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CHAPTER 2• CONFIGURING YOUR ENVIRONMENTwww.it-ebooks.info• Shared server hosting: If your web site will require modest server resources, or ifyou don’t want to be bothered with managing the server, shared server hosting islikely the ideal solution. Shared hosting providers capitalize on these factors byhosting numerous web sites on a single server and using highly automatedprocesses to manage system and network resources, data backups, and usersupport. The result is that they’re able to offer appealing pricing arrangements(many respected shared hosting providers offer no-contract monthly rates for aslow as $8 a month) while simultaneously maintaining high customer satisfaction.• Virtual private server hosting: A virtual private server blurs the line between adedicated and shared server, providing each user with a dedicated operatingsystem and the ability to install applications and fully manage the server by way ofvirtualization. Virtualization lets you run multiple distinct operating systems onthe same server. The result is complete control for the user while simultaneouslyallowing the hosting provider to keep costs low and pass those savings along to theuser.Keep in mind this isn’t necessarily a high-priority task; there’s no need to purchase web hostingservices until you’re ready to deploy your web site. Therefore, even in spite of the trivial hosting rates,consider saving some time, money, and distraction by waiting to evaluate these services until absolutelynecessary.Seven Questions for Any Prospective Hosting ProviderOn the surface, most web hosting providers offer a seemingly identical array of offerings, boastingabsurd amounts of disk space, endless bandwidth, and impressive guaranteed server uptimes. Frankly,chances are that any respected hosting provider is going to meet and even surpass your expectations,not only in terms of its ability to meet the resource requirements of your web site, but also in terms of itstechnical support services. However, as a PHP developer, there are several questions you should askbefore settling upon a provider:1. Is PHP supported, and if so, what versions are available? Many hostingproviders have been aggravatingly slow to upgrade to the latest PHP version;therefore, if you’re planning on taking advantage of version-specific features,be sure the candidate provider supports the appropriate version. Further, itwould be particularly ideal if the provider simultaneously supported multiplePHP versions, allowing you to take advantage of various PHP applications thathave yet to support the latest PHP version.2. Is MySQL/Oracle/PostgreSQL supported, and if so, what versions areavailable? Like PHP, hosting providers have historically been slow to upgradeto the latest database version. Therefore, if you require features available onlyas of a certain version, be sure to confirm that the provider supports thatversion.3. What PHP file extensions are supported? Inexplicably, some hosting providerscontinue to demand users use deprecated file extensions such as .phtml forPHP-enabled scripts. This is an indicator of the provider’s lack ofunderstanding regarding the PHP language and community and therefore youshould avoid such a provider. Only providers allowing the standard .phpextension should be considered.38