MySQL and Why You Need It

What’s MySQL and Why Do I Need It?

Put Your Site’s Data To Work For You

Even the smallest on-line business quickly collects data. Lots of it. Customer data – names, mailing addresses, email addresses, credit card information and other consumer information.

Then, there’s inventory data – what’s on the shelves, how much are you selling, when do you need to reorder, product specs – you get the idea.

Affiliate data, order and shipping info, PPC data – the facts and figures come fast and furious the minute your site goes live. And keeping straight these data records isn’t something you want to do with a pencil and paper.

What you need is an RDBMS.

A what? A relational database management system or RDBMS. It’s basically a really smart, intuitive database that enables you to manipulate, access and store data in lots of useful ways. Now you can go out and spend a bundle on RDBMS software, but you don’t have to. In fact, you can get the industry standard relational database software as an open source application. That means it’s free – always a good thing.

MySQL is a database the enables you to use and deploy specific data quickly through a variety of search and sort options. SQL stands for structured query language – a simple programming language that opens your database to more uses and better analytics without you having to learn a bunch of code. So, for example, if you wanted to conduct a search of all customer information from a particular zip code, a few clicks and all of your buyer information for that particular area is accessed and presented (quickly) on your computer screen.

Add some additional filters, like cutomers from that zip code who spent more than $200 and you’re on your way to developing the “Golden Mailing List” so prized in marketing and promotion.

MySQL

MySQL is open source, though there are restrictions on its use. However, for start-ups and even mid-sized online businesses, use restrictions aren’t a concern.

MySQL has become the most popular database within the realm of ecommerce for several solid reasons:

It’s free. (Best reason of all.)

It’s fast. (That’s always nice.)

It’s easy to install. (No, it really is.)

It runs on Linux and many other popular server platforms. (Important.)

It adapts well to HTML, the standard for site construction. (Essential.)

It works well with all popular Web server software, e.g. Apache. (Nice.)

When partnered with PHP, you can accomplish marketing miracles. MySQL and PHP make for a powerful combo – even for small commercial sites with a keen eye on rapid growth.

What’s PHP?

PHP stands for “PHP hypertext preprocessor” (sort of). Simply put, PHP is a server side scripting language. Like MySQL, PHP is open source (free). It’s highly intuitive, easy to learn and it dovetails with all HTML coding.

Server side scripting simply means that the PHP scripting is processed by your web host server rather than on your biz-system desktop. The server manipulates PHP scripting and delivers simple HTML scripting back to a visitor’s browser, eliminating all compatibility issues.

With the MySQL-PHP, one-two punch, you can streamline everything from order taking to marketing to data harvesting. You can collect data entered into online forms by visitors. This data is then automatically correlated into the powerful MySQL database. 24 caret marketing gold.

Using MySQL and PHP in tandem, you can create dynamic page content – content targeted at a specific visitor based on that visitor’s past purchase history. Think Amazon.com and its personalized approach to selling you more stuff. Amazon knows what you like and generates dynamic pages customized to your tastes. Of course, with a company that size it’s got one, big, honkin’ database.

MySQL enables you to send and receive cookies to improve your site’s performance for repeat visitors – even if the visitors haven’t “officially” registered at your site.

MySQL and PHP are both cross-platform applications. This allows you to create in Windows and deliver content through a Unix-based server. (Ask your web host if your sever is Unix-based.).

PHP also delivers a stack of other cool features. Visitor and credit card authentication, for example, are a snap when PHP is combined with the data stored in your MySQL d-base. Customizable pdf development is another cool feature, enabling you to create totally dynamic content in pdf format.

You might not need it today, but you will tomorrow.

If you’re just testing the waters, MySQL may not be critical to your venture. You can get by using MS Access, Informix, Sybase, Oracle and other data manipulation software. However, as your business grows, you may quickly discover that transferring data from one of these d-base packs to MySQL is somewhat of a headache.

And, since both MySQL and PHP are free and totally symbiotic, it makes sense to start with an RDBMS that is fully scaleable – growing right along with your bottom line.

Is your site data-driven?

Any commercial site is data driven. Info on products, orders, shipping and so on. But many non-commercial sites also hold and deliver heaps of information to visitors. Government sites, educational institutions, NFPs, survey sites and the like will also benefit from the power-packed MySQL, especially when coupled with the expansive features offered by PHP server side scripting.

Need a little help with your d-base design? All this stuff is free so drop me a line or call me. Use your site to collect marketing data and really grow BIG. FAST.

Later,

Webwordslinger.com

Data Miration Requires Careful Planning

Website Migration:

Movin' On

Unless you’re a fully-registered chiphead, chances are you don’t have a clue about moving your site from one web host to another. So, despite shoddy service, unacceptable downtimes and the fact that you’ve been hacked twice, you stay with your current web host. Why?

Because the prospect of site migration has all the appeal of a root canal. So many things can go wrong. It’s going to hurt. You’ll get stressed out. You’ve heard the horror stories (web myths) of sites simply disappearing from Google SERPs, or disappearing altogether, floating somewhere out in the ether.

Well, migrating an active, fully-functioning, income producing business from one web host to another is a serious step and yes, there can be “problems.” Compatibility issues, connectivity issues, even editorial issues. Some web hosting companies refuse to take business from the “adult entertainment” industry, for example. So yes, there are concerns about migrating a site and yes, you should be concerned.

Dissecting a Website

If you’ve been up and running for a while, and you sit down each morning and log on to your administrator’s console, you may have lost sight of the fact that a commercial website is actually a collection of different “modules” designed to work in sync.

So, you have a database. MySQL perhaps? That’s one component. You have a shopping cart and secure checkout like osCommerce. That’s another component. You maintain an active blog. Yet another component. And syncing up all of these modules, so sales are automatically recorded in the database, for example, has been a generational process. No doubt, you’ve added features, changed the look and maintained other iterations of your current site, but it all happened gradually – over a period of months and even years.

To migrate your site successfully, you want three things:

- seamless transitioning from one web host server to another

- complete and accurate functionality

- a strategy

A Seamless Transition

The objective is a seamless transition from one web host server to your new host’s server. It should happen in the blink of an eye. Unfortunately, if you haven’t checked for software and services compatibility, your site may be down for a day or two. Maybe a week or two while you switch over to software compatible with your new host.

If this is your business, any down time is wasted time. Okay, if you’re down for a day, no biggie, right?

But if your site is off the radar for a couple of weeks you’re going to lose sales, future sales and, if you happen to get spidered while your site is down, you’re likely to get slammed by search engines. In one case a page 1 Google link dropped to page 32 of the search engine’s results pages because it was down for two days so a seamless transition isn’t a luxury. It’s a must have.

Complete and Accurate Functionality

In developing your migration strategy, provide time for complete testing of your site on the new server. Glitches may be found that require some adjustment to the underlying HTML code, or the presentation layer. You want to discover all of these problems before you launch through your new web host.

A Strategy

To ensure the seamless, fully-functional site you have now remains fully-functional and looking good, use the resources of the web host. What, the host doesn’t offer assistance with site migration? Then, this is not the web host you want. The better web hosting companies will not only help you develop your migration strategy, they’ll actually help you affect the migration when you’re ready to throw the switch.

A Couple of Obvious But Critical Points

• Always consult with client services at your new web host. Be prepared to describe the components currently in place.

• Back up your entire site six ways from Sunday.

• The data in your database will have to be moved. Back up this data separately.

• Keep your current site active during this planning stage.

• Recreate your site on the new host server and test for everything from browser compatibility to server access though the new administrator’s dashboard. Stress test the new site.

• Once you’ve determined that all systems are go with your new provider, throw the switch. Take your original site off-line as you bring your new site online.

Work with the professionals at your new web hosting company to ensure that all data is transferred and properly secured at the server level, and to ensure that the migration of even the busiest commercial site is seamless, delivers 100% functionality right out of the gate and that all potential migration problems have been identified and mitigated before the launch of the new site.

Quality hosting is based on the premise that if your online business is successful, the web hosting compnay will become successful as its ever-expanding client base remains on line and profitable. So, these web hosts WANT to help you be successful.

Sure, site migration is fraught with potential dangers if handled in a slipshod fashion. But, if you work with the techs at your new host – experts who should be more than happy to provide all the hand holding and technical assistance required to enable that seamless transition – it can be virtually painless.

Consider the service you receive now from your provider. If it doesn’t exceed expectations, don’t let site migration web lore put you off. Working with client support, you should expect and receive that seamless, fully-functional migration and never miss a beat with customers or search engines.

Just starting out? Looking to change hosting services? NP. Drop me a line and let's do this the smart way.

Webwordslinger.com

Is Your Web Host Ready For Anything? Than Neither Is Your Web Biz!

Is Your Web Host Ready For Anything?

Just How Safe Is Your E-Business?

We’ve got drought in the midlands. We’ve got flash floods, mudslides, earthquakes and raging infernos throughout California (why don’t you people just move?). In the Northeast, there are blizzards and cold snaps that make grown men weep. Yep, you never know what to expect – but you can expect natural disasters and unnatural disasters to strike and when they do, are you out of your online business?

Web Servers – a Primer

A short lesson for those just joining the online community. Your website is delivered to the world wide web through a server owned by your web host. Now, if you have a shared hosting program (entry-level and low cost – good) you share a server with a couple of hundred other web sites.

That server, which connects your business to your customers, isn’t an abstract concept. It’s a piece of hardware. You can buy a network server from Dell for less than $1,000. No mystery. A server is just a big box with massive storage capacity that’s plugged into the web matrix so your site is visible from Singapore to Sandusky.

Small hosting companies have a few servers all chugging away. The big web hosting companies have dozens and dozens of black boxes (servers) all spewing forth the stuff we see on the W3.

Now, like all electronics gear, web servers aren’t partial to the elements. Leave one out in the rain and watch the sparks fly. Leave a network server outside overnight in International Falls, MN and you’ve turned a perfectly good server into a door stop. Get the picture? These pathways to the web are delicate, and they require protection.

What’s Your Web Host Doing to Protect Against Floods?

What’s the worst that can happen?

The building housing your server floods, cooking your site’s server in the process. Umm. You’ll be down for a while, that’s a fact. But wait, if the water cooked your server, all of the other sites on the server are in trouble. All need fixing fast.

Now, imagine the backwash from a busted water main wipes out 30 servers. Man, you are going to be down well past the holiday shopping season and you know that’s going to hurt.

A responsible web host prepares for the worst contingencies. For example, in the case of flooding, servers should be elevated at least a foot off the ground. If we’re talkin’ a Noah-sized flood, nothing is going to help, but that 12-inch buffer between your server and the raging tide may just keep you online – even during a flood at your server location.

Web Servers and Power Outages

Power outages are a commonplace annoyance but we accept them as we eat a barbequed dinner by candlelight. Tree limbs fall. But hurricanes and tornadoes also hit, uprooting trees and tearing down electrical wires in the process. Hey, if you happen to go for a low-ball web host, your server could be in a hut in Bangladesh for all you know and electricity may NOT be taken for granted.

Ask your web host how it handles power outages. Most will tell you there’s nothing they can do about the loss of power until power is restored. Ahh, but the good host is ready for any contingency. If the host loses power from the local grid, the host’s back-up generators automatically kick in without missing a beat. Online visitors won’t even see a blip.

It’s not always easy to tell where your host server is. Resellers by disk space in bulk from web hosts and sell it in smaller chunks to retail customers like you and me. So the company, our web host, may be red, white and blue and call itself The All-American Web Hosting Company, but for all you know, your host server is just west of Katmandu.

Ask your host for the physical location of your server. If it’s not at least in the U.S. keep looking for a host. Believe it or not, web hosting has become popular in Iran. Yea, that’s a good way to start your online business – with a server in Iran.

Fire! Fire!

What kind of fire suppression system does the web host have in place? Is it designed to protect non-involved servers, i.e. a smart system, or does the server room simply fill with fire-retardant foam, taking your database with it.

Don’t think it’s a problem? Servers use electricity and because they do, they create heat. Lots of it. That’s why server rooms are air conditioned. If they weren’t, there’d be so much heat build up you could cure hams in there.

Be sure to ask your web host what kind of protection they have in place to fight a small electrical fire or a catastrophic fire that melts 50 servers into plastic lumps. Hey, that’s your site on that lump!

Site Sabotage

So, okay, you’ve checked that prospective web host and found that all servers are on the 40^th floor (let it rain) and the company does have back-up generators on site to cover for power outages. So far so good.

But what about the proverbial “disgruntled employee.” The tech head who was just passed over for a promotion, or the new guy who’s just testing his hacker chops at the server level. Who’s working on your server?

It’s not a common problem among well-respected, long-time hosting companies who do background tests, random drug testing and take other proactive measures to ensure all of those who have access to the server room (the Mother Lode) are properly checked and rechecked.

In addition, quality hosting companies limit access to the server room and security is reminiscent of a Level 3 Max security prison. There’s usually a keyboard or some type of biometrics device used to gain access to the server room, and the entire place is under constant video surveillance. It won’t stop the major whack job, but whack jobs are usually detected before they reach the trusted level of server technician.

Beaucop Bucks?

Hardly. You should expect this level of security and protection for pennies a day. Literally. Pennies a day.

You can purchase quality hosting from a web host that has contingency plans for everything from massive flooding (elevate the servers) to hoards of locust (Please shut the door so the locusts don’t get in. Thank you.)

Hosting is competitive. Just Google “web hosts” and you’ll get the idea. The premium web hosts have a long history (at least 10 years), near-perfect uptimes (accept nothing less than 99.9%) and both security and contingency plans in place. The small timers have a single server in Mumbai and during the annual rainy season service is…umm intermittent.

So spend a little to get a lot. A lot of protection. A lot of security. And contingency plans for any event. (Okay, maybe not a UFO attack, but if that happens, you’ll have more important things on your mind.)

When shopping around for a web host or a new web host, go with one willing to spend the time, money and effort to provide multiple layers of protection for your website. You may not need it today, but when those locusts hit, you’ll be glad you spent a little extra to get those locust-proof doors at your server site.

Need some help getting started with that web site you've been thinking about. Call or click webwordslinger.com. Make sure your business is really secure.

Recovering Lost Data or SEO Stuff That Makes You Cry

When Your Hard Drive Melts, There's Only One Thing To Do

You have a lot of data stored on your hard drive – everything from a master’s thesis to critical business documents to a note to Aunt Helen. And like most of us, you just take it for granted that when you turn your system on tomorrow morning, all of that data will still be there on the hard drive.

Problem is, hard drives are dynamic storage devices, they have moving parts and they’re used day in and day out. And after a while, they fail. Now, sometimes you’re lucky and your system starts giving you signals that not all things are right. It locks up, you have to reboot three times, some of the programs no longer function – all symptoms that something’s wrong.

Recognizing these problems, you start backing up everything of value stored on the dying system’s hard drive. Sometimes you get it all (or at least everything you need) sometimes not. Data loss is a common phenomenon but, in many cases, the data hasn’t vaporized. The computer just can’t find it.

Hard Drive Partitions

A hard drive, while one mechanical device, can be configured or partitioned. A partition is simply a segment of the hard drive disk that acts independently from the rest of the disk. Partitions are used to apply one operating system for partition A and a different OS for partition B. Or, in networking situations, a single hard drive can be partitioned so that each network user has a distinct piece of the pie.

Some computer users partition their hard drives for personal and professional activities. In any case, even though your data seems to have disappeared, it may simply be misplaced on another section of the hard drive, so that the hard drive can’t find it. It’s there. It’s just in the wrong place.

Storage File Systems

In simple terms, a file is used by an operating system (Windows XP, for example) to organize data in one (or two, three, four….) places, while identifying available hard drive space for additional storage in other places. This, naturally avoids accidentally overwriting stored data, among other things, and it’s done automatically.

Each time the operating system creates a new file (of data or available storage) it creates a partition – disk space that can be accessed by the file system as different drives, i.e. the C: drive, D:, E:, F: drives right on down the line. Physically, it’s just one hard drive but, with the partitions, it appears to the user to be several, even many, different hard drives.

NTFS & FAT

It stands for NT File System. FAT stands for File Allocation Table. Both are used by Microsoft operating systems with NTFS being deployed in Microsoft OS NT, 2000 and XP. NTFS automatically stores backup copies of critical disk information to help recover data that’s been lost.

Let’s focus on NTFS since it’s in most widespread use. NTFS employs something called a master boot record (MBR) and a table of all hard drive partitions. The MBR and partition table are located in the first sector of the hard drive.

This is the critical part. The partition table and Master Boot record control which partitions, if any, can still be accessed, i.e. can still be booted. If the partition table and/or MBR are corrupted, the hard drive won’t show any stored data. It will look blank. However, your data is still there.

The Recovery of Critical Data

The single-most important thing you can do when you’ve lost data is simple. Do nothing! Don’t try to write something to the hard drive. Don’t reinstall the operating system. Don’t try to restore deleted files from the recycling bin. Any one of these steps is going to make a bad situation worse. So, when you lose data – touch nothing.

Why? Because hard drives don’t actually delete anything, even after you’ve deleted the file. The file is still there. It’s just labeled as useable storage space and used when needed. The same thing is true of hard drive partitions. If you accidentally erase a partition, no data can be accessed. The OS won’t recognize that there’s data stored on that partition or disk segment.

So, if you start trying to fix your system without knowing what you’re doing, you may inadvertently overwrite the very critical data , or its partition, you’re trying to retrieve. So, slowly back away from the keyboard and don’t try to fix anything.

If You Know What You’re Doing

If possible, transfer the drive to another computer using the same file system as the system from which the damaged hard drive was removed. This should enable you to at least boot the computer since the OS is functioning. Once the system is up and running, you’ll have an idea of what data is still available and what data is gone for good.

To do this, open Windows Explorer to see what you have on your C:, D:, E: etc. drives. If you’re lucky, you may be able to retrieve your critical data through Windows Explorer, simply by moving those important files to a new location that has not been damaged or corrupted, or moving those files to a different storage device altogether.

If OS files have been damaged, you won’t be able to access the data because Windows won’t boot up without those missing operating files. However, you can try using a different operating system to see if data access is possible.

File Recovery Programs

There are several file recovery programs that equip you to boot the damaged system with a different operating system. Again, some of these software tools will actually enable you to access Windows Explorer and allow you to save your data to an outboard storage device like a zip drive or outboard hard drive. If you can do this, do it and be glad you got back what you once thought was lost.

Some recommended file recovery systems include Winternals Disk Commander and ERD Commander. However, it’s important to note that these tools will boot your system to DOS level. They won’t open Windows. However, they will provide screen-driven directions to help you recover your data. Please note that these recommended software tools, and other data recovery tools, are pretty expensive because the manufacturers know just how desperate you are to recover that lost data so be prepared to spend a few bucks.

FINDNTFS

FindNTFS is freeware that’s capable of finding lost data and copying files that have been misplaced or lost altogether. However, it may be free but if you don’t know what a directory is or how to recover txt files, even if it’s free don’t try to fix the problem yourself.

If You’re Like Most Of Us

First decide how critical the data is. If you just lost the great American novel on a fried hard drive, it’s very critical data. On the other hand, if you lost your list of addresses for the community club, you can probably find another copy on someone else’s system.

If you determine that the data is irreplaceable but you aren’t familiar with directories, partitions, FAT, NTFS, DOS or even what a hard drive looks like, don’t try to fix the problem yourself. There are three ways to go.

First, look through the local newspaper under service providers. You’ll probably find a couple of geeks with ads for in-home computer service. (Don’t be surprised if they’re high school kids, who generally know more about this stuff than the older crowd.) When talking to these whiz kids, make sure you explain the problem in detail and get the assurances you need that the data can and will be recovered. Ask the service provider how s/he intends to recover your information. You may not understand the answer completely, but you’ll get a sense of just what this computer expert can do for you.

The second alternative is to pack up the box (the computer with the hard drive inside) and bring it to your local computer repair store. Again, explain in detail just what you’re looking for – lost data retrieval. If the techie doesn’t imbue you with confidence, move on to alternative three.

There are companies that do nothing but retrieve lost data. They’re very pricey (again, they know just how desperate you are) but you’ve got the best chance of recovering that critical data by putting your problem into the hands of a professional who does data recovery everyday.

One final thought: consider the purchase of an external hard drive that backs up everything in tandem with the hard drive inside your computer box. You can purchase one of these safety nets for less than $150 and, in the event of catastrophic failure, you’ve got all of your data backed up on a completely separate hard drive.

Losing critical data is not only frustrating, it can cost you a bundle unless you know your way around a hard drive, partitions and all. If you don’t know what you’re doing, do nothing. Even if you do know what you’re doing, don’t touch anything. Once the damage has occurred the best thing you can do is leave it alone.

Leave it to a professional if the information is that important because if you try to tinker your way to the recovery of critical information, the chances of you actually recovering the lost information diminish.

And in that case, you’re just plain out of luck.

Lost something? Need something? Drop me a line or give me a call. Love to chat.