Knowledgebase

When learning about hosting you might notice that we use a lot of industry specific terminology. We know that this can be overwhelming and confusing, so we've created a mini glossary of the most common hosting and related computer terms you might stumble across. We tried to avoid adding extra technical words when explaining terms, while still providing you with full explanations of how things work in the big wide world of hosting.

Understanding these terms is key to making a better decision on your next web hosting move.

• If you see a term in italics that you don't recognise, it has its own entry in this glossary.

AutoSSL record

AutoSSL makes securing your website simpler. It’s a cPanel feature that automatically installs and renews SSL certificates on your hosting accounts, saving you the time from manually setting SSL up.

Backup

A backup is a copy of your website stored on a different server than the main server hosting your website. If an incident or accident occurs, restoring a site through a backup can be a lifesaver. At MyHost we automatically create daily backups of your websites.

Bandwidth

Bandwidth refers to the amount of data that can be transferred to and from your computer per second. Think of bandwidth as a pipe and data as water. The wider the pipe, the more water that can flow through it. So like a pipe, the bigger the bandwidth, the more data you can receive every second. This is unlike speed, which is the measure of how fast an information gets to you.

Caching

Caching improves page load times by temporarily storing copies of web content in a more accessible location called a cache.There are two types of website caching: server caching and browser caching. Server caching works by creating a file on your site’s server, which is sent to browsers without needing to be fully compiled (improving loading times for all visitors). On the other hand, browser caching works for users who repeatedly visit your website by storing data in their browsers, so that the next time they visit the browser it doesn't need to pull data from the server.

Cloud computing

Cloud computing is a type of storage that allows your website to be hosted on multiple synced servers that are provided and maintained by a specialist supplier. By creating a system where you can tap into the resources of a large number of machines, the cloud provides higher performance and scalability. This usually makes it a preferred hosting option for many medium to large companies.

CMS

A CMS, or content management system, is a web development tool that allows users to create, publish and edit content in an easy-to-manage way. The most widely used today is WordPress.

Control panel

In web hosting, a control panel is an interface that helps you monitor and manage your web hosting environment, server databases, DNS and more. This allows a user-friendly experience for those who want to take control of their websites even with less technical knowledge. The most common control panels you will encounter are cPanel— which MyHost uses—and Plesk.

cPanel

cPanel is the most popular control panel used by web developers.

Dedicated hosting

You have an entire physical server dedicated for you alone, allowing you to optimise all the resources that come with the server for your own consumption. This is unlike shared hosting, where multiple websites share resources, which can result in security risks and low performance if server load is managed poorly.

Domain name

A domain name is an easy-to-remember text and a unique identifier that helps one go to a website (e.g example.com).

DNS records

The domain name system translates between domain names that humans understand, like myhost.nz, and IP addresses that machines understand.

Email hosting

Email hosting uses servers to store and manage your email messages. It allows you to set up professional email addresses using your domain name. An example of a hosted email address would be john@example.com, where John would be the name of the person with the email account, and Example would be the company’s name. Benefits of email hosting include increased security and storage, no advertising in the email client, and a more professional appearance.

FTP

FTP or file transfer protocol is a group of rules that allow files to be downloaded, uploaded and transmitted from a server to a client on a computer network. When you purchase hosting you will be able to access an FTP account so you can upload, transfer and manage files from your computer to the server your website is hosted on.

FTP account

An FTP account is an account used to provide FTP services. Consisting of a username and a password, you can create an FTP account via your web hosting service, so you can upload, transfer and manage files on your website.

HTTP & HTTPS

Hypertext Transfer Protocol or HTTP is the protocol for fetching data on the Internet. To visit a page on the web, your computer uses HTTP to get that page. HTTPS is the secure version of HTTP and is the standard protocol language to transfer data between a browser and a website. It is highly recommended that websites use HTTPS especially where logging in with personal data is required.

IP address

IP stands for internet protocol. IP addresses are used by machines to identify servers and other devices that are connected to the internet. There are two types of IP address. IPv4 addresses consist of four numbers separated by dots (e.g. 192.0.2.1). IPv6 addresses are longer, with colons rather than dots, and can include letters. (e.g. 2001:db8:3333:4444:CCCC:DDDD:EEEE:FFFF).

Linux

Linux is an open-source operating system. Most web servers are run on Linux.

NVMe

NVMe, or nonvolatile memory express, is the newest, fastest and most advanced protocol of SSD storage. NVMe SSDs deliver significantly faster response times, better throughput, and better encryption.

Partition

Servers can have their resources divided into smaller and independently manageable sections, called partitions.

PHP

PHP is a popular scripting language in web development, used in many CMSs including WordPress.

Protocol

For two devices to connect, they must communicate in a format they agree on. The set of rules that create this format is called a protocol, format or set. In the very common term “Internet protocol”, the protocol is the set of communication formats for exchanging messages and data over the internet.

Reseller hosting

Reseller Hosting is a way to offer hosting services to your customers without investing in your own hardware or data centres. As a reseller you purchase a specific amount of server space, then divide those resources into smaller packages to offer your clients.

Root access

If you’ve ever used a Windows-run desktop, you’ll know that Windows asks for ‘Administrator’ access when you try to make changes in the computer. The word ‘root’ is a Linux version of that administrator access. In hosting, having full root access means being able to make changes on your servers, whether they’re security updates or configurations.

Server

A server is a specialised computer designed to make its files accessible to other computers over a network. Servers are built to run all the time. They require continuous power supply, temperature control, software configuration and maintenance.

Shared hosting

Shared hosting puts multiple websites, sometimes thousands, on one server. Unlike dedicated hosting, all the sites share bandwidth and power resources. As a result they have added security risks and low performance if server load is managed poorly.

SSD

An SSD, or solid state drive, is a kind of storage device used in computers including servers. Its name derives from the solid state technology, which means electronic components do not move and thus, require less power to operate, making this type of storage more reliable than hard drives.

SSL

An SSL certificate is a digital certificate used to authenticate a website’s identity and enable an encrypted connection. It is responsible for encrypted communication between a web server and a web browser. When a website is accessed by a customer, the SSL encryption safeguards personal and sensitive data. Securing an SSL certificate is a basic requirement for any website before it can go live. Without one, popular browsers will block your site. MyHost Web Hosting includes free SSL certificates.

SQL

SQL, or structured query language, is the most common language for extracting and organising data that is stored in a relational database or a collection of information that organises data points with defined relationships for easy access. Because the SQL is closer to the English form, it makes it easier to manipulate relational databases.

Throughput

Throughput is the amount of information that is processed in a system. Measured by tasks processed or bits per second (bps), throughput is a frequently used parameter for the performance of processors.

Traffic

Traffic is the number of visits your site receives. Traffic can affect your site’s performance if it nears the server’s bandwidth capacity. This is why load management is an important function of hosting providers.

Uptime

The time that a website is accessible and operational. It is one of the top metrics of service reliability, with industry standards requiring an uptime of well over 99%. Our service level agreement promises at least 99.9% server availability, excluding maintenance.

Unmetered transfer

Unmetered transfer means that no matter how much data is sent to and from your server, you won’t get charged additional fees.

VPS

Using virtualisation, virtual private servers partition a server into separate units with virtual walls. This virtual separation is what allows users to have private resources, install their own operating system and software, and make other configurations while still sitting on a server with multiple users.

Web hosting

Web hosting is a service that stores a website on specialised web servers, making sure your website is always accessible to your customers. Because servers are expensive and difficult to maintain, web hosting companies like MyHost build servers and rent out space to people and companies looking to create their own websites. Virtual private servers, Dedicated hosting and Shared hosting are different kinds of web hosting for users with different needs and budgets. Check out our Web Hosting 101 to learn more.

WordPress

WordPress is the most popular CMS on the internet, now powering over 43% of all websites on the internet. Originally created for blogs, its popularity is largely due to its beginner-friendly design and because it’s free to use.