Standards Not Kept: Root Access, SSH and Databases
Tue, 02 Apr 2013, by Syrsly
Standards Not Kept is a new segment on my blog where I will explain features you should be getting from services, like web hosts and cloud gaming, but are not normally given. In this issue, I want to discuss features I think every web host should provide no matter what but are actually not providing in many cases.
Root Directory Access
The base or beginning directory of a site is its root. To have root access means you can access the root of that site. However, the benefits of this may not be clear when you have just one domain. However, think about this scenario: I have a gaming blog, and I want to move that blog to another domain. I can't just rename the domain in the hosting panel because I would have to scrap the old domain. I can't copy the files over to the new domain because each domain is a separate entity with no root user. Because I don't have a root user, I don't have root access, meaning I cannot tell my host server to move files from domain A to domain B.Please note: most shared hosting plans do not give you access to a root user/directory and instead just give you access to a single domain folder, public_html. Dreamhost does things differently, but they are a little on the expensive side for shared hosting. If you can afford them, I highly recommend them, because they are a wonderful host and are very easy to get along with. If you do not require more than one domain and do not plan on needing root level access, you could potentially use a much cheaper host, but Dreamhost really is a good service that is worth the additional cost.
SSH
SSH or secure shell is a protocol used to connect directly to a server's command prompt. The most practical use I have for SSH is to manage databases efficiently. You can tell the server to make backups of not just databases but enjoy directories of files, as well. You can also tell the server to download files to a specific directory. That used to be a handy trick for when I needed to install Drupal or some other large system. I was able to use SSH to bypass the uploading process by making the server download the files directly from their source and in an archived format to save time. Once the files were extracted from their archive, I would log into FTP to delete unnecessary files. Then, back in SSH, I could move the files where then need to go and replace the old files. It was and still is a very fast workflow if your hosting provider allows you to use it.This feature is not very common, even though I think it should be a standard feature. As a web consultant, I tend to check with hosts to see if they have any form of SSH access, but they almost never provide it. Even some VPS services don't offer it. It is a shame, really. SSH is a very inexpensive feature that can save webmasters a lot of time during installation and maintenance. When I come across a site that does not have SSH, I tend to utilize my SQLBoon software to help manage the related databases.Databases
Databases are like tables of data that you can move around and edit and sort through. They are where you store modifiable data on a server. Some database types do not require a server, mind you. For example, SQLite can be embedded into a native client application of whatever operating system you use. Web hosts normally offer some database support nowadays, but they usually do not give you a decent way to manipulate and maintain data. Many shared hosting services provide their own backup tool that either does not work the way you want it to or does not work at all. PHPMyAdmin is usually a hassle for backing up files and tends to time out on large databases. It also is difficult for new users to navigate. For that reason, I developed SQLBoon, a database management tool that allows you to easily upload and download database files and keep old backups organized.Note for current readers: SQLBoon is not out to the public yet. I still have to spruce it up and make it pretty. It is already functional, though, and if you need it right away, you can contact me.
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