Also, remember the power of the 64-bit platform and the

greater the processor speed the more heat it produces, therefore

it must be cooled much more rapidly and efficiently. At this

time a dual 32-bit, 2.8GHz - 3.2GHz processor will suffice

(even that is way more than enough). Though, if your pockets

can afford it then the latest and greatest would be fine, you will

be well prepared. Otherwise, do like most people and upgrade

when the time comes.

? Make sure you have a CD/RW drive. A floppy disk drive is not

needed, but I do recommend it for making system restore disk.

The CD/RW drive is needed because you need some type of

removable storage device. You never know when you need to

install a driver from a different location…like a ethernet

driver. An external CD/RW drive is the best option, especially

if you have multiple machines.

? Choose your operating system carefully. Choose the vendor

which you are most comfortable with. Do not choose a MAC if

you never used a MAC before. Just because your friend

suggests it and says it is a piece of cake does not mean it will

be for you. You are trying to get a web server online not re-

learn a whole new system. Stay focused and grounded. If you

are comfortable with Microsoft then go with Microsoft, regardless if the IT person at your job says Microsoft products

are unsecure, Linux or Unix is more secure and much better for

a web server. If you have never used Linux or (especially)

Unix then you will be in for a ride of your life. Your web

server experience will soon become a nightmare and you will

have wasted thousands of dollars on equipment. Go with what

you know, not what you are told. Each platform has its pros and

cons: Microsoft is the user-friendly of them all; Mac is the

web/graphic developer of them all; Linux is the open-

source/developers paradise of them all; Unix is the most secure

of them all. Each of them can be tweaked in ways to provide a

solid, quality platform, it is best to stick with what you already

know.

? You should install on your system all the web services (such

as: Apache, IIS, etc.), applications (such as: backup device

software, RAID (Array) Manager), scripting languages (such

as: PHP, Perl, etc.), CGI, Database (such as: MySQL, Microsoft SQL, etc.), and a web log analyzer (such as: weblog

expert, nihuo, etc.). It is also recommended to perform system

updates, security patches, and firewall installs and

configurations. It is sometimes best to leave the security

installs and configurations for after you have the system

functioning properly to avoid any uncalculated problems. This

way when you install the firewall and something stops working

properly like connecting to your website from outside your

network, you can troubleshoot assuming that it is the firewall, therefore you would begin by opening port 80 on the firewall.

This method can save you a lot of hassle, but can sometimes be

considered the unsecure method, especially if you don't have a

hardware firewall already in place.

Next, there are a few things to consider before installing and

configuring a server. Where to put it? A secluded, cool location is

ideal, but if this cannot be accomplished then adjustments can be made.

Where to put it?

? Locate a location within your home that is static-free, we do

not want to put the server on the carpet, near curtains, or

anything else that can produce a static reaction. The reason for

this is that you do not want the server internal components to

receive a static charge and short circuit.

? The location should be a cool environment, preferably below

room temperature. The reason for a cool area is because

servers (as well as desktop computers) produce large amounts

of heat, the more heat it produces the more it needs to cool off.

If the server is not kept cool, then this can lead to the server

hanging and then eventually crashing. It's the same result of

when a car overheats, it stops running. You can keep a server

internal components cool by keeping the room cool, additionally you can add more fans to the server which cools

the server internal components, you can also position a

standalone fan directly at the server back panel and constantly

have the fan cool the server internal components. Depending on

how cool your room is and how much heat your server

produces, getting more fans for your server may be a must and

not an option.

? It is suggested that the server is at a higher level within your

house (mid-floor), because if it is in the basement and a flood

occurs it could ruin it. If it is in the attic and the sun beams on

the attic for hours the server could overheat. Mid-floor level is

usually the cooler place within the home, but these

recommendations is optional and you should put the server in

the most comfortable and convenient space following the rest

of the guidelines.

? Be sure the area you choose is not damp or wet (no leaks, moisture, near any liquids, or near a window "especially

open"). We all know what can happen when electrical

components get wet.

? The server should sit at least 4" inches from the ground

? Be sure a working electrical outlet is near. It is an important to

have a power supply, a good brand is APC. Having a power

supply can save you from electrical outages, blackouts, and

brownouts. Having a power supply helps the server keep its

power, remain stable, and unaffected when there is an outage, as well it protects your server against electrical shock. If your

outage remains more than 5 minutes it is recommended to begin

backing up anything deemed important and shut the computer

down voluntarily as well as any other electrical attached

devices.

? Have a LAN line near and also a phone jack (if you plan on

using the server for any dial-up services). It is not

recommended to use your web service with a dial-up

connection. A broadband connection or greater is recommend

for optimal performance. The LAN line should never come

from your wall and plug directly into your server, it should

plug into a hardware firewall (usually a router with a built-in

firewall).

? Depending on the size of the server and the internal components

the server may be extremely noisy and loud, especially with the

fans going. It is suggested to have the server in a secluded

location which is not near any peaceful area of the house, such

as: bedroom.

Those are all some basic things to consider before hosting your own

server. Hosting your own server is not an easy task, but once you have

had some time and experience with it, it becomes a breeze. You will

have a better web hosting experience, you will be more in tune and

reliant to your customers, and you will gain greater technical aptitude.

Hosting your own web server is rewarding, useful, and gives you the

opportunity to host unlimited websites, databases, services, etc.

If your web traffic becomes too great for your server then it is

recommended to choose an offsite web host. It is recommend to

purchase a dedicated server with a quality web host. If you choose a

server with the above recommendations then your server traffic should

be fine for at least up to 25,000,000 page views per month. It could be

greater or less depending on your operating system, your server

configuration, performance, applications, and services. The point is

you should be well in a position to purchase dedicated server space by

the time your traffic gets too high, because if you are getting anything

close to 1,000,000 page views a month you should have some

competitive advertising or ecommerce income. And plus, with the

knowledge you will gain from the experience you will be able to

support your own server at a dedicated server (remote) location, thus

cutting more overhead.

The biggest disadvantage of hosting your own web server is the uptime

reliability. If your web server powers down for any reason then your

website is offline. Usually web hosting companies have methods and

networks to prevent this failure from affecting your website. Usually if

the system goes down they have a mirror location where your site is

rejuvenated and doesn't experience much downtime. Some web hosts

do not practice this method or any other fault tolerance. Imagine if a

blackout or power outage occurs, then your web server could be down

for hours or even days, this can affect your business greatly. There are

some hosting companies who provide mirror web hosting for a small

fee, I haven't found one that is reliable yet. Or you could cross your

fingers and hope for the best, until you are able to host your server

outside your home on a larger network.

Hosting your own server usually is not a money-saving experience. It

sometimes cost more to host your own server, when you total the up

keep and maintenance. The benefit of hosting your own server is

usually a better platform for your customers, because it is no longer a

shared server and it gives you the ability to make global changes

almost instantaneously. When your customers request more

performance or specific applications, then you will be able to

implement this immediately. Customers like to know that you are in

control. If you tell your customers that the server will be down for

maintenance from 6 a.m. - 7 a.m. then it would be best if that is when

your server is down, not from 5 a.m. - 10 a.m. You know how your

web host will tell you one thing and then you have to try explaining it

to your customer. In the end it will benefit you to host your own web

server as a web business, this helps you and your customers.

About The Author

Ant Onaf is an online internet marketer, web advertiser, and IT

consultant. Having several years of experience within the IT field

Ant Onaf has managed to successfully advertise and market several

prominent clients. His ingenuity, dedication, and passion for

technology have made him a monumental icon in the World Wide

Web. His public blog can be visited at JournalHome.com:

http://www.journalhome.com/?u=anthonyon