A VPS Hosting Glossary
There are many terms relating to VPS hosting that could be confusing for a newcomer. So, we’ve put together this handy glossary of terms you’re likely to hear used in connection with VPS Hosting.
Common VPS Hosting Terms
Apache – The world’s most popular web server software.
CentOS – A Linux distribution aimed at providing an enterprise-class operating system based on Red Hat Enterprise Linux.
Cloud VPS – A VPS on a redundant cloud infrastructure, designed to reduce the impact of hardware failures.
Debian – One of the oldest and most popular Linux distributions.
DNS – Domain Name System: a bit like a phone directory, this system links domain names to IP addresses.
DNS Server – a server that handles requests for domain name information.
Email Server – Server software that is designed to manage and serve email to clients.
FTP Server – File Transfer Protocol server, a server commonly used for transferring files to a remote server, such as for setting up web sites.
HTML – HyperText Markup Language, the language used to create web pages.
HTTP – HyperText Transfer Protocol, the method used to transfer web pages from a server to a browser.
HTTPS – HyperText Transfer Protocol Secure, as with HTTP but with security added through the use of encryption and SSL certificates.
IP Address – Internet Protocol Address, the address used to identify and communicate with a computer on a network.
Joomla! – One of the big content management system applications, designed to make creating websites much easier. Probably one of the biggest competitors to WordPress.
Linux – The base Kernel, or original system, of the most used computer operating systems for hosting.
Linux Distribution – An operating system built from the combination of Linux with a collection of other software packages.
Magento – One of the big online store software systems, makes setting up your own shop quite simple.
Nginx – A relatively young web server software, designed to perform better than Apache in a number of scenarios. The clear number 2 web server software behind Apache.
Perl – As with Python, many components of a Linux distribution are written in Perl. In the 1990s, many websites used Perl as their back-end language, before PHP rose to dominance.
PHP – PHP: Hypertext Preprocessor, the programming language used to power the software behind many of the websites in the world. It’s used by software such as WordPress and Joomla, as well as by websites like Facebook and Tumblr.
Python – A popular programming language based on the idea of producing clean and readable code. These days many pieces of software in a Linux distribution are written in Python. It’s also used for websites and services with Reddit, Youtube and Dropbox using it.
Redundancy – A term used in reference to redundant hardware, which doesn’t need to be there for systems to run, but is available in case there is a problem with the main system. For example, redundancy in the cloud refers to multiple hardware servers sitting idle, just in case a hardware server fails and they need to take up its load.
SSD VPS – A VPS running on hardware with fast Solid State Drives, brilliant for when storage loading speeds are important.
SSL Certificate – Secure Sockets Layer Certificate, certificates which are issued from a trusted issuer to websites that a browser can use to verify the authenticity of that website.
Ubuntu – A relatively recent Linux distribution, based on the Debian distribution, that has proven popular.
VPS – Virtual Private Server, a virtual server that shares the resources of a powerful hardware server while being isolated from the other VPSs it runs alongside.
Web Server – Software used to serve web pages requested by clients such as web browsers.
WordPress – The most popular website software on the internet. Designed for blogging, but has been extended through numerous plugins to be used as product websites for companies through to online stores.