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ASP Bandwidth CGI-bin / Perl CFM Cpanel Diskspace Domain Name FrontPage FTP GB GIF Java JPEG MB mySQL Password Protected PHP POP3 Email Setup Fee SLA SSI SSL Transfer Uptime Web Stats

   One of the world's most popular Web server programs, Apache was built by a group of open-source programmers and is often used because of its outstanding performance, strong security features and the fact that it is free.
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   ASP is also an abbreviation for application service provider.
    An Active Server Page (ASP) is an HTML page that includes one or more scripts (small embedded programs) that are processed on a Microsoft Web server before the page is sent to the user.
    An ASP is somewhat similar to a server-side include or a common gateway interface (CGI) application in that all involve programs that run on the server, usually tailoring a page for the user.
    For Web service applications, Microsoft provides a new version of ASP support called ASP.NET.
    ASP is not commonly offered by web hosting companies.
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   The data transfer capacity allocated to your web hosting account, usually measured in gigabytes (GB) - 1 GB is equivalent to 1,024 MB. This allocation usually includes all data transfer for the running processes on your account like web and email. 
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   CGI refers to the Common Gateway Interface.
   CGI is a scripting language (similar to C programming) used to write gateway scripts for CERN and NCSA web servers. CGI programs are the most common way for web servers to interact dynamically with users.
   Many HTML pages that contain forms, for example, use a CGI program to process the form's user input.
   CGI-bin is the file directory in your web hosting account where CGI scripts are commonly stored.
   CGI is sometimes refered to as Perl, which is basically the same.
   All web hosting companies provide use of CGI with their accounts. If a company you're looking at does not provide CGI, then you should re-consider the buy as you'll miss out on the ability to run CGI/Perl scripts.
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   Cold Fusion is a server-side solution for creating interactive and database-driven Web sites.
   You build Web pages that include special tags, which must be hosted on an application server that supports Cold Fusion. When a browser requests the page, the application server interprets the special tags, replaces the tags with the results of calculations or database queries, and sends the final page to the Web server, which sends it to the web browser.
   Cold Fusion uses a tag-based language×you mix HTML tags with tags from the Cold Fusion Markup Language (CFML). Cold fusion pages usually end with the .cfm extension.
   Cold fusion (.cfm) is not commonly offered by web hosting companies.   
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   This hosting option gives webmasters complete control over their server. You are responsible for providing the physical hardware and network administration; the hosting company will provide you with the rack space and Internet connection.
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   Domain suffix used to denote commercial domains. It is the most commonly used domain suffix on the Internet.
   For new website registrations, we recommend registering domains with the .com suffix as they are easier to remember for most visitors. If you buying other suffixes such as .net or .org, it is recommended that you secure the .com suffix to prevent cyber sqautting.     
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   A text file sent to a user's Web browser from a Web server. Cookies are typically exchanged back and forth between the two in order to prepare custom content for users, and to exchange data like registration information.
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   Cpanel refers to a popular graphical user interface for webmasters to manage their website functions such as creation of POP3 email accounts, viewing of web stats, creation of mySQL database, etc.
   It is currently the most widely available interface offered with web hosting plans.    
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   Refers to the Central Processing Unit - a chip which acts as the brain of the computer or server.
   The faster the speed of the CPU, the more powerful it is. Speed is expressed in Megahertz and Gighertz. Today's servers are usually measured in Gigahertz.
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   It is commonly associated with the act of registering domain names related to popular brand names - then attempting to profit from the use of the domain name and/or selling the domain name back to the original brand name / trademark holder at exorbitant fees.
   In recent years, such acts of cyber squatting have been dealt with by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). WIPO has the right to decide who gets to keep the domain in the even of disputes between domain owners and trademark holders.  
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   A hosting feature that allows a Web site to have its own server. This is more flexible than shared hosting (see below), as webmasters typically have full control over the back end of the server, including choice of OS. Administration, however, is still handled by the hosting company.
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   A diesel-powered generator used by hosting companies as a back-up source to generate electricity in the event of a power outage.
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   In a shared hosting environment, the amount of server disk storage allocated to your account is known as the diskspace. This space can be used to store HTML and graphics files, programs or scripts, email messages, compressed files, or other files that make up your web site.
   Diskspace is expressed in megabytes (MB).
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   A domain name is the internet address (location) at which web visitors can find a website.
   It usually consists of a "www" prefix with a ".com" suffix.
   Other common suffixes are ".net", ".org", etc. Geographical suffixes denoting specific nations are also available. For example, ".uk" represents United Kingdom. A website with a .uk suffix would be associated as a United Kingdom based or related site.
   Domain names are tied to IP addresses in order for the computer to find the website. The nice domain names that we see, eg. www.domain.com could actually be represented by 202.121.44.34 - which is the actual address!  
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   Refers to the time period of which a web server is not accessible by the general public visitors of a site.
   Most web hosting companies have a SLA which states the maximum downtime allowed - after which the hosting firm has to compensate the client for the downtime period.
   See SLA   
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   Dreamweaver is the name of the web authoring software produced by Macromedia. It is the most popular web authoring software used by beginner and professional webmasters.
   The software is highly functional yet easy to learn. The other popular web authoring software is Microsoft FrontPage.
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   Electronic Commerce. Refers to the general exchange of goods and services via the Internet.
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   Electronic Mail - Messages, usually text, sent from one person to another via computer. E-mail can also be sent automatically to a large number of addresses (Mailing List).
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   A piece of security software designed to protect Web servers. They are typically used to protect sites from hacker attacks/unauthorized access.
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   Flash refers to the format of the multimedia presentation software designed for the web by Macromedia. File names usually end in the .swf suffix.
   It is an increasingly popular format for the design of websites, banner advertisements, etc. as it is extremely flexible and powerful in adding multimedia enhancements to web pages.
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   Freehand - does not literally mean "a free hand". It is the name of the desktop publishing software produced by Macromedia. Freehand is widely used in desktop publishing to create the publication layout - complete with text and graphics - for the final print process.
   It has also been adapted for the web - as webmasters use Freehand to create layouts, then export the Freehand layouts to Photoshop to be converted to web graphics.
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   Frontpage is the web authoring software created by Microsoft. It is one of the most popular software for designing web pages besides Dreamweaver from Macromedia.
   One advantage of using Frontpage is its relative shorter learning curve. Most websites offer Frontpage extension support - meaning that certain interactive elements which is proprietry to the Frontpage software can be embedded into the webpage and be viewed or used by the visitor.
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   Short for File Transfer Protocol, a method of allowing remote users and Web servers to exchange files.
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   GB is the abbreviation for Gigabytes.
   In data communication, a gigabyte is 1 billion bytes (1,073,741,824 bytes to be exact).
   A byte is a group of eight binary digits processed as a unit by a computer and used especially to represent an alphanumeric character.
   Gigabytes (GB) are usually associated with the bandwidth of a website.
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   GIF is the acronym for the Graphics Interchange Format. It is a commonly used format for animation graphics on webpages. 
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   Refers to the skill of creating, manipulating and enhancing graphics such as those in the GIF, JPEG, PNG formats.

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   Several meanings. Originally, the web page that your browser is set to use when it starts up. The more common meaning refers to the main web page for a business, organization, person or simply the main page out of a collection of web pages, e.g. 'Check out so-and-so's new Home Page.' Another sloppier use of the term refers to practically any web page as a 'homepage,' e.g. 'That web site has 65 homepages and none of them are interesting.'

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   Any computer on a network that is a repository for services available to other computers on the network. It is quite common to have one host machine provide several services, such as WWW and USENET.

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   HTML means Hyper Text Markup Language. It is used universally in the design of web pages from small to large sites.
   With HTML, the browsing of web pages are not dependent on the client software or operating system used. All HTML complaint web browsers are able to view pages written in HTML with the original formatting intact.
   Basically HTML is cross platform writing language for the Internet!  
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   An IP address is the number equivalent of a domain name. It represents the unique location of a web server / website on the entire Internet network.
   For example:
Domain name: www.yourdomain.com
IP Address: 123.322.43.56
   Whenever you type www.yourdomain.com into your web browser, the computer actually search for www.yourdomain.com using it's IP address 123.322.43.56.
   123.322.43.56 tells the computer where the server hosting yourdomain.com is actually located!
   IP addresses are also used for computers connected to the internet via LAN, dialup, cable, etc. 
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   The Java programming language (similar to C programming) works with HTML to allow dynamic programs to run and interact with your browser. Java is created by Sun Microsystems.
   Do not confuse Java programming with Javascript - a proprietary scripting language created by Netscape that adds author-specified user events to static web pages.
   Java is not commonly offered by web hosting companies. 
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   JPEG is the acronym for Joint Photographic Experts Group - the group which creating the JPEG image format. Also know as the jpg format. The main advantage of JPEG over GIF is its high compression rates.
   A photo can be converted to the JPEG format and published on the Internet at small file sizes, thus saving bandwidth and loading times of web pages. 
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   This is the corporation which produces many of the world's most popular web authoring and desktop publishing softwares - including Dreamweaver, Flash, Freehand, etc.
   Their official website is at http://www.macromedia.com
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   MB is the abbreviation for Megabytes.
   In data communication, a megabyte is 1 million bytes (1,048,576 bytes to be exact).
   A byte is a group of eight binary digits processed as a unit by a computer and used especially to represent an alphanumeric character.
   Megabytes (MB) are commonly associated with the diskspace of a website.
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   Refers to the RAM of a server.    
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   SQL refers to the Structured Query Language (a database language). And a SQL server provides storage and access to the SQL database.
   mySQL is the open source version of SQL. This open source status allows mySQL to be used fully by websites without any licensing fees. It's basically free.
   mySQL is useful for storage of data that are required for interaction with web visitors. Rather than storing data in a flat file as CGI or Perl normally does, mySQL stores the data within a multi-thread, multi-user SQL database.
   The main advantage of mySQL over flat file database is that if offers much better scalability. Flat file database can only be accessed simultaneously by 1 user while mySQL can be accessed by many users.
   In addition, flat file databases become very slow and unresponsive once they grow beyond a certain file size. mySQL does not have that problem.
   A combination of PHP and mySQL is commonly used on most websites.
   Most web hosting companies provide use of mySQL with their under $10 accounts. However, if you're looking at a low cost web hosting plan (under $6.00), sometimes they may not offer mySQL.
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   Domain suffix used to denote network domains. It is the second most commonly used domain suffix on the Internet.
   For new website registrations, we recommend registering domains with the .com suffix while securing the .net suffix to prevent cyber squatting.
   .net domains are commonly registered by webmasters if the dot com suffix is no longer available. However webmasters should be aware of trademark or copyright issues involved.       
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   Domain suffix usually used to denote non-profit organizations. It is the most commonly used domain suffix on the Internet for non-profit or religious sites.
   For webmasters wishing to register the .org domain name, we recommend securing the .com and .net versions of the domain name to prevent cyber squatting.
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   Paint Shop Pro (PSP) - produced by JASC - is the second most popular graphics editing software. It is a shareware, so the price is much more affordable compared to Adobe Photoshop.
   However Paint Shop Pro does not lack the industry strength graphics editing capability available in Photoshop. In fact, PSP is highly functional and has an increasing following among users. 
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   Enables a webmaster to protect specific directories on his website with usernames and passwords - so that only authorized persons can view the web pages within the password protected directories.
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   Photoshop - produced by Adobe is undoubtedly the most popular graphics editing software in the world. Photoshop is used widely in the desktop publishing and graphics design industry as well as the web authoring profession.
   For creating stunning web graphics, Photoshop is highly recommended. The other recommended software is JASC Paint Shop Pro. 
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   PHP is a widely-used general-purpose scripting language that is especially suited for Web development and can be embedded into HTML.
   You can use it to create forms for user interaction or webpages which require access to the mySQL database backend.
   PHP files usually end with the .php extension and can be stored anywhere within the public directory of the web hosting account.
   Most web hosting companies provide use of PHP with their accounts. If a company you're looking at does not provide PHP, then you should re-consider the buy as you'll miss out on the ability to run PHP scripts.
   However, if you're looking at a low cost web hosting plan (under $6.00), sometimes they may not offer PHP and mySQL.
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   PNG is the acronym for Portable Network Graphics. It was created to replace the GIF format due to patent issues surrounding the GIF format.
   However it has not been widely adopted by the majority of webmasters.
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   POP3 is the abbreviation for Post Office Protocol - a data format for delivery of emails across the Internet.
   Most web hosting accounts come with a fixed or unlimited number of POP3 Email accounts that clients can use to store and download incoming email.
   For example, you can create a POP3 account such as webmaster@yourdomain.com and all emails to that address will be stored on that POP3 account. You can then download the email messages to your computer using POP3 compliant email software such as Outlook Express or Eudora. 
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   Refers to the Random Access Memory of the computer. Measured in MB or GB.
   The more the RAM, the easier a server can perform its tasks. 
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   Real Audio/Real Video enables users of personal computers and other consumer electronic devices to send and receive audio, video and other multimedia services using the Web. enable users of personal computers and other consumer electronic devices to send and receive audio, video and other multimedia services using the Web.
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   A reseller operates components of a Web hosting operation using services, infrastructure and equipment provided by another Web hosting service. Some resellers operate full-fledged businesses using the hardware, software, network and logistical support of another Web hosting firm, while others simply operate as sales agents for other Web hosting companies, offering discounts and providing low-level technical support.
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   A computer that stores your web pages, web graphics, etc. "serves" them to visitors requesting them through their web browsers.
   Web servers are usually very souped up computers with multiple CPUs or very fast CPUs. Also large diskspaces and memory (RAM) are required.
   Generally, the faster the CPU speed, the more the RAM, the better off the server.  
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   Refers to the fee that web hosting companies charge for "setting up" the new account. Most companies do not charge setup fees nowadays or waive it when the client prepays for a year.
   Always insist on zero setup fees.  
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   The most basic of Web hosting types. With shared hosting, numerous Web sites are shared on one server. While an economic solution, they typically cannot handle large amounts of storage or traffic.
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   SLA refers to Service Level Agreement. Most web hosting companies have a SLA stating their uptime and downtime policies.

   For example, a good SLA should specify that the host will ensure a uptime of above 99.0%. In addition, it should have also clearly state the compensation available to clients if the service level falls below the SLA figures.
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   SSI refers to Server Side Incudes.
   It is useful for embedding HTML codes within static HTML pages, giving webmasters the ability to update web pages within the site simply by updating the SSI file alone.
   It is easy to use and is helpful for webmasters designing many pages in static HTML as they only need to update the SSL file and changes are immediately reflected in the HTML files when viewed by visitors.
   SSI-enabled webp pages sometimes have to be named with the .shtml extension for the web server to recognize and read the embedded SSI content.
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   SSL refers to the Secure Sockets Layer which allows the transfer of data in a secure environment. it is commonly used for performing secure transactions on the Internet such as in the transmission of customer data and credit card numbers.
   Through SSL, the transaction data is encrypted and transmitted from the customer to the company's database. The encryption strength of SSL commonly used among web visitors is 128-bit. The higher the number, the stronger the encryption and the harder it is to crack.
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   Typically known as a "domain within a domain", subdomains are individual Web addresses built upon a pre-existing domain name (such as clientname.yourhostingcompany.com). As a reseller, you will have the option of assigning subdomains to clients if they do not choose to have a domain name.
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   It is commonly associating with the act of viewing web pages or websites online. Also known as browsing the web. 
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   swf is the file format for the Macromedia Flash software.
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   Transfer is commonly used by web hosting companies to refer to bandwidth. It means the same thing.  
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   A text-based, multitasking Operating System suitable for Web and network administration. Unix has spawned numerous popular spinoffs, including Linux and FreeBSD. Most Unix-based Operating Systems are open source, meaning the source code to the Operating System has been made freely available to the public for modification. Most Web hosting companies and resellers offer Unix-based hosting in some capacity or other.
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   Measure of the time period which the web server has been online. For example, a server can have an uptime of 100 days - meaning it has not failed during the last 100 days and has ran non-stop during that period.
   Can also be expressed in percentages. Example: uptime of 99.9%.
   See SLA
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   A virtual private server provides the features of a dedicated server on a machine that is shared by other Web hosting customers. Customers therefore get hosting services that are similar to that of dedicated Web hosting without sacrificing privacy or performance.
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   Web is commonly used as the acronym for the HTML browsing portion of the Internet. When people say they are surfing the web, they are actually viewing web sites and web pages. 
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   A web browser is the software application used to browse or surf the web aspect of the Internet. The web browser reads the HTML codes in a webpage and presents the page to the visitor with the formatting, etc.
   Popular web browser applications include Microsoft Internet Explorer, Netscape, AOL browser, etc.
   Microsoft's Internet Explorer has probably well over 90% of the browser market. Most webmasters today design primarily for the Internet Explorer browser.
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   Web graphics are illustrations such as clip arts, animated images, photos, etc. used in the web page presentation. Common web graphics format are GIF, JPEG and PNG.
   Increasingly Flash is become a popular multimedia web graphics solution.  
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   Name of web stats program offered with most web hosting plans using the Cpanel user interface. 
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   Web stats refer to statistics produced by the online statistical program offered with the web hosting plan. It allows the webmaster to have more accurate visitor information like unique visitors, pageviews, referrers, etc. instead of just information like hits.
   Most hosting plans that offer Cpanel will come with web stats programs like Awstats , Webalizer and Analog
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   These are graphic-based, multitasking Operating Systems developed over the past few years by Microsoft. Both can act as standalone OS for personal computers/workstations, or can serve as an OS for a Web site/network. Most Web hosting companies and resellers offer Windows-based hosting in some capacity or other.
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   WIPO stands for the World Intellectual Property Organization. Official web site is at http://www.wipo.org
   They are frequently mentioned in cases of cyber squatting as they have the power to decide who keeps disputed domain names. 
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   World Wide Web - Two meanings - First, loosely used: the whole constellation of resources that can be accessed using Gopher, FTP, HTTP, telnet, USENET, WAIS and some other tools. Second, the universe of hypertext servers (HTTP servers) which are the servers that allow text, graphics, sound files, etc. to be mixed together.
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   Short for Extensible Markup Language. XML is a language allowing developers to create their own markup tags. All XML tags are defined by the programmer, and can be interpreted differently in different applications. For example, the "" tag in HTML means Italics, but could mean anything in XML, depending on the function the developer assigns to it.
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   The group of files that reside on the domain host or nameserver. The zone file designates a domain, its subdomains and mail server.
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