Web Hosting – Linux or Windows? PHP or ASP?

One of the first decisions to make while choosing web hosting is – what platform to opt for? Windows or Linux? PHP or ASP?

First of all, note that sites with static pages such as blogs can run on either Windows or Linux hosting platforms. These only use HTML and CSS, which are supported equally well by both operating systems.

When you require dynamic content on your website, such as eCommerce facilities, forums or other forms of scripting, then you need to pay attention to your hosting platform.

Traditionally, Linux servers are used for scripts based on PHP or Perl. These scripts include WordPress, Drupal, Joomla and many other blogging or content management systems. Windows servers, on the contrary, are used with scripts written in ASP, ASP(dot)Net or Access. MySQL works equally well with both Windows and Linux. Today, cross-platform scripting – that is, scripting with PHP/Perl on Windows or with ASP/ASP(dot)NET/Access on Linux – is permitted by some ISPs.

However, cross-platform scripting will never give the smooth performance that a program does when run on its native platform – it is a bit like using emulators to run programs that are not native to the OS. There is one exception here, though – PHP runs equally well on Windows and Linux, so Linux-based hosting is no longer essential to run PHP-based scripts and applications.

Most computer geeks will advise you to go for Linux hosting, as Unix – on which Linux is based – is a far more secure and stable platform than Windows’ alternative. While this is demonstrably true – think of the millions of viruses for Windows systems, and the rare bug that crops up in Linux – it is also true that efficient server administration can render a Windows system as secure as a Linux one.

Speedwise, there is no clear winner between Windows and Linux. Some things work faster on Windows, while others work faster on Linux. So to choose between operating systems, cost and security would have to be the deciding factors. Linux here is substantially cheaper, as it is an open-source system, and most of its applications are also under GNU public licenses – in other words, free. Windows hosting comes with the added cost of the OS, and certain applications that the hosting company has to continually pay for.

As for the ASP-PHP comparison, ASP is almost universally the winner where speed is concerned. However, the learning curve in ASP or ASP(dot)NET is much steeper than in PHP – something that can backfire for advanced users looking for greater control and freedom. PHP, however, is still one of the most popular scripts around thanks to its versatility and the solid, useful applications being written using it.

In the end, choosing between Windows ASP and Linux PHP as hosting platforms becomes a matter of individual preference and contingent need. Depending on your budget, security concerns and familiarity with the computer language, you can pick either of them and successfully run a dynamic website for a long time to come.

Workgroups vs. Domains – Defined. Finally.

Sharing information has become a simple process with the advent of e-mail, just attach a file and the recipient get the document you sent. However, in a small business, there is often a need to share more than one file; you may want to share programs or program data, printers, a scanner, or simply just your Word docs.

A Workgroup, also known as a peer to peer network, allows you to share files, printers, scanners and other resources. Typically, with a Workgroup, you make every workstation a member of the same workgroup, and set up shared folders on one or more workstations. You can also set up your printer to be shared. If you have an extra computer, you can designate it as a dedicated sharing computer. This computer then becomes a pseudo-server. It’s not a “real” file server, but operates as one, with limited functionality.

A Domain provides this functionality and much more, by having one or more File Servers, and workstations attaching to the Domain to access the Server(s) which manage security as well as access rights. Think of a Domain as a city, within which exist businesses (File Servers), and residences (WorkStations).

So…which is right for you? If you have a small business with very few employees, and are not too concerned with security of your data, or access rights to folders, a Workgroup will do just fine.

Some things to consider with a Workgroup:

1. It’s best to have one computer act as a Server, and have the other computers share files from that “Server”. This cuts down on traffic. If you have several computers sharing their drives, and users are going back and forth from one machine to another to access data, there will be more traffic on your LAN, causing collisions and bogging things down.

2. It’s also a good idea if possible to have one computer be a dedicated Server. This minimizes the possibility of having a user “hang up” the computer he/she is working on, thus locking the other users out of the system while it is being re-booted. Additionally, if no one is using that computer while is is working as a Server, chances are it will be less exposed to potential virus or malware attacks.

3. Any machine that works as a server should be protected by a good UPS; that is, a battery backup unit.

4. The machine that acts as a server should have its Power Options disabled, Hibernation disabled, and its NIC (Network Interface Card) set to not shut down to save energy. Any of these features enabled could make the Server inaccessible to the workstations.

5. The Server must have a backup device with backup software programmed to perform unattended backups. Ideally, as part of a good disaster recovery plan, your network should also have a remote or on-line backup in place. (what good is your backup if you can’t get to your data?).

A Domain give you many more features than a Workgroup. This is an overview of things to consider and benefits of setting up a Domain:

1. First, your workstations MUST run Windows XP Professional, or Vista or Windows 7 Business Edition. These versions of Windows are designed to work with Domains.

2. Your Domain will include at minimum 1 File Server. This File Server will be a Domain Controller. As a Domain Controller, the File Server (if running any server version of Windows) will host Active Directory. Active Directory is a database that will store each user’s name, with their assigned access rights based on the groups they belong to. For instance, a user can be a member of Group Domain Users and have access to files and folders, or he/she could be a member of Group Domain Admins, giving him/her rights to anything on the network. Active Directory also keeps track of computers, so it knows not only which user is authorized to logon to the Domain, but also which Computers can attach.

3. Domain Controllers use Policies. These policies can simplify management of the users and computers on the network, by implementing rights and managing access when a user logs on to the Domain.

4. Security and permissions are very granular in a Domain. That is, you can be as general or as specific as you need with regards to giving users access to folders and files. A good up-front, well thought out design of your Network will help you simplify data organization and management as your network grows.

5. Getting back to the Server; a server should have redundancy for its disk drives. For small networks, a mirrored drive system will do. For larger networks, a RAID 5 system might work best. In a mirrored drive system, your File Server will house 2 identical disk drives. Both drives will appear to you as only one. On the server, you will see one C: drive. When you write or save a file, it is saved on both drives simultaneously. The benefit of course, is that if one drive crashes, you can continue to operate off the other drive. Many servers offer “Hot Swap” drives. This allows you to remove the defective drive and replace it with a new one, without shutting down the server. The server will detect the new drive and you can rebuild the data to the new mirror.

6. Another big benefit to having a Domain is central management. For instance, you can install an Anti-Virus program on the Server which will update its virus definition files regularly. The sofware on the server can be deployed to the workstations, and that software can be programmed so all the workstations have the same features enabled or disabled. Additionally, the server can “push” the virus definitions to the workstations, thus ensuring all workstations are on the same version. This can be done with other programs as well, it is not strictly for Anti-Virus protection.

This is a birdseye view of Domains and Workgroups. There is of course, much more to them. Many books have been written on the subject. The hope is that this concise information will help you reach an educated decision on your selection of Workgroup or Domain for your small business.

CRM Solutions – For Small Business??

Most small businesses have this belief that most CRM solutions are meant for the large scale corporations. They think that CRM solutions for small business do not exist. However, the real fact is that there are many best customizable CRM for small business companies.

Same Challenges

Though small businesses have a smaller turnover, they have similar business processes disconnected systems back office as well as similar complexities as present in larger organizations. Hence, the challenges faced by small businesses are primarily same as that of larger organizations – to get a unified view of customers through the company. Their aim is to provide a consistent customer relationship management service, which also yields profits for the organization. As the business continues to grow, the organization realizes that informal customer communication cannot be sustained any longer.

Proper Understanding

A thorough understanding of typical customer behavior enables the smaller businesses to customize CRM solutions to be better than newer competitor offerings and responding to customer requirements. Hence, in such cases, CRM systems can prove to be valuable tools to retain customers as well as attract new customers especially as the business continues to expand.

Customization And Complexity

Most CRM solutions for small business often do not fulfill the expectations the firm has of the software. If the CRM system cannot closely integrate with the other existing systems or does not store information within the customer database in a centralized manner, it can deprive the small business of leveraging the complete potential of the CRM solution. Another aspect is that if the CRM database cannot be customized or configured as per the organization’s requirements, it can result in the CRM system being completely inflexible.

Strategy As Opposed To Technology

In the case of small businesses, they should consider only those CRM systems, which can be incorporated easily into the existing IT infrastructure. Ideally, CRM solutions should be considered as a strategy as opposed to just technology. These need to be implemented directly to curtail costs as well as errors pertaining to sales, thereby raising revenues. Since most customer information is already available within current systems in the organization, creating a new application, which contains entirely new information, is a redundant process and in the case of small businesses with limited resources, this can be a painstaking process.

Cost Traps

Before any purchase of CRM solutions are made, the small business should ask if the software will truly communicate with customers and be easy to use by the employees. You also need to know the overall costs for integration of the CRM system.

Implementation Partner

Since most small businesses have limited resources, they cannot spare their employees on a full-time basis to carry out CRM solution implementation. Hence, ideally such companies should work with partners who will bring in necessary expertise and resources for implementation. Most small businesses have concentrated on license costs and do not consider effort, time or expertise required to ensure success of customer relationship management system implementation.