WEB HOSTING GLOSSARY
ActiveX
ActiveX is a brand name referring to a set of Microsoft's technologies
and services based on COM (Component Object Model) widely released
in 1997. On the Internet, ActiveX can be used with IE versions 3
and above and with Netscape Navigator though plug-ins. ActiveX control
is a COM object, written as a DLL in a programming language like
Visual Basic, that follows ActiveX standards. Once downloaded, ActiveX
controls have a large degree of freedom, presenting a security risk.
ActiveX controls have to be digitally signed by their creator. Major
competitor to ActiveX controls are JavaBeans.
Apache
Apache is an open-source (source code is freely available and can
be shared) HTTP Web server software. According to Netcraft survey,
it is currently the most popular web server on the Net.
Applet
Most often refers to a small Java program designed to run in a Web
browser. Java applets run in a sandbox, so they can't perform unauthorized
functions like file reading or opening Net connections to other
computer from your computer.
ASP
Active Server Pages. ASP is Microsoft's server-side scripting technology.
An Active Server Page has an .asp extension and it mixes HTML and
scripting code that can be written in VBScript or JScript. ASP is
distributed with Microsoft's IIS web server, so most host using
IIS will also offer ASP for dynamic web programming. ASP.NET is
the next version of ASP. Other popular server-side scripting languages
are Perl, PHP, ColdFusion, TCL, Python, and JSP.
Backbone
Main high-speed network connection composing the Internet. Backbones
are operated by major telecommunications companies like Sprint,
MCI, or AT&T. Internet backbone maps are here.
Bandwidth
Bandwidth is the amount of data that can be transferred over the
network in a fixed amount of time. On the Net, it is usually expressed
in bits per second (bps) or in higher units like Mbps (millions
of bits per second). 28.8 modem can deliver 28,800 bps, a T1 line
is about 1.5 Mbps.
Certificate
Digital ID used for SSL transactions. It includes owner's public
key, the name of the owner, the issuer, hostname, and the expiration
date.
Certificate Authority
A company trusted by a browser maker that issues digital certificates
that are supposed to guarantee that the company is what it claims
to be for use in encrypted digital transactions though SSL. Verisign
is the biggest certificate authority.
C/C++
Popular programming languages (C++ includes objects) that can be
used to create server programs that run after compilation. C and
C++ were not designed specifically for web programming, but they
can still be useful, especially because mature compilers producing
very fast code and large code libraries already exist.
CGI
Common Gateway Interface. A standard for interfacing web servers
with an executable application. A CGI program can be written in
any language like Perl or C/C++ and it is often stored in a special
directory like /cgi-bin. CGI is often used to process data from
HTML forms.
Control Panel
Control panel included in web hosting packages is an online
web-based application that allows you to easily manage different
aspects of your account. Most control panels will let you upload
files, add email accounts, change contact information, set up shopping
carts or databases, view usage statistics, etc. See a demo of Kaboom's
here.
Data transfer
In Web hosting, the total size of files transferred by
an account in a month. Sites with a lots of graphics, downloads,
or streaming audio or video and a lot of visitors will require plans
with more available transfer.
Database
Data in a structured format stored on a web server. Most popular
type is a relational database. The most common query (information
retrieval) language for relational databases is SQL. Kaboom uses
MySQL database .
Dedicated Server
Servers that are leased or rented from a Web host, like Kaboom Hosting.
Getting a dedicated server is necessary for sites that outgrow shared
servers because they use a lot of bandwidth and resources or they
require total control over software environment.
DNS
Domain Name System. Internet service that maps Internet domains
into corresponding IP addresses. DNS database is distributed and
replicated among many DNS servers, so when you change your domain's
IP address, the changes take a while to propagate.
Domain name
Domain name is an easy-to-remember address that can be translated
by DNS into server's IP address. Domain names are hierarchical.
Domain's suffix indicates which TLD (top level domain) it belongs
to, for example .com, .gov, .org, .net, or .jp. Recently ICANN (Internet
Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers) added several new TLDs,
like .biz, .pro., and .museum.
Firewall
Firewall refers to either software-only or separate software and
hardware combination that serves to protect an internal network
or a computer from attacks and unauthorized access by sitting between
the Internet and the internal network.
FrontPage Extensions
Microsoft's server-side applications that lets users of FrontPage
Web site creation tool to incorporate "web-bots" that
perform pre-packaged function like full-text Web site searching
or adding a hit counter. FrontPage extensions are also available
for Unix-based operating systems but some hosts refuse to use them
because of potential security holes.
FTP
File Transfer Protocol. The Internet protocol defining how to download
and upload files between a client and an FTP server. Popular client
FTP programs are CuteFTP and WS_FTP. Major browser also have FTP
capability.
HTTP
Hyper Text Transfer Protocol. The main protocol used to transfer
and receive data over the World Wide Web. The latest version of
HTTP is 1.1. Basic HTTP transaction involves a WWW browser connecting
to a server, browser sending a request to the server specifying
its capabilities and which document is requested, server responding
with the required data, and closing of the connection.
IMAP
Internet Message Access Protocol. A method allowing a client email
program to access remote messages stored on a mail server. The protocol
includes operations for creating, deleting, and renaming mailboxes,
checking for new messages, message parsing, searching, and setting
and clearing flags.
IP Address
A Internet Protocol Address. A unique number identifying all devices
connected to the Internet. This number is usually shown in groups
of numbers from 0 to 255, separated by periods, for example 207.46.230.218.
IRC
Internet Relay Chat. Multi-user chat service. IRC users can go into
public or private channels to discuss a topic or transfer files.
IRC servers are connected into networks. The most popular IRC client
program is mIRC. Kaboom Hosting does not allow
individual users to install IRC programs without prior approval.
IRC applications allow for several security vulnerabilities.
ISP
Internet Service Provider. A company that provides its subscribers
with Internet access. Customers have a username and a password and
can dial-up or use a cable or DSL line to connect to ISP's network
which is connected to the Internet. The biggest ISP is AOL, we are
sad to say.
Java
Sun's popular programming language. Java is a platform-independent
(at least in theory), crash-protected, object-oriented language
that can be used to write applets that run in a browser, servlets
that run server-side, or independent programs. Java's syntax is
similar to that of C++.
Java Servlet
Servlets are programs written in Java that run on a Web server and
can produce dynamic pages. Also see JSP.
JavaScript
Simple, client-side programming language created by Sun and Netscape.
JavaScript can be embedded in HTML pages to create interactive effects
and do tasks like validate form data. JavaScript is a separate language
from Java. All popular modern browsers support JavaScript. A few
hosts support server-side JavaScript.
JScript
Microsoft's implementation of ECMAScript standard based on JavaScript.
Limited, object-based, interpreted scripting language. Here is the
official JScript site. JScript is comparable to VBScript.
JSP
Java Server Pages. Extension of Java Servlet technology for combining
Java server-side programs and HTML. JSP pages have an extension
.jsp.
Mailing List
A way of having a group discussion with list subscribers by email.
Emails are sent to all list subscribers. Allows for automated subscription
and un-subscription from a mailing list.
See more information on our web
hosting beginners page.
Microsoft Access
Microsoft's low-end relational database included with the MS Office
suite.
Miva Merchant
Browser-based storefront development and management system
for merchants. Kaboom can install this for you upon request. Pricing
will apply.
MySQL
Most popular open-source relational database and available
on advanced Kaboom hosting packages.
OC-1, OC-3, OC-12, OC-24, OC-48
Optical Carrier transmission speeds, used in fiber optic
networks conforming to SONET standard. OC-1 is 51.85 Mbps. Higher
levels are multiples of that speed.
Perl
Open source CGI scripting programming language. Written in 1987.
Still one of the most popular web programming languages mostly due
to its powerful text-manipulation facilities. A huge number of Perl
scripts are available for download.
PHP
PHP is an free, open-source server-side scripting language. PHP
code can be embedded in HTML. PHP files usually have extensions
like .php or .php3. PHP language style is similar to C and Java.
PHP is installed on the Kaboom servers.
POP
Post Office Protocol. Popular but inflexible email retrieval standard.
All messages are downloaded at the name time and can only be manipulated
on a client machine. Current version is POP3.
Server
A networked computer that handles client requests for Web pages.
Shopping Cart
Software that allows users to select products from a Web catalog,
modify their choices, calculate prices, review their choices, and
order them. The Kaboom development team can help you install a shopping
cart, or can even custom write one
for your unique website.
SSI
Server-Side Includes. Instructs the server to include some dynamic
information in a Web page before it is sent to a client. This dynamic
information could be current date, an opinion poll, etc.
SMTP
Simple Mail Transfer Protocol. Very popular protocol used to transfer
email messages across the Internet mail servers.
SQL
Structured Query Language. Limited programming language used for
updating and performing queries on relational databases. All databases
share a common subset of SQL.
SSH
Secure Shell. Developed by SSH Communications Security, it is a
standard for encrypted terminal Internet connections. SSH programs
provide strong authentication and encrypted communications, replacing
less secure access methods like telnet.
SSL
Secure Sockets Layer. Protocol developed by Netscape to provide
encryption for commercial transactions data that should be protected
while traveling over the Internet, like credit card numbers. SSL
uses https protocol. Before using SSL in commerce, you'll also need
to get is a certificate from a Certificate Authority.
Static (or dedicated) IP
A site that has been assigned a unique and unchanging IP address.
Streaming
Playing multimedia files (audio and video) without requiring a full
download. Audio and video are compressed but they still may require
a lot of bandwidth.
Subdomain
Subdomain is a way to divide your site into sections with short
and easy to remember names. For example, the secure portion of this
site is secure.kaboomhosting.com.
T1
Dedicated telecommunications line providing 1.5 Mbps of bandwidth.
Consists of 24 individual channels 64 Kbps each, that can be configured
for voice or data transmission. T1 lines can be leased by businesses
that required a dedicated Net connection of with higher reliability
than a DSL and faster than an ISDN line but are still quite expensive.
T3
Dedicated telecommunications line providing 44 Mbps of bandwidth.
T3 lines are often used by ISPs to connect to the Internet backbone.
TLD
Top Level Domain. The domain name elements at the right,
such as .com, .org or .gov. Recently, new TLDs like .pro or .museum
were added to supplement older TLDs. ccTLDs (country code TLDs),
like .uk or .fr are used per-country.
Telnet
Character-based protocol for connecting with remote systems. Still
popular among hosts, but it is being replaced by much more secure
SSH access.
Unix
A family of multi-user operating systems, first developed by AT&T
Bell Laboratories in the 1970s and then licensed to many universities.
A basis for Linux, the operating system used by Kaboom..
UPS
Uninterruptible Power Supply. UPS keeps the server running on a
battery for several minutes after a power outage, allowing for a
clean shutdown without loss of data. UPS can also shield the server
from line voltage spikes and drops.
VBScript
Microsoft Visual Basic Scripting Edition. Interpreted scripting
language (subset of MS Visual Basic language) for creating scripts
that can be embedded in HTML pages or for creating ActiveX Controls.
Meant as an alternative to JavaScript. Here is the official VBScript
site. VBScript is comparable to JScript.
XML
Extensible Markup Language. A meta-language, abbreviated version
of SGML, used to specify other document types used on the Web. Accepted
as a format in 1998 to replace dependence on HTML extensions. MSIE
5.5 and above, and Netscape 6 and above, all support XML.
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