Jason Hunter maintains an ISP list at http://www.servlets.com/isps
I don't think it would be appropriate to review ISPs on the Struts site. Steve > -----Original Message----- > From: Adam Hardy [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > Sent: August 10, 2003 9:16 AM > To: Struts Users Mailing List > Subject: Re: Apache Tomcat web servers > > > Hi Hue, > thanks for the comprehensive run-down on hosting. Perhaps you should get > the company put on > > http://jakarta.apache.org/struts/resources/hosts.html > > for the record. Actually it's a shame that there are no comments about > the current hosting companies on that list. > > By the way Hue, you neglected to state one very important fact - how > much the package at memset costs! Guess I'll have to check out the link ;) > > Maybe you can clear up something else for me - with full root access to > a virtual server? What is virtual about it? Are you still sharing > hardware with other customers? > > Just as a caveat, I was talking online to a guy who ran tomcat online > with unlimited traffic, and he got hacked somehow - he said he had > unwittingly left some exploit in RedHat open - the cracker got in and > used the bandwidth solid for 18 hours before he discovered it. Cost him > 2 grand - eek! > > Adam > > > > Hue Holleran wrote: > > Hi yan, > > > > I would be inclined to keep-away from ISPs who do not have good and > > *extensively* proven experience with JSP and only go with those who are > > specifically recommended to you for JSP. I fell-out with a UK-based ISP > > (servers hosted in the US/Canada) in the last 6 months after > > failure-after-failure with Tomcat - although they apparently supported > > tomcat. They felt I was being "unreasonable" if I complained that TC was > > down frequently as they claimed their servers were still "up" > and serving > > static content - so this was fine in their mind - the simple website in > > question was finally offline for at least 2 weeks. > > > > We were being blamed for apparent errors in the pages although > the website > > had not been changed and had worked flawlessly for 3 months > prior to this > > outtage ... and also worked without changes on a fresh download > of Tomcat > > and on every configuration of ours: Windows and Debian Linux > with IBM, BEA > > and Sun's JDKs 1.3-1.4 and under a JSM and without a JSM! > > > > We did attempt to get a refund as we'd paid for 12 months hosting in > > advance - but they refused and unless we wanted to get legal > they would not > > pay up - in the end we transferred to another ISP (easy to do > as our DNS is > > located elsewhere and enabled us to do this). A *costly* lesson. > > > > The lessons we learned are: > > > > 1) Always keep control of DNS records - and allows easily and > quickly moving > > from a poorly-performing ISP. Ours are with "register.com" - > not cheap but > > their DNS appears to be very solid and all DNS can be > configured online and > > DNS costs are included in the domain registration costs. There > are plenty of > > other options for other DNS providers, though. > > > > 2) Never go with an ISP for technologies they "seem" to support > - only ever > > go with a technology from an ISP if they specialise in this and > really know > > what they're doing. Recommendations seem to be the key, here - > > recommendations for kgbinternet seem to crop-up a lot - I > haven't personally > > read a bad word about them yet. > > > > 3) For JSP specifically - always consider what _could_ go wrong > with hosting > > and what implications sharing with other sites could have. For > instance a > > private JVM is a really good idea - from a security, performance and > > reliability viewpoint. Also, consider what effect other > services running on > > the same server could have - for instance we lost tomcat once > as, unknown to > > us - the server was also being used for users just playing about with > > tomcat - another user had deleted their "jserv" directory and > this caused > > tomcat to fail to start - taking our site with it. We also had problems > > wanting to change some settings for the JSM - in order to run > Struts/Tiles - > > this was finally done - but grudgingly only by the above ISP. > > > > 4) Consider what version of Tomcat (or other container) you'd like to be > > running and ask whether this is the version they run and how > proactive are > > they at installing security updates and fixes. When we first > investigated > > the version running with our ISP it was Tomcat 3.2 beta 4(!) - > even though > > 3.3a Final and 4.1.x was also suitable for production. From the > Tomcat bug > > database there appeared to be some very serious security > problems with the > > version they were running: source disclosure, web.xml disclosure etc.! > > > > Our Choice > > ********** > > > > After trying 4 different shared hosting providers we now use > > http://www.memset.com/ - who supply a very competitively-priced complete > > virtual Linux server - with unlimited bandwidth and full root access and > > control panel to remotely reboot the server, if necessary. > There are more > > options here: > > > > http://user-mode-linux.sourceforge.net/uses.html > > and > > > http://usermodelinux.org/modules.php?name=News&file=categories&op= > newindex&c > > atid=12 > > > > The option we have provides Debian (they also do RH) Linux, 2 > IP Addresses, > > shared but unlimited 1.5Mbps connection. Ok, admittedly the > downside is that > > if you're not familiar with Linux then you may have a stiff > learning curve - > > but they have excellent and very helpful tech support staff and > if you're > > running Debian "apt-get install tomcat" gets you a > fully-running Tomcat 3.x > > installation - JVM, JSM (Java Security Manager enabled) all > correctly setup! > > > > The real advantage is that this allows hosting of multiple domains; full > > root access; ability to host email if you need it; ability to > choose JVM; > > ability to run apache to front tomcat if you want; ability to run own > > SSL-enabled service if needed; basically pretty much anything > that you can > > figure-out how to do it! > > > > The obvious real downside is that with power comes > responsibility and the > > responsibility is with you to ensure you don't leave the server > wide-open to > > attack; leave an open mail relay; leave a host that can be > commandeered in > > an attack etc. etc. But starting with modest objectives and > building from > > there can get you the service you need without great cost and with full > > control - and if you're unsure there are plenty of resources > from where help > > can be sought. > > > > Hope the above helps, > > > > Hue. > > > > > >>-----Original Message----- > >>From: yan [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > >>Sent: 08 August 2003 00:21 > >>To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > >>Subject: Apache Tomcat web servers > >> > >> > >>Hi, > >> > >>I am trying to find a Web host for my JSP applications, but I am > >>finding it very difficult locating a suitable host. > >> > >>Anyone know of any good Web hosting vendors who support MySQl, > >>Apache server and the Apache Tomcat servlet container? I prefer > >>a UK based host as this is where I reside. > >> > >>I have had a response to an enquiry from a hosting company called > >>'Houxou '. This is what they have replied: > >> > >>"Assuming Tomcat is "well-behaved", I would have no problem > >>running on our servers, but would need to investigate how happy > >>it is to co-exist with two competitors on the same machine: > >> > >> Apache server pages; and > >> Sun's Chilisoft ASP" > >> > >>I am not sure what they mean > >> > >>Any advice would be gratefully received > >> > >>yan > >> > >>KickStartESolutions - Intelligent Web Services > >>[EMAIL PROTECTED] > >> > >>--- > >>Incoming mail is certified Virus Free. > >>Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com). > >>Version: 6.0.507 / Virus Database: 304 - Release Date: 04/08/2003 > >> > > > > --- > > Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free. > > Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com). > > Version: 6.0.507 / Virus Database: 304 - Release Date: 04/08/2003 > > > > > > --------------------------------------------------------------------- > > To unsubscribe, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > For additional commands, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > > > > -- > struts 1.1 + tomcat 4.1.27 + java 1.4.2 > Linux 2.4.20 RH9 > > > --------------------------------------------------------------------- > To unsubscribe, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > For additional commands, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > --------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] For additional commands, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
