All of us understand unlimit stuff does not exist. It's nothing but just a popular marketing term. We have revealed the real space size limitation on web server before, but what would be the limits for database space? How much you need exactly and how to keep your database in healthy state? This article will provide answers to all these questions plus guidance on how to keep a small and high performance database.

Besides the enterprise database solution "Oracle", there're two types most popular database engines – Mysql and Ms sql server. Both databse services are powering over 80% world wide web applications for secure, high performance and affordable costs. Whenever you need to use either service, you can easily have it ready from local computer or live hosting server. You might get a good plan to promote your website to a large community forum or shopping cart platform. For this, you will need a lot of server space to store web files and database. You can probably calculate out the approx space for website files but no idea about database space. How much should you prepare for it? Let's look below

Size of database space will completely depend how you design your website structure. Most of the time we just store user data and product information to database, however sometimes you have the need to keep all uploadings to database instead web server disk. For this case, your database size will go up rapidly so you might need GBs or even TBs depends your site popularity. Since more and more use existing cms softwares for website building like joomla, wordpress or dotnetnuke etc, we can easily calculate how much database space we might utilize. Most CMS softwares have pre-optimized for website and database structures so people can create a high performance website easily without dealing with lots of technical stuff. But that doesn't mean you can feel 100% safe. Some problems are with the service itself but not on software end.

Take wordpress for example, if you have developed a site on local computer with multiple revise, you might have noticed the database is already very big, sometimes even hundreds MBs. But it's defiitely not right, how did you upload so much data to the site? For wordpress, it will keep an article revision every time you make any update to it, means you kept multiple duplicated contents in database. We highly suggest use WP-Optimize to clear out all those revisions if you don't need anymore. You will see magic size decrease after optimization.

Another problem with wordpress is about "Akismet" anti spam plugin which is installed by default. Once you have configured this plugin, it will catch all spam attacks to a table called "wp_commentmeta" and table size will go up once there's a new spam. Even if you have deleted the spam comments from admin panel, the table size won't change at all. We hight recommend to follow our previous akismet problem article for quick fix. Clean out gabbage in your database will save great space.

For mysql databases, it's recommended by developer to optimize tables regularly. It will not only optimize the performance but will also save space. You can do it easily from phpmyadmin, just select all your tables then choose "optimize" from dropdown option, the process is 100% automatic.

How about Ms sql server? Unlike mysql, the size problem occurs on transaction log. You might have small data in database but generate a big backup file. Why is that? It's because sql server database will record down each transaction to log files. Transaction log records each request to the database including queries from website and even system failure logs. Those logs are essential when you like to track an event on your website but will result in big size.

In case you have very limited space alloation on server end, your database will stop functional. Database log on server end is kept as "dbname.ldf" this format. If log file is important to your website, it's suggested make a backup and download to your local computer. Once backed up you should truncate the log to release more free space.

Command to backup transaction log:
BACKUP LOG yourdatabase
   TO logname_log;
GO

Command to shrink sql server database:
ALTER DATABASE mydatabase SET RECOVERY SIMPLE
 DBCC SHRINKFILE (mydatabase_Log, 1)

You might don't have the permission to do this directly since it requires admin rights on server end, you can contact hosting support for assistance.

Don't imagine you really need big space for database, optimize it properly then you can maintain it more professionally. Take a look below for world wide database size research.

If you have asked for web hosting suggestion or server configuration for your php web application, most professionals and online resource will redirect you to linux support. Why is that? What if you use windows computer for development? Is it bad to install PHP on windows server? This article will give an indepth review to check if linux is that good for php scripting.

PHP introduction

PHP(www.php.net) is an open source scripting language that's popularly used by thousands of applications all over the world. It's improved by world wide developers and released regularly by PHP official community. It's currently provided via 3 packages: Source codes, Binary files and auto installer. Unlike other programming technologies like ASP or asp.net that ultilize other script languages such as VB or C#, PHP is a script language for itself.

Since from the very beginning, php has been provided for both linux and windows editions. You get multiple choice to have php installed based your preferring. PHP is actually installed by most windows hosting providers and has been working great as from linux platform. Moreover, the latest windows server provides dedicated support for PHP with user friendly GUI tools. Generally, PHP comes with following advantages on windows IIS server

Easy Installation. PHP can be installed in multiple solutions: exe installer, binary zip package, you can also re-compile the source codes to customize the installation based your development experience. Since from IIS7.0, IIS team provided a great module called "PHP Manager", with this module you can get php running by the best practice. PHP manager is dedicated for php and provides following great features

• Register PHP with IIS
• Validate and properly configure existing PHP installations
• Run multiple PHP versions side by side
• Check PHP runtime configuration and environment

Easy management. PHP installation on windows server will put all files under a specific directory. If you want to add a new module that's not included in the package, you can get from official site directly then place it under extension directory to have it enabled. In case you run into any problem with your php application, you can debug directly from php manager center because error logs will be produced there for quick fix.

High performance. Since from IIS 7.0, PHP can be configured via Fast-CGI mode where php scripts will be executed fastly by less system resource. You can also speed up the response via various modules like accelerator or zend guard etc. PHP optimization on windows server is pretty easy.

Why there's complaint for IIS PHP?

There're lots of complaint for php not performing well or compatibility etc. However, that's all from old windows platforms that have been dropped by most hosting providers. Some old windows system like server 2003 does not have too much options to work with like the new server products. Once PHP installed, it will be functional as it is. However, you have full control over every php functions on new IIS7.0 and 8.0. Via php manager and other modules you can test and monitor php performance lively without affecting other applications on same server. You can apply different php settings to each site for different requirements.

Cost is another main factor, while you can get linux 100% for free, you need to pay license fee for windows server. There're always one or two bucks more for hosting service on windows server. Actually, price should be the main reason why people not recommending windows for php hosting purpose. No one wants to pay more just because the provider spend more for server setup.

When should you consider PHP on windows server?

As suggested from above, performance is no longer a concern for new windows server system. However, you can't always avoid using windows for your projects. For example you might need to test different applications at the same time, but if you selected linux, you can not host .net script under a linux server. For this situation, windows would be your right choice. You can host both PHP and .net applications by easy configuration.

So basically, if you just want to save money for pure PHP scripts, linux is absolutely perfect choice since less investment required for hosting server. But if you need to use php as well as microsoft technologies, windows is the right choice, you don't have to sign up different hosting plans separately because windows will be fully compatible!

If you're looking for a budget and high performance windows server plan, we highly recommend arvixe(www.arvixe.com) based editorial experience. Arvixe provides windows server 2012 with remote iis manager support, php is just a simple support. Price starts at $5/mo and 30% discount available if you subscribe 2 years upfront via coupon "Clue30". You can't get better offer from other place.

In web hosting industry, there's a special service that requires HIPAA compliance. What's it? How can a hosting service meet up with HIPAA compliance? This article will explain side by side and help find the best HIPAA compliant hosting plan.

What's HIPAA?

It's abbreviation of Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, it sets law protection and use of Personal (or Protected) Health Information (PHI). This includes covered entities (CE) and anyone with access to patient information must be in compliance.

What's HIPAA Compliant Hosting?

There's some recent changes in HIPAA that require Covered Entities and all of their Business Associates who create, receive, maintain transmit or have access to protected health information (or the possibility exists that the protected health information in the business associate's custody or control could be compromised) to independently comply with HIPAA. If you store or transmit electronic protected health information via a hosting service, the hosting company must be HIPAA Compliant.

However, it's not easy to be HIPAA compliant because of required technologies and safeguards protection over physical equipments. Generally, a hosting company must have the following facilities provided

Physical safeguards. This include limited facility access and control, with authorized access in place. Basically it's requirement to hosting data center space where is final location of all datas. Hosting companies either need to rent server space from HIPAA compliant ISP or simply setup their own data centers by following HIPAA compliance.

Technical safeguards. A server layer protection with access control to allow only the authorized to access electronic protected health data. This includes both server data protection as well as monitoring system to ensure the highest safety.

Log reports. Audit reports & logs must be implemented to keep records of activity on hardware and software. This will tell how's your data being accessed, used and edited so you can track the violations source if problem occurs.

Secure backup policies. All sensitive data should be securely backed up with quick recovery. The policy must ensure all PHI data can be recovered accurately and intact. Backup should be idealy placed offsite where can't be accessed publicly.

Data transmission protection. The last technical safeguard over PHI. This concerns all methods of transmitting data, whether it be email, Internet, or even over a private network such as a private cloud. Hosting company must provide necessary technologies such as SSL and other data encryption solutions.

HIPAA Compliant Hosting Plan

Who can provide quality HIPAA compliant hosting plan? As from above explanation and HIPAA requirements, a decent HIPAA compliant hosting provider must have their own HIPAA compliant data center space with leading safe protection. Because security is the highest requirement, hosting company must have the following features provided:

• Private Firewall services with VPN for remote access
• Managed private Cloud Server
• Separate database and web servers
• Offsite Backup at a minimum, IT Disaster Recovery is better
• SSL certificates and HTTPS for all web-based access to PHI
• Setup private IP addresses

There're not too many hosting providers announced to be HIPAA compliant, www.onlinetech.com is one of the very few hosts who provides detailed explanation for their HIPAA hosting service. Onlinetech provides multiple HIPAA hosting plans via Cloud, Managed Servers and Colocation solutions.

Resource of U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.