A Record
A DNS record mapping a domain name to an IP address, directing visitors to your web server. Updating the A record is the primary mechanism for pointing a domain to a new hosting provider during migration.
Addon Domain
An additional domain hosted on a single account, sharing hosting infrastructure but with separate website files, email accounts, and SSL certificates. Enables managing multiple websites through unified billing and control panel.
Auto-Renewal
An account setting automatically renewing domain registration and hosting services on their expiration date by charging your saved payment method. Prevents accidental domain expiration.
Backup
A copy of website files, databases, and email data stored separately from the main server. Enables restoration if original data is lost, corrupted, or compromised by security incidents.
cPanel
A graphical control panel for managing web hosting accounts, allowing non-technical users to register domains, create email accounts, install WordPress, manage files, and configure DNS—accessible via browser.
CDN (Content Delivery Network)
A distributed network of servers globally positioned to cache and serve website content from locations nearest visitors, reducing latency and improving load times for international audiences.
DDoS (Distributed Denial-of-Service) Attack
A malicious attack flooding a server with traffic from multiple sources, rendering it unavailable to legitimate visitors. Enterprise hosting includes DDoS protection mitigating such attacks.
DNS (Domain Name System)
The system translating human-readable domain names (yourdomain.vg) into IP addresses, directing browsers to the correct server. DNS records (A, MX, CNAME) configure how a domain's traffic routes.
Domain Propagation
The process of DNS records updating across global resolver caches after changes to nameservers or DNS records. Typically takes 24–72 hours for complete propagation, during which some visitors may see outdated information.
EPP Code (Authorization Code)
A security code provided by domain registrars, required to initiate domain transfer to a new registrar. Prevents unauthorized domain theft.
FTP/SFTP (File Transfer Protocol)
Protocols for uploading/downloading website files between your computer and hosting server. SFTP is the secure, encrypted version; most modern hosting requires SFTP rather than unencrypted FTP.
Mailbox Storage
The disk space allocated per business email account for storing messages. Higher-tier hosting plans offer 10–100+ GB per mailbox, accommodating years of archived email.
MX Record
A DNS record specifying which mail server handles email for a domain. Updating MX records during email hosting migration directs incoming mail to new mail servers.
Nameserver
A server hosting DNS records for a domain, translating domain names to IP addresses. Domain registrars point to your hosting provider's nameservers, centralizing DNS management.
OV/EV SSL Certificate
Organization Validation (OV) and Extended Validation (EV) SSL certificates verify business identity in addition to domain control, displaying company name in browser certificate details. Premium option beyond standard Domain Validation certificates.
SLA (Service Level Agreement)
A formal agreement specifying hosting provider's uptime guarantee (e.g., 99.9%) and service credits if performance falls below promised levels. Critical for businesses requiring high reliability.
SPF Record
A DNS record specifying which mail servers are authorized to send email on behalf of a domain, reducing spam and phishing. Stale SPF records from legacy email services commonly degrade deliverability.
SSL/TLS Certificate
A digital certificate encrypting data between visitor browsers and web servers, displaying 'https://' and a padlock icon. Essential for security, customer trust, and search engine rankings.
Subdomain
A domain variant under your primary domain (e.g., blog.yourdomain.vg, shop.yourdomain.vg). Can route to separate websites, email systems, or applications independently configured within hosting account.
VPS (Virtual Private Server)
A hosting tier allocating dedicated CPU, RAM, and storage to your account while sharing physical server hardware with other VPS accounts. Offers more control and isolation than shared hosting, less resource than dedicated servers.
WHOIS Privacy
An optional service replacing your personal contact information in public WHOIS registries with provider-managed privacy information, protecting against spam/unsolicited contact. Typically costs BSD $5–15/year.