Our dedicated web site runs the Linux operating system and uses a widely used configuration of server software, database engine, and scripting capability called LAMP:
- Linux - operating system
- Apache - web server
- MySQL - database engine
- PHP - script programming language
The Linux operating system distribution we use is CentOS which is based on the enterprise version of a major Linux vendor's distribution. Updates are applied frequently.
Apache, the most ubiquitous web server in the world, is optimized for our server environment.
MySQL is the world's most popular open source database and is supported by a large computer company with a long history in server software. We don't use the absolute latest version, but the most stable version that works in conjunction with other installed software. It is tuned for use on our server.
PHP is a great and very common scripting language that is especially suited for dynamic web sites.
Content Management Framework
In the dark ages of web site development, every aspect of the web site was hand-edited. Thorough knowledge of HTML was necessary. Later, as scripting languages and web databases became popular and more accessible, methods of separating the data from the look and feel of the web site arose and ushered in the era of content management systems or CMS. We use such a system: Drupal. Drupal is emerging as one of the major CMS platforms and is constantly putting out updates and new features. There are active forums, regional group meetings, and an increasing demand for Drupal developers around the world. We have custom scripts to update all sites on our server whenever there is a patch out.