Which hosting technique allows multiple domains or websites to be hosted on the same server and supports global resource sharing?

Which hosting technique allows multiple domains or websites to be hosted on the same server and supports global resource sharing?

• A. Load Balancing
• B. Virtual Hosting
• C. Content Delivery Network
• D. DNS Redirection

Answer: (B)

Virtual hosting lets a single server host multiple domains or websites. In name-based virtual hosting, the web server uses the Host header in each HTTP request to determine which site to serve, so several sites can share one IP address and one physical machine. This setup enables global resource sharing because all sites run on the same server and can leverage common resources—disk space, memory, CPU, and services like databases or caches—while each site has its own document root and configuration. For example, Apache or Nginx can be configured with separate virtual host blocks (or server blocks) for different domains, yet still operate from the same server hardware. The other options address other needs: load balancing spreads traffic across multiple servers for availability and performance; a content delivery network caches content closer to users to speed delivery globally; DNS redirection changes where a domain points, but does not host multiple sites on a single server.

Virtual hosting lets a single server host multiple domains or websites. In name-based virtual hosting, the web server uses the Host header in each HTTP request to determine which site to serve, so several sites can share one IP address and one physical machine. This setup enables global resource sharing because all sites run on the same server and can leverage common resources—disk space, memory, CPU, and services like databases or caches—while each site has its own document root and configuration. For example, Apache or Nginx can be configured with separate virtual host blocks (or server blocks) for different domains, yet still operate from the same server hardware.

The other options address other needs: load balancing spreads traffic across multiple servers for availability and performance; a content delivery network caches content closer to users to speed delivery globally; DNS redirection changes where a domain points, but does not host multiple sites on a single server.