Thinking About Your Server


There's really good news when it comes to thinking about your server for RSS. The good news is that you don't really have to think about your server very much when it comes to an RSS feed. The XML technology that underlies RSS doesn't require anything special on the server side; from the server's point of view it's just another text file. The MP3 files that contain the podcast itself are similarly easy on the server, at least from the perspective of additional services or applications required to deliver the files to the listener. So with nothing new required, this can be a really short section, right? Well, kinda. While you don't have to run out and buy (or download, or develop) lots of new stuff for the server, there are some things that you need to keep in mind if you're going to build or populate a server for your podcasts.

The first thing to keep in mind is storage. You might have noticed that MP3 files can get rather large, especially if your podcast tends to the lengthy side. Let's say that each podcast you produce is an MP3 file that clocks in at 12 megabytes. Let's also say that you do one podcast a week. That makes 624 megabytes a year, which isn't a huge number by today's standards. If you change your assumptions to create a podcast each business day then your storage requirement for a year goes over three gigabytes. That's beginning to hit a point that becomes interesting to the people who run hosting services, especially if you're trying to run your podcast on one of the introductory or entry-level service packages.

One of the decisions you'll need to make is about the size of your archives: For how long do you want to make each podcast available? Some people decide that they want all of their podcasts available for anyone who wants to go through and "catch up," or in the case that an earlier podcast is made more relevant or interesting because of external events. Others feel that podcasts are ephemeral, "in the moment" creations that don't need to be kept for posterity. Either decision is perfectly valid, but you should understand that the decision has ramifications beyond the purely philosophical.

One of the ramifications is how you will back up your site with its podcasts. One of the earliest laws of computing is still true: Computers crash. When the server with your site and podcasts on it crashes, a current backup will allow you to be back on the Internet in the shortest time with the least disruption for your listeners. Now, it's possible to simply make copies of every page, file, and podcast before they're uploaded, and that strategy works until you have interactive features such as comments enabled for your site. If you want to have copies of all the comments on your pages, you'll need to FTP the files down to a local system before you put them onto removable media and store them somewhere your computer isn't. As your site grows, remember to figure the size of these regular backup downloads into your total bandwidth-used calculations. There's nothing like getting a nasty surprise from your safety-oriented activities to make you neglect them, and neglecting your backups is something you just shouldn't do.

Since neither the XML or MP3 files require any services or applications to be executed on your server, they don't add to the security issues that you'll need to think about. That doesn't mean that there are no security concerns at all; any time you have a computer attached to the Internet, you should be aware of the issues that exist with any operating systems or applications that you're running.

First, you should always make sure that the operating system, web server, and any other software you might be using on the server (such as a database or content management system) is up to date, patched, and properly configured. You might find it useful to subscribe to news lists, usenet groups, or RSS text feeds that concern your software. It's important to keep current with versions and patches because they are often released in response to attacks and vulnerabilities. You might think that no malicious attacker would be interested in your little podcast site, but there are those who will exploit smaller sites for the practice it gives, or to take control of a computer or file system to use as a porn or illegal download server. How could they find your system? Google is a great tool for vandals and thieves because it allows them to search for sites that contain key strings and word combinations that are common to vulnerable systems.

It's also important to make sure that you're updating all your software; patches and updates to one piece of software often depend on the services available in the latest version of another. If you only update part of your software, you could be missing out on critical protection from attacks.

Finally, realize that, while RSS, XML, and MP3 files don't carry any fresh vulnerability for your server, the applications that keep track of visitors, serve ads, manage your content, or automatically create an RSS feed may, in fact, increase your exposure. How? All of these services have an executable component, whether it's PERL, PHP, ASP, or another coding system. It's fine to have these; just remember that you must be extra vigilant as part of the cost of offering the added features to your visitors and listeners.



Absolute Beginner's Guide to Podcasting
Absolute Beginners Guide to Podcasting.
ISBN: B001U8C03Q
EAN: N/A
Year: 2004
Pages: 167

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