To conclude the multi-week series on the basics Web & Mobile App Hosting, let’s review how permissions at the web & mobile app hosting may affect how your website works. This is an important point because permissions allowed to you by your web & mobile app host will have far reaching consequences such as how your website currently functions and how much flexibility you will have with future development.
The dividing line in permissions is root control vs. not root control. On one side is root control, which allows for the most permissions, but it’s also the most expensive. One the other side of the line is shared control, which means root control is not in your hands, but that of your web & mobile app host. Shared is just that, you share hosting space with other customers of your web & mobile app host. Root is often called “dedicated” or “virtual dedicated” by the web & mobile app host.
For example, you may need the latest version of a program at the web & mobile app host level in order for your website to properly function. If you have only shared permissions, your web & mobile app host will evaluate your request for the latest version of the program based on all their customers, not just you. Often the answer is no. On the other hand, if you have root permissions, then the you (or your technical team) simply installs the latest version.
Generally the simpler the web & mobile app, the more suitable is shared permissions. Conversely, the more complex the web & mobile app, the more suitable is root permission. Each permission (root vs. shared) has its place in the vast space encompassing web businesses, so it's important to weigh the tradeoffs against each other before making the choice.