Apache - Apache is a Unix-based, open-source web server that is used to host most sites on the Internet. Originally, Apache was a Unix product, but now versions for Windows, OS/2 and other platforms exist. As with most open-source projects, there are numerous add-ons and tailored versions of the server available, which are created using the Apache module API. The name comes from its origins as "a patchy" web server.

Backup - (v) to copy files to a second medium (a disk or tape) as a precaution in case the first medium fails. One of the cardinal rules in using computers is: Back up your files regularly. (n) a copy of your files. 5points.net offers backup services to ensure the integrity, availability and security of your data.

Bandwidth - the amount of data that can be passed along a communications channel in a given period of time. Bandwidth is often measured in the number of GB transferred per month. We charge $3 per GB transferred per month. For customers requiring 250 GB or more per month, please call for special pricing.

Colocation - 5points.net offers colocation services for those who own their own servers.

Dedicated server - a dedicated server is a server owned by 5points for your exclusive use.

DNS - to find any website on the Internet, it needs a name. The actual names of websites on the Internet are numbers. In fact, four numbers, separated by periods (the Internet protocol (IP) address). Since it is easier for people to remember non-numerical names, DNS (Domain Naming System) was established to associate a word name with a number name. DNS is precisely that system that connects a word name with the actual associated numerical address of a website.

We provide DNS services for our web hosting customers. This means that our domain name servers are registered with the official repository of IP addresses as the place to look for your URL.

Management services - 5points.net can, for a modest fee, take care of your colocated or dedicated server.

Network Solutions/Verisign - a company that, among other things, sells, maintains and is the ultimate authority for most domain names. Other companies provide domain name registration services, but Network Solutions is the largest and most utilized

Operating System and Program Updates - most operating system and program vendors release new versions of their products regularly, and these new versions are used to seal potential security holes as well as add, enhance or otherwise upgrade program functionality and features.

Perl - Practical extraction and reporting language, or Perl, is a scripting language first created by Larry Wall to be used as duct tape for programming with the Unix operating system. Due to its immense power for handling piles of text and, consequently, as a common gateway interface (CGI) scripting language, Perl became very popular among server-side scripters. Perl has a large community of contributing programmers and, what's more, costs nothing and is free to redistribute. These circumstances have helped Perl evolve from a scripting language used to generate server stats into a language many use for database administration. All along Perl has maintained its zaniness - Perl documentation reads as though written by early vaudeville comedians.

Preventative Maintenance - a series of routines, procedures and steps that are taken in order to try to identify and resolve potential problems before they happen. Preventative maintenance is accomplished by a synergy of tasks including monitoring software and hardware for threshold warnings and constantly examining computer log files for potential problems as well as many other things in order to insure longevity of the server as well as it's integrity

Rack - a structure used to securely hold servers at data centers. A standard height measure for servers is a rack unit. A unit (or "U") is 1-3/4" tall. There are 42 units in a rack.

Secure Shell (SSH) Encryption - the Internet has created the need for some secure methods of communication. One such method is Secure Shell (SSH) encryption. Using SSH, a user can log into a server and all of their interactions will be tunneled through an encrypted session so that even if someone intercepts your data, all they will encounter is gibberish.

Streaming media - rather than download a large multimedia file all at once, "streaming" allows you to see and hear that file as it is being transmitted. RealNetworks and QuickTime are currently the most popular streaming media platforms. Streaming files can also be broadcast live allowing you to see and hear "real time". 5points offers both RealNetworks and QuickTime streaming media servers.

Tape - a magnetically coated strip of plastic on which data can be written and stored for later retrieval. Tapes have large storage capacities, ranging from several hundred kilobytes to several gigabytes. Tapes, however, are not without their limitations. Tapes are sequential-access media, which means that to get to a particular point on the tape, the tape must go through all the preceding points resulting in much slower data access time. In contrast, disks are random-access media because a disk drive can access any point at random without passing through intervening points. Because of this, tapes are mostly used for long-term storage of data, backup, archival or transport services.

Tape rotation - the practice of changing backup tapes on a regular basis (daily, weekly or monthly) to ensure reliable recovery options.

URL - the abbreviation of Uniform Resource Locator, the global address of documents and other resources on the World Wide Web. The first part of the address indicates what protocol to use, and the second part specifies the IP address or the domain name where the resource is located. As an example, http://www.yourdomainname.com.

Web hosting - websites are composed of a multitude of computer files that reside on a server. That server hosts the website.