[plug] Hosting query (was Re: [plug] FAQ - alpha release)

[Matt Kemner]

On Mon, 18 Sep 2000, Bret Busby wrote:

> I don't understand; I thought that Spark is the name of the machine, and
> that WASP provided the hosting. I had understood that an ISP could host
> a domain name, with the domain name owner providing a machine to the
> ISP, with the machine running onsite at the ISP, with all the wbesite
> stuff for the domain name, running  on the web server, or, that an ISP
> could provide virtual hosting for a domain name, whence the ISP provides
> space on one of its web servers, for the website associated with a
> domain name.

Bret,

Any machine with a fixed (static) IP address that runs some type of
nameserver (eg BIND) is able to host a domain. You don't need to pay your
ISP to host it for you (but then usually you're paying them for the
machine hosting, or dialup static IP anyway)

plug.linux.org.au is delegated to "plug.linux.org.au" (IP 202.61.164.81)
and "wormhole.wasp.net.au" (IP 202.61.164.5) and Spark is configured as
the primary, which is why I said Spark hosts the domain.

I was just trying to convey that PLUG is in control of the domain, not
WASP.

(Although considering the same person's in charge of both, it's probably a
 pointless argument)

> I had understood that a sparcstation was used as a webserver for the
> PLUG stuff (the domain name, and member websites, etc), and that the web
> server (Sparc PLUG) is located at WASP, where the PLUG domain name and
> associated websites (the PLUG websites, and the member websites), are
> hosted.

That's quite a confusing way of saying:

PLUG's mailserver, webserver, primary dns server and members' area is
hosted on PLUG's own machine (Spark)

Spark currently resides in WASP's machine room.

All WASP provides is the power, bandwidth and physical space (sitting on
top of a "Hey this server is actually kind of stable"[1] NT box) ;) 

 - Matt

[1] http://www.userfriendly.org/cartoons/archives/99oct/19991001.html