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Web Hosting - Redundancy and Failover Among the more useful innovations in computing, actually invented decades ago, are the twin ideas of redundancy and failover. These fancy words name very common sense concepts. When one computer (or part) fails, switch to another. Doing that seamlessly and quickly versus slowly with disruption defines one difference between good hosting and bad. Network redundancy is the most widely used example. The Internet is just that, an inter-connected set of networks. Between and within networks are paths that make possible page requests, file transfers and data movement from one spot (called a 'node') to the next. If you have two or more paths between a user's computer and the server, one becoming unavailable is not much of a problem. Closing one street is not so bad, if you can drive down another just as easily. Of course, there's the catch: 'just as easily'. When one path fails, the total load (the amount of data requested and by how many within what time frame) doesn't change. Now the same number of 'cars' are using fewer 'roads'. That can lead to traffic jams. A very different, but related, phenomenon occurs when there suddenly become more 'cars', as happens in a massively widespread virus attack, for example. Then, a large number of useless and destructive programs are running around flooding the network. Making the situation worse, at a certain point, parts of the networks may shut down to prevent further spread, producing more 'cars' on now-fewer 'roads'. A related form of redundancy and failover can be carried out with servers, which are in essence the 'end-nodes' of a network path. Servers can fail because of a hard drive failure, motherboard overheating, memory malfunction, operating system bug, web server software overload or any of a hundred other causes. Whatever the cause, when two or more servers are configured so that another can take up the slack from one that's failed, that is redundancy. That is more difficult to achieve than network redundancy, but it is still very common. Not as common as it should be, since many times a failed server is just re-booted or replaced or repaired with another piece of hardware. But, more sophisticated web hosting companies will have such redundancy in place. And that's one lesson for anyone considering which web hosting company may offer superior service over another (similarly priced) company. Look at which company can offer competent assistance when things fail, as they always do sooner or later. One company may have a habit of simply re-booting. Others may have redundant disk arrays. Hardware containing multiple disk drives to which the server has access allows for one or more drives to fail without bringing the system down. The failed drive is replaced and no one but the administrator is even aware there was a problem. Still other companies may have still more sophisticated systems in place. Failover servers that take up the load of a crashed computer, without the end-user seeing anything are possible. In fact, in better installations, they're the norm. When they're in place, the user has at most only to refresh his or her browser and, bingo, everything is fine. The more a web site owner knows about redundancy and failover, the better he or she can understand why things go wrong, and what options are available when they do. That knowledge can lead to better choices for a better web site experience.

Working on Your Own Time: It’s What Freelancing is About (freelance jobs) Do you have a busy life? Do you wish that you could schedule your work around the rest of your priorities? You work to make money so that you can live. You have no choice but to pay for housing and food and other life necessities. Because you need the money, work tends to creep up to the top of the priority list. Other things are more important though. Freelance jobs allow you to put work where it belongs on the list of priorities. You can play with your kids when they’re home, enjoy doing the things you enjoy outdoors while it’s daytime and spend your Sunday mornings at church instead of behind a counter. The work still needs to get done, but you can do it when you have time instead of from nine to five, Monday through Friday or worse, whenever you’re put on the schedule. Kinds of Freelance Jobs Do you have the appropriate skills and abilities to work at freelance jobs? There are many, many different kinds available. Those with professional degrees can consult. While the jobs that result from extensive education generally lead to many hours working for a good salary, your education can lead you in another direction. If you can manage to find the clients, you can work by appointment only, guiding those who do not have the experience or education that you have. If you are not a professional, you may still have the appropriate talents that will get you into freelance jobs. Writing is a very popular freelance opportunity. You live in a world that relies on the written word. You do not go through a single day without reading a considerable amount of text. Someone needs to do all of that writing, and much of it is hired out to freelancers. Actually, any skill that you possess may be suited to freelance work. Check out a few job boards and find out who’s hiring. Tips of the Trade Freelance jobs are out there, but so is the competition. To get yourself to the top of the hiring list, there are a few things you can do. First, use any experience you have to your advantage. Even if a previous job was short term or didn’t seem significant to you, you gained experience there. Let the employers know about everything you can do. Another thing you must do as a freelancer is to be very consistent and organized. An employer will be much more likely to rehire you if you turn out a good product. Everything you turn in should be clear and professional. Always meet deadlines. While most of the freelance jobs are extremely flexible, allowing you to work at your convenience, there are still deadlines. The work needs to be finished when the employer asks for it. Most of the qualities that will get you more freelance jobs only require common sense and a good work ethic. Living on Sparse Paychecks One downside of freelance jobs is that they are not necessarily consistent. Especially if you jump from one job to another, working for different companies, you will not have any guarantee about how much you will get paid each month. The flexibility may or may not be worth the uncertainty of freelancing to you. If you can manage to save effectively, the distance between paychecks won’t matter. If you do get frustrated about always wondering where the next paycheck is coming from, just remind yourself that the trade off is getting to enjoy more precious time not tied to a desk. There are definitely pros and cons when it comes to freelancing. You just need to decide how important it is to you to prioritize your life around what really matters to you.

Promotions and Freebie Help from Kraft Foods Are you a Kraft junkie? Do you live for the rich, creamy luscious taste of classic Kraft Macaroni and Cheese? If you are a fan of Kraft Foods, did you know that you could get your hands on Kraft freebies? If you are interested in getting free samples, coupons and other promotions from Kraft foods, here is some information on how you can find promotions and freebies from Kraft Foods. Why Kraft Foods is a Good Company to Get to Know Better Kraft Foods is an excellent place to get your start as a freebie hunter. That is because Kraft Foods is known to put a lot of effort to keeping their brand names in the public eye. Kraft Foods also has many devotees that really follow the brand, and the company makes an effort to connect and stay connected to its consumers. If you are a Kraft Foods fan, you will find that they are a very accessible company when it comes to finding free offers and receiving free services and food product samples. Here are some tips on how you can find Kraft Food promotions and freebies. How You Too Can Get Kraft Food Promotional Freebies If you are interested in accessing free Kraft Foods freebies, here are some ways that you can get your hands on some free Kraft goodies. First, get to know the official Kraft Foods website. The official Kraft Foods website keeps its own promotions page. The promotions page is where you can find the details on the latest free offers, sweepstakes contests, promotions and offers. If you live in Canada, make sure that you consult the Canadian version of the Kraft Foods promotions webpage. For those of you in the United States military, check out the special Kraft Foods Military website for the latest special offers. This promotional Kraft Foods webpage is the best place to find all the latest deals and steals, and of course, freebies. How to Find Other Kraft Foods Promotions Although the Kraft Foods promotions page should be your first stop in finding freebies, not all the promotions available will always be listed on this page. Did you know that you could find many more Kraft Foods promotions simply by subscribing to their popular Food and Family Magazine? It is true. The good news is that the Kraft Works Food and Family Magazine is a totally free publication. This publication is published and distributed quarterly. It is filled with recipes and great coupons, and sometimes, free offers. You can sign up for the Food and Family Magazine directly on the Kraft Foods webpage. Did you know that Kraft Foods is now also publishing a new free online publication, titled Meal and Fitness Plan? This is a free and totally customizable lifestyle publication that can help you lead your best life by eating the best foods for you. How to Find the Availability of the Kraft Foods Offers Sometimes it can be difficult to find the availability of Kraft Food offers. This is mostly due to the fact that the Kraft Foods Corporations maintains many different sites, including a US site, a US Military site and a Canadian site. Make sure that you are checking the right site for you, and that you check the site frequently and periodically in order to get the best deals. The offers and promotions may last from a few days to several months, so make sure that you search the page often. Are There Any Risks to Getting Kraft Foods Freebies? Be aware that when you request free Kraft Foods freebies, you will be placed on mailing lists. You may also receive email offers, so be prepared for an inflow of messages to your inbox.