Request and response
A browser requests a resource and a web server returns content over HTTP. “Web server” can mean the serving machine or its software.
FinFly Explains / IT
What website hosting is
Hosting provides the environment from which visitors access a website. Storing files alone does not explain how pages are assembled or who maintains them.
Static pages
The server can deliver prepared files. Changing such a page generally means updating the file itself.
Dynamic pages
An application can assemble a response using templates and data. Application health and database availability then matter alongside the web server.
Before paying
FinFly recommends asking who updates the application, how backups are restored and how much disk space is available. Test restoration on a separate copy: an advertised backup service is not a demonstrated recovery.
Questions
Short answers
Why can a site fail even when its files exist?
A dynamic site also needs its application and dependencies to work. File presence alone is insufficient.
Method
Primary sources
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