Web Hosting Basics
It all starts with a simple statement “You need to have a website”. But underneath it, there are several technologies are used. Lets start with what happens when you type a address in your web browser, and go through each step.
“What is involved when your web address is typed into your browser.”
When you do this, you are acting as a client. A client is a computer or software that can access many servers, computer on the network/ internet. When you type the address (http://my-domain-name.com) in your browser, your browser acts as client, and fetch the website (information) from the web server. (I will bold every new term that comes in, and that I am going to explain next)
What is a Web Server
A remote computer that a client/web browser will connect to fetch information/ website. A good server is one that returns the requested information to client in the format he can understand. A web server will return the information for the request URL (web address).
What is a URL?
URL stands for Uniform Resource Locator. It is nothing more than a web address along with a protocol and occasionally some extra information. Here we explain the parts of URL.
http://www.my-domain-name.com/
The first part in blue is the protocol, that tells web server the format he should return the information.
The 2nd part in red is the domain name. A unique name that identities a website to open.
Domain Names
Domain names are the address that your website visitors will type-in to open up your site. And that you will use to upload your website to web server. It is a name you will create your emails on. Domain names are registered through domain registrars.
Domain Registrars
These are companies you will buy your domain name from, they are responsible for checking the availability of your domain name, and the registering it on your behalf.
Domain registrar registers the name only, and make sure it stays unique. The do not host your domain. The domain is hosted by the web hosts.
Web Host
Web hosts are organizations that run the web-server, where your website pages are located. The question arises domains are registered by domain registrars but hosting is done by webhosting. How do they link? A domain name is linked to webhost using DNS.
What is DNS
DNS; domain name system or service is the technology that links a domain name to webhost. Every webhost have a DNS server. That you mention with your domain registrar.
Combining the all, what will happen when you open a website in your browser.
1. You enter a web address in your browser.
2. The browser strips the domain name part out, and sends it to the root server.
3. The root server sends browser to your domain registrars.
4. Your domain registrar will return the DNS servers for your domain.
5. The browser then inquires the DNS server for your domain name.
6. DNS server will return the web server address to browser.
7. Your browser now knows where your website is located, it will send the complete URL to web server.
8. Web server return the information that your browser displays.
And yes, all this happens in a fraction of second.
Let us know what you think of this guide, and if there is more we can add to it please write to webmaster@creativeon.com