Host

Last Updated: December 19, 2012

Definition - What does Host mean?

A host is a type of Web server that stores, serves and manages websites and/or Web-based applications and services. It is a remote server that provides the collective hardware, software, storage and networking capabilities for hosting websites.

A host may is also known as a Web host.

Techopedia explains Host

A host acts as a replacement for an in-house Web server and is the basic building block behind Web hosting services. A host is built, delivered and managed by a hosting service provider that rents out host(s) some portion of its computing power by sharing those resources among several websites/users.

A host functions as a typical Web server but is generally shared and has a different delivery/access mode.

Key components of a host are:

Hardware: This includes the computing server, storage and other critical components of a Web server
Software: A basic operating system with specialized Web hosting and management software
Networks: Interconnectivity, data routing and other types of networking