What should we look for from a Java Hosting Service Provider ? I have listed my priorities in descending order. Please comment.
1) Look at the file storage and band width requirement. 20 MB disk space is decent enough size to start with. Band Widths provided by most of the providers are within adequate level, so it is not a big issue.
2) Decide on the format of your web site URL. Eg. MySite.Provider.Com or Provider.com/MySite or MySite.com . It is infact not a big deal to move from one provider to another once your website traffic increases. Hence decide on the duration for which you sign up with the provider if you choose one of the first two forms of URL. First two forms are normally from Free Service Providers.
3) Free DB - MySQL / MS SQL or Oracle
4) Shared / Dedicated App Servers : Dedicated app server will give you more flexibility in updating the web site.
5) Statistics / Backup facility / Log file access - Statistical report help us to see how a website is improving on its usage. Backup will help us save data built up in the database.
6) File upload options : FTP / Web based
7) Free DNS support - Few Providers offer free domain registration that do not expire until you move away from that provider
8) Multiple domain support - Many ASP.NET hosts provide directory mapping to support different web domains. An equilent in Java world will be a big add on for us to cut on $ spending. This will also help us in centralized website management.
9) PHP / Perl coverage - we can use any available modules this way even though integrating Java with these technologies (session management) is a challenge
