56 terms explained in plain English.
DNS record mapping a hostname to an IPv4 address.
DNS record mapping a hostname to an IPv6 address.
DNS served from many geographically distributed servers advertising the same IP, so users hit the closest node.
Open-source web server. Configurable via .htaccess on KeetonHosting shared hosting.
Automatic charge on the payment method on file at renewal time, preventing product expiration.
Point-in-time copy of files and databases used to restore after data loss.
Total data transferred to and from your site over a billing period.
DNS record restricting which certificate authorities may issue SSL certificates for a domain.
Content Delivery Network. Caches static assets at edge locations worldwide for faster load times.
DNS record aliasing one hostname to another. Cannot exist at the zone apex (root).
Web-based hosting control panel used on shared and business hosting.
Certificate Signing Request. Encoded block generated on your server and submitted to the CA when issuing SSL.
DomainKeys Identified Mail. Cryptographic signature added to outgoing mail to prove authenticity.
Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance. Policy record telling receivers how to handle SPF/DKIM failures.
Domain Name System. The internet’s phone book — translates names into IP addresses.
Domain Validated SSL. Verifies only control of the domain; issued in minutes.
Single-tenant physical server. Full hardware isolation.
Registry flag preventing transfers away from KeetonHosting.
Also called authorization code. Password-like string required to transfer a domain between registrars.
Extended Validation SSL. Highest scrutiny; verifies legal entity.
Legacy file transfer protocol. Unencrypted. Use SFTP instead.
Window after a domain expires during which the original registrant can still renew at normal price (usually 30 days).
HTTP Strict Transport Security. Header instructing browsers to only connect over HTTPS.
Internet Message Access Protocol. Reads mail while leaving it on the server.
Input/Output Operations Per Second. Disk performance metric relevant to databases.
Intelligent Platform Management Interface. Out-of-band console access for dedicated servers.
High-performance drop-in Apache replacement used on our stack.
DNS record specifying mail servers for a domain, with priority.
Hosting product where core, plugin updates, caching, and staging are handled by us.
Moving a site or account from another host to KeetonHosting.
Authoritative DNS servers for a domain. Set at the registrar to delegate DNS to a provider.
Organization Validated SSL. Verifies the legal entity behind the domain.
Server-side scripting language. WordPress, Laravel, and most cPanel apps run on PHP.
The time DNS changes take to reflect across the world’s caching resolvers.
Post-grace period during which an expired domain can be recovered — but with a redemption fee.
Company (KeetonHosting) authorized to register domain names on behalf of the customer at the registry.
SSH File Transfer Protocol. Encrypted replacement for FTP.
Server Name Indication. TLS extension allowing multiple SSL certs on one IP.
Sender Policy Framework. TXT record listing which servers may send mail for your domain.
Solid State Disk. Standard storage on every KeetonHosting product.
Secure Shell. Encrypted remote login for VPS and dedicated servers.
Cryptographic protocols that encrypt traffic between browser and server. SSL is the legacy name; TLS is what’s actually used today.
Single Sign-On. One credential across multiple services.
Full-disk point-in-time image of a VPS.
Cloned copy of a live site used to test changes safely.
A prefix on your domain — blog.example.com is a subdomain of example.com.
Top-Level Domain. The suffix — .com, .org, .io, .co, and so on.
Time To Live. How long a DNS record may be cached by resolvers.
Free-form DNS text record. Used for SPF, DKIM, DMARC, and domain verification.
Requires a second factor (authenticator app, SMS, hardware key) on top of your password.
Virtual Private Server. A dedicated slice of a physical host with its own OS and root access.
Web Application Firewall. Inspects HTTP requests and blocks OWASP Top 10 attacks.
Public directory of registered domain names and registrant contact info.
SSL certificate covering all direct subdomains — *.example.com.
cPanel extension for installing, cloning, updating, and hardening WordPress.
Time-based job scheduler on Unix-like systems.
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