This article describes the technology behind multiple server hosting and how you can use to maximize your site’s security and uptime
Web site hosting has essentially become a commodity. There is very little distinguishing one hosting company to the next. Plans of the central features are the same and price is no longer a true determining feature. In fact, the choice of a series based on the cheapest price may be more expensive in the long term with respect to the reliability issues and possible loss of sales as a result of website downtime.
Selecting a host of thousands of suppliers and distributors can be a daunting task, which can result in a hit and miss approach. But although hosting may have become a commodity, one distinguishing feature that you should always consider is reliability.
At the heart of the reliability of any hosting company is redundancy. This ensures that if there is a problem at any given time, there will be an alternative which ensures continuity as seemlessly and transparently as possible.
Most armies use redundant network connections. These are the high speed pipes that route data from the server to your web browser. However, redundant ‘multiple web servers have been extremely rare and very expensive, requiring costly routing equipment which has previously been used only in mission critical applications for Fortune 500 companies.
However, a clear but little known Domain Name Server (DNS) feature called ’round robin’ allows the selection and provision of a particular IP address from a “pool” of addresses when a DNS request arrives.
Tags: dns request, domain name server, fortune 500 companies, redundant network, reliability issues