Author: David Singer

One of the most powerful tools available to anyone working on their site during a migration is their computer's "hosts" file. The hosts file is used to map domain names to IP addresses, and can be used as an alternative to DNS. It also allows you to specify the IP address to which a website resolves on your computer, regardless of what may be published in the site's DNS zone file.

What is a DNS Zone?

A DNS Zone is part of a group of components that make up DNS. These objects are managed by an administrator or organization in a granular manner. DNS zones can contain varied information about a domain and subdomains. Multiple zones can also exist on the same server.  DNS information is stored within a text file called a DNS zone file.

What is DNS?

DNS stands for Domain Name System (DNS) services. When we access a website, we are using this service to locate the server where the domain's website is located. When browsing the web, we usually type in a domain name like www.google.com into our browser. This is better than trying to remember an IP address linked to a Google server.

What is OpenVPN?

As noted previously in our OpenVPN article, this is an open-source Windows software package used to create a secure, site-to-site tunneled VPN connection that provides remote access between two locations. In this tutorial, we will be setting up an OpenVPN server on a Windows server.

Python is a powerful programming language that is scalable and uses code that is readable and clear for all types of projects. Python is also available across a number of operating systems, making it a popular choice for developers. If you are using Python on your Windows operating system, you may need to adjust your System Environment Variables to simplify utilizing Python on your server. In this article, we will demonstrate how to add Python path to windows 10.

The Oracle Java 8 is a programming language that creates many of the applications and websites in use today.  Its ubiquitous and stable nature makes it a favorite amongst Google and Android developers for the last 20 years. If you have a Liquid Web Core Managed Ubuntu LTS VPS server, contact our support team for help with installation.  Otherwise, this tutorial guides you through how to install Java 8 (Java Development Kit) and set the path of the JAVA_HOME variable.

What is OpenJDK?

OpenJDk or Open Java Development Kit is a free, open-source framework of the Java Platform, Standard Edition (or Java SE). It contains the virtual machine, the Java Class Library, and the Java compiler. The difference between the Oracle OpenJDK and Oracle JDK is that OpenJDK is a source code reference point for the open-source model. Simultaneously, the Oracle JDK is a continuation or advanced model of the OpenJDK, which is not open source and requires a license to use.

MongoDB is a NoSQL database intended for storing large amounts of data in document-oriented storage with dynamic schemas. NoSQL refers to a database with a data model other than the tabular format used in relational databases such as MySQL, PostgreSQL, and Microsoft SQL. MongoDB features include: full index support, replication, high availability, and auto-sharding.

Storing data in a safe, secure, and reliable manner has always been a significant concern for those working within a distributed networked environment. In this article, we will be exploring two specific methods of managing, preserving, and archiving information. These methods include using the SAN or Storage Area Network or the NAS or Network Attached Storage protocols. Both protocols provide a networked storage solution, but the main difference is in the approach and implementation. A NAS device is usually a single storage unit, while a SAN is typically a network cluster of several devices. Sometimes both these methods are employed and combined into a single medium called a Unified SAN. 

High availability is the description of a system designed to be fault-tolerant, highly dependable, operates continuously without intervention, or having a single point of failure. These systems are highly sought after to increase the availability and uptime required to keep an infrastructure running without issue. The following characteristics define a High Availability system.