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Distributed Computing: A personal touch on a large world

A Distributed Computing Lecture by Steven Choy

Lecture Overview : I use this lecture to do a demonstration about DNS, machine virtualization, virtual hosting, etc

The Web As Platform

• The first concept of Web 2.0 (Source: What Is Web 2.0)
• Very young people start to build their personal branding on the Web
  • a 16-year-old entrepreneur, best-selling author and student from Hong Kong
  • a young entrepreneur, Startup at Stepcase.com and blogging at Lifehack.org
  • 香港中文大學電子工程系學生

• How easy is it to use the Web as your programmable oyster?

Step 1: Register a domain name from a registrar

• You can register a domain name with many registrar.

Figure 1 : Check the available of a domain name

Figure 2 : The domain name is available

Figure 3: Start the application of the domain name and pay the fee

• More resources:

Step 2: Get a basic VPS Hosting Plan

Figure 4: An example of pricing scheme for Virtual Private Server

Figure 5: The main features of a VPS

Step 3: Use the VPS hosting

Figure 6: Important information you received after you applied an VPS

      Your slice build is complete.
      IP: 173.45.227.142
      user: root
      pass: **********
      If you have any questions or received this message in error please let us know.

Figure 7: A Web interface to manage your VPS

Figure 8: You can manage your VPS in many ways.

Figure 9: The installation of an OS is as simple as ...

Figure 10: You can also use a remote console (via SSH) to manage your server.

Step 4: Make Some Records in the DNS

Figure 11: Creat your own DNS Zone

Figure 12: An individual can owns many domains

Figure 13: You need to make some records for each of your domain

• Resources: How Domain Name Servers Work - by HowStuffWorks, How DNS Works by Microsoft TechNet

Step 5: Complete the path so that the world can reach you

Figure 14: Modify DNS record from your domain registrar

Figure 15: Checking: before the DNS records have their effect

Figure 16: Checking: after the DNS records have their effect

Figure 17: You made it; in a few hours' time.

Step 6: Install a powerful server for your applications

Figure 18: Install a LAMP server

Step 7: Make your server capable of hosting many websites

Figure 19: Make a file for each of your domain

Figure 20: Configure the Web server to host multiple domains

Figure 21: The email I received from the domain registrar after modifying the DNS

      Tracking No.: MNSXXXXXX
      Domain Name : FINDMYIP.HK

      Dear Customer,

      This is to confirm that your application for modification of the hosting
      name servers is being processed and will be implemented in a few hours.

      In the meantime, if you have any enquiries, please contact us at 852
      2XXX YYYY or by email to enquiry@hkdnr.hk.

      Please quote the above domain name and tracking number in all
      correspondence.

      Best regards,

      Customer Service Department
      Hong Kong Domain Name Registration Company Limited
      Address: Unit 2002-2005, 20/F ING Tower,
      308 Des Voeux Road Central, Sheung Wan, Hong Kong Phone No: 852 2319
      1313 Fax No: 852 2319 2626

Thanks for Reading

If you would rather like to have this lecture note in printed format, please click the print action link in the top right corner.

If you find any problem in this lecture note, please feel free to reach Steven by steven@findaway.hk