UNIX or NT? Perl or ASP?
Web Scripts CGI
Everyone in the world is looking for the best of
everything. They want the best and keep searching for it. I believe you have found the
best place to find out about web servers and web scripts.
If you are planning to launch a website, then it is a good idea to consider the kind of
server to use before you begin. You basically have two big options Windows NT and Unix.
In this article we want you to consider the advantages and disadvantages of each server
and their webservers in relation to the different components and web scripts (both ASP and
CGI). This is a critical decision that will send the website development work in one of
two very different directions.The server you choose will cause you to use ASP
scripts/Components (NT) or CGI/Perl scripts (UNIX).
In other words, scripts/components are programs
that can add usefulness to a website. For example, getting feedback from a visitor or
carrying out a survey are things that are done by scripts. Because of their usefulness
many people are enthusiastic about learning how to get scripts working on a website. But
don't let this zeal get the better of you. First you need to carefully look at which
scripts are compatible with which servers.
You need to keep one important thing in mind: web script CGI are meant mainly for UNIX servers while ASP scripts (Active server Pages)
for Windows NT. Let us discuss them in detail so that at the end of this tutorial, you
will be equipped to choose the best server that will fit your needs. I cannot not say
which one is best, but I am providing you with the pros and cons so that you can arrive at
a decision yourself.
Information used in this comparison is derived
from a variety of sources; white papers, technical journals, and observations made by my
friends who have years of industry experience in implementing and administering both
Windows NT and various UNIX operating systems.
Definitions
A "Server" is a computer connected to
the Internet where the websites reside. Your server can be anywhere in the world. It
really does not matter if it is next door or on the other side of the globe. Here is where
all your information is documented as "files". The World Wide Web accepted
format for an Internet file is called an HTML document. Your server will be given a domain
name (e.g.: www.xyz.com) and we can call it to access your server.
"Web Server" is an application running on your server that can run your scripts
and applications. Internet Information Server(IIS) is the web server for windows NT and
Apache is the web server for Unix family of servers.
"Scripts" are small software programs
that can enable a web page to do a variety of different things. A script can be added to
your site to carry out this function. Scripts can run either from your browser (client
side**) or from your server (server side**) |
