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| e-Commerce
Opportunity in Foreign Trade
Domain
A domain is a unique identity on the
Net, something a computer can locate
from millions using a set of numbers
called IP (Internet Protocol) number.
Each domain has its unique identifying
domain number and a corresponding domain
name. "yahoo.com" is a domain name so
also google.com or infobanc.com (our
domain) - each of these domain names
has a unique set of IP numbers. While
we humans find it difficult to remember
long numbers, computers can communicate
only through numbers. So the dual use
of domain name and number make the identification
process simpler for both human and computer.
How
does the identification process work
?
You
enter an Internet address or URL (Universal
Resource Locator) http://www.infobanc.com
Now - http stands for Hyper Text Transfer
Protocol. This is the protocol, or set
of instructions, the browser is to use
to handle what's coming up. What's coming
will be hypertext, thus the need for
hypertext transfer protocol. That makes
sense. "://" is some leftover UNIX command
which means "everything that follows
should be handled this way." Put the
two together and you can see that the
beginning is saying "The following address
is to be handled using hypertext transfer
protocol." "www.infobanc.com" is the
actual address. In Internet lingo it's
the URL (Universal Resource Locator).
Now what does the computer do to identify
that part of Internet known as 'infobanc.com'
? Somewhere between you and the site
you want to find is something called
a DNS server. That stands for a Domain
Name Server. It has a really, really
long list of domain names and the numbers
that correspond. Usually, the ISP that
you have your page on has its own DNS
server. If not, they are attached to
one close by. The DNS server reads the
text you put in, changing that text
into the corresponding IP number, then
sends the request off and into cyberspace.
If that seems like one more step than
is required, it is. But isn't it worth
it to be able to type in words rather
than remember some long strain of numbers?
Have you ever put in an address and
received a message back that the server
you requested didn't have a DNS entry?
Well, now you know what that means.
The DNS server can't find a number that
lines up with the text you entered.
Where
Do These Domain Names Come From ?
ICANN or Internet Corporation for Assigned
Names and Numbers is the nodal
organization for all aspects of domain
names. ICANN has appointed 130 odd registrars
throughout the world for registering
domain names in organized manner. You
need to register your domain name with
any of these ICANN accredited registrars
by paying a nominal fee. Registration
period is 1 year minimum. One can find
details of all registered domain names
with their owners name etc. at a massive
worldwide database called Whois
Getting
Your Own Domain and Website
On
to the real reason you came here. How
do you get your own domain name and
Website - www.yournamehere.com ? There
are two basic ways:
- Get
a dedicated server which,
as its name implies, will host your
information only. This option gives
you unlimited freedom - but cost
quite a bit ! If you are about to
start your internet web-site, you
do not need this expensive option
- Get
a virtual server , a shared
host where your information will
be hosted alongwith with others.
As its name implies, each domain
or web-site on the server will look
like a real server. This option
has its limitations - but costs
far less than a dedicated server
To know what is
virtual server - read next section -
server space
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