WHAT IS WEB SERVER ADMINISTRATION?

As discussed earlier, a web server is often referred to for both hardware and software applications which are related to servers. Web servers need server administration teams for various day to day operations. System Administrators as they are also called, play a very crucial role apart from the hardware, in the quality of web hosting services. Hardware configuration : . There are several server hardware vendors available in the market. The most popular ones are Dell, IBM and HP. Apache is one of the pioneers in server market.


Depending on the server software platforms there are specific servers like Oracle and System 76 which work best on Linux platform.

Typically after the hardware is bought, it needs to be configured and loaded with numerous server applications just the way personal computers and laptops are configured at the beginning. Server Functions :. Servers can be configured to perform various tasks. Website hosting is one among the many roles a server plays.

It can be used as a platform for gaming. Many companies use intra network servers as a communication channel and/ or data storage.

It is the server admin who creates these accounts, configures and defines them, provides gateways and access and manages them continuously. Security : As the servers hold valuable data and a significant position in the network, vulnerability to security issues like hacking, virus and data destruction threats arise. To provide top class Security is one of the primary concerns and one of the significant duties of a server admin.

There are several security set ups available ready to use. Few popular Linux based security packs are IPFire, Back Track Linux, EnGrade Secure and commercial applications like Vyatta which makes servers highly secure.

Applications like Back Track Linux ensure thorough testing against attacks and finds loopholes in the system.

Also it is the duty of the admin to monitor the working of them regularly and timely install updates and security patches

But whatever secure applications are installed, there is always a threat of infiltration in case the server configurations and network designs are not up to the mark. This is where the role of a system admin comes into play.

Hence no matter whether the platform is Linux based (which is considered highly secure) or Windows, there is always a threat if the system administration is not top notch!

Maintaining Transparency and avoiding Server Misuse :. Sometimes in web hosting avenue, few websites might be up on the server with objectionable and conflict prone content.

There also are cases where disputed websites from a country host on services provided by companies of some other country in order to escape from the law of their own land. This is popularly called 'Offshore Web Hosting'.

Few may use web hosting domains as a cheap and safe mode for data transfer illegally.

The system administration hence plays a vital role in web hosting services, be it highly complicated and technical issues like security or misuse of servers like offshore web hosting!

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