.NET Application (server) hosting

Reezer · 24 Jan 2006 at 20:45

I've written a client-server program and need to run the server more or less 24/7. I've got a spare machine that is running as a server at the moment but my upstream bandwidth is shockingly poor and I'm a bit worried about the security implications of having a webserver and my .NET server open to all and sundry and advertised on the companies website.

If the worst comes to the worst I'll have to secure the server a bit better but I don't really need the hastle and if something does go wrong I don't want to have to drop everything to get the company up and running again...

Does anyone know anything about application hosting or have any links to companies that offer it?

Thanks

Reezer · 24 Jan 2006 at 20:55

I guess I just need to know what kind of service is available, how you go about installing/upgrading your apps and approx cost?

I had a little google on ".NET application hosting" and a few other things but couldn't find any relevant sites, can you give me a link to your host or any others you know about please?

Reezer · 25 Jan 2006 at 22:30

Thanks, I'll speak to the company, see what they say about hosting and drop you an email.

The project is more or less a one off but there is plenty of scope for future development. The current server basically authenticates users based on a serial number they are sent when they sign up and then echos any packets sent from one user to all other connected users. Once this prototype is tested and the concept is proved I'll start work on a few enhancements to the client and a supporting website but the server is likely to remain unchanged for the forseable future.

In my main job I work for a company that writes financial software for some fairly big companies. We also host their databases for them and provide a few web-based systems, synchronisation services and do some credit scoring type stuff for smaller companies. I was talking to the server admin about this project I am working on and he said compared to some of the stuff we run the security risks of my server are neglegable. He went on to say that if the server is rarely changed they may be willing to host it for me for a nominal fee. Compared to the security risks and bandwidth usage of processing a few million deals a day my little server would barely register as a cost at all.

Another alternative I thought about today was using an ASP .NET to remote a copy of the server object. I haven't actually tried it and can see a few potential flaws but it's another thing for me to think about.

I'm just in the thinking of alternatives stage at the moment but if the test we're doing next week goes well the software could well go live in a month or two...

Reezer · 26 Jan 2006 at 21:15

Would a web service be able to keep track of a list of connected clients and send unrequested packets to them for the duration of the session?

Most of the data sent will be drawing information from the networked whiteboard, it does need to be pretty lag-free but the packets tend to be pretty small, at a guess I'd say no more than 5k a second up from one client and then 5 * 5 to 10 clients down. I'm not too worried about total bandwidth, the sessions will only be an hour or so long and will only be once every few days but it is important that there aren't any large pauses in the transfer.

The only thing i've done with web services so far is very simple HelloWorld stuff like a method for converting deg C to deg F. I've not tried anything like proper socket communication between a web service and a client.

If a web service is sufficient I'll almost certainly take that route and get a second host for .NET stuff.

Thanks