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CGI on IIS
CGI Overview.
CGI (Common Gateway Interface) was initially designed to allow a person sitting on another computer to execute an application (.exe file) remotely by directly calling the program name along with the parameters through a standard URL. Though CGI can still be used for this purpose, most web applications decide to use scripts to do the work.
Implementation.
Two of the most popular programming languages that make use of the CGI interface are Perl and Python.
The way it works is very simple. We just create a directory into which all the scripts are kept (either perl or python). Perl scripts have a .pl extension and Python scripts have a .py extension. We need to let the IIS server know that whenever a URL arrives with an extension that is either .pl or .py, the appropriate interpreter needs to be activated so that it can execute the script.
Lots of people use a “.cgi” extension with their files, meaning that they’re using either Perl or Python exclusively. In this case, we need to map the cgi files to the Interpreter that we’ve decided to use.
Actually, you can use any old extension you want since IIS will use the interpreter that you tell it to use with the relevant file. This is unlike other servers who examine the file to determine the appropriate engine to use.
Running CGI scripts on IIS.
Running CGI scripts on IIS is extremely easy. Depending on which engine you want to use, you can download either the Perl or Python script engine for Windows that is precompiled. The Windows server will most likely be unable to compile the engines directly and that is why they need to be precompiled in contrast to a UNIX or Linux server.
Once this is done, we simply need to tell the IIS engine that we’re keeping all our CGI scripts in a particular folder and give that folder execute and script permissions. Remember that you can also use CGI to execute applications remotely, and this is why it’s dangerous to place any other exe files in the same folder if it has execute permissions. This will allow a user to request the file name and you server will begin to execute it! To avoid this, either give the folder only script permissions or don’t keep exe files in it at all. If you need to offer them for download, convert them into zip files.
As mentioned before in our IIS 7 article, the new method for configuration of an IIS server is a folder level config file instead of a metabase property. The
IIS has had CGI compatibility right from version 5 and so this feature is already very mature in IIS 7. This is important for web developers who like to write for platforms that have strong support for their language.
Unlimited Domains Web Hosting
If you want to get the best value for your money when it comes to choosing a web hosting provider, then you will want to look for a number of things, one of which is whether or not they offer unlimited domains web hosting. You should be able to pay one flat monthly service fee and be able to host as many domain names as you want, without limit.
Going hand-in-hand with this, you should also be able to get unlimited inbound and outbound e-mail addresses, and unlimited bandwidth. Unlimited disk space might prove to be a little bit more challenging to be cost-effective, however, though some hosting providers may offer it.
Why is this a great deal? You don’t want to put all of your eggs in one basket do you? Unless you specifically only plan on hosting one domain only, then it might not matter or make any difference to you. But if you are leaving open the possibility of hosting multiple websites, then you will most definitely do well to select an unlimited domains web hosting account.
Typically, an unlimited domains web hosting account is offered as part of a dedicated server hosting option. This means that you are leasing an entire server dedicated only for your exclusive use. It will not be shared by any other customers of that particular hosting provider. This provides you with greater flexibility and leeway to grow and expand your web presence without breaking your budget. In fact, you will have full control over the management of the server.
Managed Website Hosting
Managed website hosting makes a lot of sense in this day and age.
The costs of computer hardware, software, and networking bandwidth have plummeted so steeply over the past decades, that it is far more economical for you to host your website (or websites) at a managed website hosting facility than to host it yourself on your own dedicated hardware.
Why pay the hundreds or thousands of dollars for hardware, for software licenses, for leasing a high-speed dedicated Internet connection, managing backups, redundancy, hardware failures, hardware upgrades, capacity planning, security, and all of the other technical aspects of maintaining a web presence?
Why pay for all this when you can “outsource” your operations to a managed website hosting provider for pennies on the dollar?
What you get has a far greater return on investment:
- You don’t have to physically purchase, procure, or manage any hardware. It is all done for you. Any hardware failures that need repair, capacity expansion needs, and hardware upgrades are performed by the hosting facility.
- Any software upgrades are also managed by the facility.
- Backups of your data are performed for you as well.
- Physical security of the server is guarded by security personnel.
- System security is maintained by software and hardware firewalls and other applications or devices that that prevent malicious, unauthorized access to the machines.
All you need to do is sign up for the server, log in, and get to work. By utilizing a managed website hosting provider, you can focus your time and your energy on those tasks that really matter: designing and administering your web presence.
