What is MS SQL?

Microsoft SQL Server or simply MS SQL, is a commercially licensed relational database management system and the main rival to the MySQL open-source software.  As a licensed software application, it is a proprietary product with the source code and copyrights owned by Microsoft.  Some talk negatively about commercially licensed products because you must purchase them in order to use them on the open market.  However, the major advantage of such products is that they come with excellent support, are thoroughly tested functionality and receive continuous upgrades.  In the case of MS SQL, you get all this and much more.

As one of the most widely used SQL systems, MS SQL is supported by a large number of applications and programming codes designed to integrate with its databases.  One of its most common uses is website implementation to generate dynamic content.  In fact, if you have ever visited an e-commerce site and browsed through pages or product listings, more than likely, you have interacted with a database such as MS SQL.

What Does MS SQL Do?

Like any SQL database, an SQL Server database is a data storage facility that allows you to manage significant amounts of information.  Because it is so challenging and time consuming for the average person to manually sort through such large amounts of data, databases are used to request data and retrieve the requested information in a faster and more efficient manner.  Although it possible to directly interact with a database, the mere structure of the data often makes this a difficult process.  Similar to many Microsoft products, MS SQL is are far more user-friendly than other database systems.  This particular software was designed with the premonition that users and applications will frequently need to access its databases, which is why it streamlines the process and makes retrieval easier.

Databases are capable of storing all types of information.  Upon first hearing the term, you may assume that a database is something that stores customers names, telephone numbers and addresses or product inventory for a warehouse facility.  While MS SQL can indeed handle basic text information, it also has the power to store other types of data such as graphics, audio files and even more complex formats.  With all the advancements in web technology, this ability really comes in handy for someone who desires a feature-rich, interactive website.

Whether you need a database to store a list of employee data, create a dynamic website or power an e-commerce storefront, MS SQL makes a perfect solution.  Signing up for a Windows hosting package that offers this feature is well worth the investment.

While Microsoft’s Bing will power the search efforts for both companies, Yahoo will work independently on its search engine user interface.  According to internal sources, it plans to make this interface more efficient than the offerings of both Google and Microsoft.

Prabhakar Raghavan, Senior Vice President of Yahoo Labs and Search Strategy, said that the company is collaborating with Microsoft on the back-end, but will continue to complete on the front-end.  He noted that crawling and indexing are currently of less importance than enhancing the web experience via the user interface.  Raghavan and his colleagues emphasized that the company does not intend to abandon the field of search innovation entirely, making it clear that the Yahoo search engine will continue independent of Bing.

In late July, Microsoft and Yahoo agreed to a much anticipated partnership that will enable Microsoft Bing to power the Yahoo search site.  Per the agreement, Microsoft will maintain the pay-per-click search advertising models while Google will sell advertising services of both companies to premium subscribers.  Barring clearing from the United States Department of Justice, the agreement will equate to a 10-year partnership.  Executives for both companies have stated that the implementation process could take as long as two years to complete.  In the meantime, Yahoo is gauging the response of a new search results page.  The new page is randomly available to worldwide internet users, offering features that allow them to filter queries to more efficiently refine search results.  The company is also in the process of creating a more intelligent engine that automatically learns from previous searches and makes the according adjustments for the benefit of the user.

In addition the above enhancements, Yahoo is looking to feature more tools such as Search Assist, that allow users to refine their queries on the fly, as well as Search Pad, which helps users organize the information they find within search results.  It also desires to let its users perform more tasks within the search engine interface by incorporating more information into results.  One idea involves delivering this information through popular customer review sites like Yelp.

According to Larry Cornett, President of Yahoo Search Products and Design, all of these efforts and more are designed to create a Yahoo search engine that is more personally relevant than what has been seen in other search engines thus far.  More importantly, it shows that Yahoo is still moving forward independently in light of the likely future partnership with Microsoft.

]]> http://webhostinggeeks.com/blog/2009/08/31/yahoo-maintains-its-competitive-spirit/feed/ 0 http://webhostinggeeks.com/blog/2009/07/01/umbraco-the-microsoft-net-based-open-source-cms/ http://webhostinggeeks.com/blog/2009/07/01/umbraco-the-microsoft-net-based-open-source-cms/#comments Wed, 01 Jul 2009 17:50:03 +0000 CommunicateBetter http://webhostinggeeks.com/blog/?p=400 Originally released in 2001, Umbraco is one of the only open-source content management systems built on ASP and Microsoft’s .NET technology stack.  To no surprise, the platform isn’t necessarily made for beginners, yet developers who prefer to utilize .NET web technologies.  For those who are not familiar, this article will provide more detail on the features and capabilities of the Umbraco CMS.

Core Technologies

Umbraco is a content management solution that thrives off Microsoft web technologies, running on the Windows Server platform and SQL Server or VistaDB database system.  Built on the NET 2.0 framework, ASP.NET 2.0 and C#, it supports both NET User Controls and .NET Customer Controls without having to do much at all as they can easily be added using macros.  The CMS also provides you with full access to the Umbraco API, which has more than 15,000 lines of code.

Presentation

Unlike other open-source systems, Umbraco doesn’t have a template engine, yet a single template system, which can be viewed as both an advantage and disadvantage.  The good aspect is that you do not have to learn a brand new programming language in order to create your website.  With Umbraco, you can design your site with a popular tool such as Abode DreamWeaver or FrontPage, cut and paste the HTML code into the template editor and save.  When you render a page using the template system, the content can be automatically displayed in dynamic fashion.

The Umbraco CMS gives you complete control over your website design.  There is no need to scan the web for themes as the design can be anything you desire.

Umbraco Content

In the Umbraco environment, the core foundation of your site is the Document Type.  The Document Type refers to the type of content that can be incorporated into your website.  Prime examples include Articles, News Items, your HomePage and SearchPage.   Determining how Document types work is key to grasping the Umbraco application itself.  While this isn’t the easiest part to decipher, once you get a solid understanding of these concepts, the rest of system will become much easier to comprehend.

Administrative Functions

The Umbraco Back Office is where you can perform a variety of administrative tasks.  The number of tasks others can perform all depends on their roles and permissions.  Some of the management options you have are dealing with scripts, custom templates, media and document types, style sheets and programming languages.  There is also a section made for developers, allowing you to perform actions such as adjusting browser cache settings, manage data types, create macros, Python files and more.

Conclusion

The Umbraco CMS makes an ideal solution for the Microsoft .NET savvy developer.  It has become very popular over the last few years, now averaging approximately 7,000 downloads per month.  Though not an out-of-box, user-friendly content management tool like Joomla or Mambo, Umbraco’s power and straightforwardness makes it a winner.  If you’re looking for a .NET-driven system to create a content-rich, dynamic website, the Umbraco CMS is worth checking out.

Microsoft’s Contribution

VPS hosting in enabled by a certain type of software that has the ability to control the multiple servers.  With the introduction of Windows Server 2008 and Hyper-V, hosting providers have access to a more secure and reliable platform to deliver VPS solutions.  Windows VPS hosting received its big start with Windows Virtual Server 2007,  a platform that while serviceable, could not complete with offerings on the market by vendors such as VMWare.  Thanks to Microsoft’s recent innovations, Windows VPS hosting customers are now ensured a dramatically improved performance that can be enhanced through integration with VMWare and other virtualization software packages.

The Advantages of Windows VPS

A Windows VPS platform offers an environment most administrators and developers really appreciate.  The familiar Windows desktop interface makes setting up an account a seamless and easy process.  Because of this, most users can easily adapt to and thrive in this environment.  A Windows VPS server is ideal for individuals and businesses that have a need to run high-traffic websites, complex web applications, or custom services that simply aren’t recommended for a shared server.   With the array of new security features implemented into the Windows Server 2008 operating system, the Windows platform has become one of the most secure VPS hosting solutions available.

The Disadvantages of Windows VPS

There is one major drawback to a Windows VPS and that is the significant amount of resources it demands from the server.  The good thing is that this problem can addressed by running the Windows 2008 Core installation.  This gives you a scaled down version of the platform with select features and services.  If you have a need to run a large number of applications, you might be better suited for a dedicated server as it will give you the best possible performance.

When comparing it to the open-source Linux operating system, another knock on Windows VPS hosting could be the cost factor.  Linux and its core components are released under a license that allows them to be freely distributed and this is often reflected in the cost of service.  Windows on the other hand, comes attached with costly licenses that can send the price soaring.

Minor drawbacks aside, Windows is an excellent choice for running a virtual private server. With the backing of reliable hardware, the superb performance, flexibility and security it offers makes it a VPS solution you definitely want to consider.

The Windows Server operating system represents a line of fully integrated software tools developed by Microsoft.  While functionality varies among version releases, each aims to form the solid infrastructure needed for operating with various network components.  In addition, most of the company’s server solutions provide support for the Visual Studio software package, helping designers and IT developers in the process of creating and managing web environments by utilizing their own custom set of programming tools.  This article will introduce you to one of Microsoft’s most popular and successful server operating systems: Windows Server 2003.

Why it’s Still Prevalent

Even though Microsoft released Windows Server 2008 only a short time ago, Windows Server 2003 is still widely used in hosting and network environments.  Why?  The answer is simple – it continues to be one of the most reliable hosting platforms available.  This server operating system made its debut in April of 2003.  Since then, it has been highly regarded as a more secure and powerful solution than its predecessor, Windows 2000 Server.  Because of its efficiency in the network setting and seamlessly compatibility with Microsoft .Net technologies, Windows Server 2003 was referred to as “the .Net Server” for a considerable amount of time.

Windows Server 2003 offers many enhancements over previous versions, including the ability to improve identity and access administration while reducing storage management expense at the same time.  It includes a highly competitive web platform, offering cost-efficient server management for enterprises and small businesses alike.  The software incorporates features and technological characteristics of past releases into a single package, offering a tightly integrated suite of tools that aid in development, data management and security.  With the launch of Windows Server 2003, Microsoft greatly simplified the task of network management and improved security and efficiency across a broad range of network environments.

Enhanced Data Management

What makes Windows Server 2003 so powerful is its seamless compatibility with various Microsoft technologies, mainly the SQL Server.  Released in November of 2004, Microsoft SQL Server is an RDBMS (relational database management system) that utilizes Transact-SQL as its primary query language.  Whereas most of the prevision versions of SQL Server were mainly used for small to medium sized databases, the 2005 release brought forth capabilities that made it ideal for large databases as well, making it a reliable solution for small businesses or large enterprises.  SQL Server 2005 provides for the easy management of data, integrating efficient security tools and enhanced access to business data.   The server offers a robust, state of the art, fully integrated management system that is relied on by businesses and organizations across the world.

While you can argue that Microsoft technologies are expensive, there is no denying the power they deliver.  Dynamic platforms such as the SQL Server make Windows 2003 a highly extensible networking tool capable of handling the simplest to the most complex needs.

]]> http://webhostinggeeks.com/blog/2009/06/02/windows-server-2003-still-getting-the-job-done/feed/ 0 http://webhostinggeeks.com/blog/2009/02/24/introduction-to-asp-hosting/ http://webhostinggeeks.com/blog/2009/02/24/introduction-to-asp-hosting/#comments Tue, 24 Feb 2009 18:20:02 +0000 CommunicateBetter http://webhostinggeeks.com/blog/?p=213 The types of web hosting can be grouped in many classifications.  Some of them are actually extensions of other types of hosting.  One that falls under the Windows branch is ASP hosting, a type of hosting that revolves around ASP.  Short for Active Server Pages, ASP is Microsoft’s answer to open-source server-side programming languages such as PHP and Python.  Though used to create dynamic web pages like other technologies, ASP was developed to function specifically with Microsoft’s IIS (Internet Information Services) web server application.  Originally released with IIS version 3.0, ASP quickly became one of most the popular scripting technologies available.  Though overshadowed by its successor ASP.NET, ASP is still widely used today.

Inside ASP Hosting

The ASP language utilizes various built-in objects that correspond to specific functions when creating dynamic web pages.  Whereas static web pages are merely composed of basic text and graphics, dynamic pages contain content that changes and allows users to interact.  The data on a dynamic web page can change before your eyes without the need to be reloaded or refreshed.  The makeup of ASP gives it more functionality than alternative solutions, allowing experienced developers to create more appealing websites with ease.  In fact, almost anyone familiar with client-side programming languages such as VBscript can excel with ASP.

Since the initial launch, Microsoft has released numerous versions of ASP, with the most recent being ASP 3.0.  The company has decided to phase out this language with ASP.NET which is faster, more robust and often considered the next generation of web development.  The original language is now referred to as Classic ASP.   However, ASP 3.0 remains popular because its built-in objects tend to be easier to work with.  One of them is the Session object that administers numerous functions for web pages and applications.

The Benefits of ASP Hosting

Companies who specialize in ASP hosting are only providing their customers with the basics of the language.  The host enjoys the most benefits as administers have direct access to IIS and the Windows operating system.  Web hosts with ASP and ASP.NET installed on their servers get the best of server-side scripting along with other Microsoft technologies such as MS Access and the SQL Server.  ASP allows these companies to create and manage powerful websites of their own.  Many of them use scripts to run special promotions, limited time offerings, collect data and even sell products and services with ASP shopping carts.  The enhanced functionality of ASP makes it the preferred choice for businesses of all types and sizes.

Finding ASP Hosting

Just as with any type of hosting, it always best to shop around and compare ASP hosts.  Aside from complimenting Microsoft technologies, you should also concentrate on finding a company able to suit your needs in other areas.  If you are not familiar with the language, it would be wise to find a solution that offers extensive support and documentation on ASP to shorten the learning curve.  Without a capable and reliable web hosting company behind you, it will be very difficult to enjoy all the benefits ASP has to offer.

Take Advantage of Meta Tegas

The MSNBot actively uses meta tags a part of its web page analysis.  Like other search engines, the title tag is weighed the heaviest within the indexing algorithm, followed up by the meta description tag.  It is recommended to insert your chosen keywords into both areas.  Although Microsoft has never stated that the MSNBot utilizes keyword meta tags, experts strongly suggest that keywords should be included in the title, description, tags and content.  In addition, keywords placed in these areas should all adhere to one another.

Keep Page Size to a Minimum

The MSN search engine requires that your pages are no more than 150k in size.  This gives indication that the bot with either stop scanning or may simply skip over the page entirely.  The good thing is that a web page with a size of 150k has enough room to contain a considerable amount of relative text.  Keep in mind that if you plan to add a lot of fancy graphics, the size of your pages will expand greatly.  Similar to other search engines, MSN prefers text over graphics so you always want to keep them to a minimum.

Efficient Linking

As you would expect, links are an important equation of the MSNBot’s indexing algorithm.  Microsoft offers two suggestions on what type of links will be deemed the most essential: links on the home page or your website, and links that are no more than three levels deep.  This simply means that all the links on your site should be accessible within three or less clicks from one another for maximum efficiency.  Although this could be a problem for larger sites, MSN says its bot will offer a deeper crawl as the search engine becomes more sophisticated.

Submit Your Site

Some of the experts will tell you that search engine submissions are no longer significant while others say they are still important.  We will tell you that every effort helps.  Microsoft allows you to submit your site at no cost but there are some factors to consider.  First, you should check and see if your site is already indexed in the MSN database.  If so, resubmitting will be nothing but a waste of time.  Secondly, MSN requires that you manually submit your website.  This is a fairly simple process as all you have to do is enter the provided code along with your URL into the appropriate field.

Google and Yahoo are the leading search engines, but increasing your visibility in MSN can help you attract a broader range of targeted traffic.  Growing more popular by the year, optimizing for this search engine is definitely worth it.

Place an Emphasis on the Product Before the Marketing Plan

When deciding on a niche, it is better to first settle on a market that has specific needs and then develop products or services to fulfill them.  So many people have failed at online business because they focused solely on marketing a product before finding someone who is actually looking for it.  This failure is typically the result of an insufficient demand or the fact that one or more competitors already have a stronghold over the market.

While the internet is prevalent, it isn’t the only medium where niche markets are important.  Several companies have gained success by establishing a market and then catering to that specific niche.  Microsoft develops operating systems and other software products based on the needs of PC users.  Adidas manufacturers footwear targeted for the athletic population.  These examples demonstrate how important it is to choose a niche market and then focus your marketing efforts around it.

Selecting a niche market doesn’t have to be a difficult task.  You can begin by focusing on a  market that ties into your area of expertise or interest.  Although the internet allows you to branch out and try many things, it is much easier to succeed with something you are passionate about.  This reduces the learning curve and the frustration that comes along with starting a business.  Instead of viewing it as tedious work, you are more likely to find your E-commerce as fun and hopefully prosperous.  You should also perform deep research in the market you are looking to break into.  This involves checking out competitors to get some ideas on the demand for certain products and services.  Additionally, you need to learn how consumers go about finding these items online such as what keywords they enter into search engines and so forth.

Where to Find Your Audience

Depending on who you are target, your niche market just be waiting in a forum, chat room or newsgroup based on something you specialize in.  By monitoring the activity in these sites, you can determine the needs of your niche market and discover what is in high demand.  This form of social networking can be quiet valuable to your business.

Settling on a niche market is the first critical step towards establishing an E-commerce business.  This is what sets the model for how your business will operate and develop into the future.  By taking a little time to figure out exactly what consumers are after, you can market your products or services accordingly and increase the probability of succeeding.