Note: The following segment is one section of a full 77 page tutorial that can be found on the Print Materials page
Planning a DNN Installation and Finding a Web Host
Overview
There are a few extra steps to take when planning a new DNN website in contrast to a standard HTML/CSS static website. Not all web hosts support DNN installations so you’ll need to do a bit of research to find the best web host for your needs. This section will provide high level details and requirements for a DNN site that should be considered prior to finding a web host and building it.
Shared vs. Dedicated Server
When searching for a Web Host that will support a DNN installation, you’ll find a number of hosts that are affordable and offer multiple CMS options in their webhosting plans. As with any website, the extent of the website and potential growth in terms of visitors should be considered when deciding whether to place your website on a shared server or a dedicated server. Most standard individual and small business websites will fare fine on a shared server which is the most cost-effective. A dedicated server may be needed if your website grows and you have a lot of web traffic on your site. Once your site grows and you have a consistently high volume of visitors interacting with it, you may need a dedicated server.
Server Resources
Any database-driven website requires more web server resources to function. A shared server means that many websites share the same web server resources. Therefore, the more features you run that require more working memory, the slower your site may respond on a shared server. In addition, if you’re providing any type of multimedia (audio or video) on your website the issue of available bandwidth must also be taken into account. If you have a lot of video files on your website, the issue of storage must also be considered.
Web Hosts
Some examples of free or lost cost webhosts that can accommodate a DNN installation include:
Web KeepAlive Issues
ASP.NET is the development platform used in the backend of DNN. The coded site interacts with Microsoft’s Internet Information Services (IIS). One issue that is inherent in ASP.NET applications is that if the site is dormant for a period, the next user to go to the site may have to wait for the application to reload (could take up to 30 seconds or more—not good if you want visitors to return to the site). Therefore another helpful service to enlist for this type of site is a KeepAlive service. This server is free and can be found at www.keepaliveforever.com. Instructions for setting up an account and running this service can be found in the Appendix.
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