Selecting a Host
How to selct a web host
Now we have completely developed a web site using ASP.NET 2.0. However, this site resides on our computer. In order to make our site available to the outside world, we need to publish it on a web server. Similarly, if we are developing the site for a client, we need to transfer it to the client's computer. This process is known as deployment.
The first step is to select a hosting service. A hosting service provides a web server for our web site. This is where our site will reside. There are numerous hosting services available. We can use the Internet to search for different hosting services and compare their features such as price, storage space and other facilities offered. The thing to remember here is to select a hosting service that provides support for ASP.NET 2.0 applications. Our site will not function on a web server that does not support ASP.NET 2.0.
The following link provides a list of hosting services for ASP.NET 2.0 web sites.
http://www.asp.net/hosters/?PromotionID=17
(Note that due to the ever-changing nature of the internet, the links are changed frequently)
If we are developing specifically for a client, the web server may be located at the client's organization. In such a case, we should make sure that the web server supports ASP.NET 2.0 applications.
Compiling and Running our Site
The next step is to check that the site is running without problems on our computer. We do not want to deploy a site that contains errors.
The easiest way to check for problems is to build our web site. This process will display any existing error in our site in the `Error List Window'. To build the site, from the `Build' menu, select `Build Web Site' option. If there are any errors, the Error List Window will open up. After correcting the errors, we should build the site again. Once all the errors are removed, the status bar will display `Build Succeeded' message.
Once the site is built successfully, we should run the site on our computer to check if it is functioning properly. To run the site, press F5 from the keyboard. Check the features of the web site such as the links, data access, and image display and make sure that everything is in order.
