FTP (File Transfer Protocol)
File Transfer Protocol (FTP) is a standard Internet protocol for transmitting files between computers on the Internet over TCP/IP connections. This is one of the ways we can download and upload files to a website's (Server/hosting account).
In most cases this will be the easiest way for us to create a backup of a website prior to building a new one.
Note: If a website uses a database for it's content, FTP access will not allow us to create a complete. In this case FTP will let us backup all of the Templates Files (html, php, etc..) and Attachments (jpg, png, PDF, txt, ect..).
We will then need to get a copy of the database via mysql or CMS export tools/plugins
SSH (Secure Shell)
SSH, also known as Secure Socket Shell, is a network protocol that provides administrators with a secure way to access a remote computer. Secure Shell provides strong authentication and secure encrypted data communications between two computers connecting over an insecure network such as the Internet.
SSH is widely used by network administrators for managing systems and applications remotely, allowing them to log in to another computer over a network, execute commands and move files from one computer to another.
SSH is the prefered method for interacting with our clients webservers as it is faster and more secure than FTP. Firm Media uses to tools such as Git to create timestamps and version control our clients websites and databases.
CMS
A content management system (CMS) manages the creation and modification of digital content. It typically supports multiple users in a collaborative environment.
CMS features vary widely. Most CMSs include Web-based publishing, format management, history editing and version control, indexing, search, and retrieval. By their nature, content management systems support the separation of content and presentation.
Firm Media Uses WordPress as our our Go to CMS for all of our Clients and internal Projects. There are many others that our new clients may be currently hosted with and knowing the CMS they are coming from can help us in the migration process.
Database
A database is a data structure that stores organized information. Most databases contain multiple tables, which may each include several different fields. For example, a websites database may include tables for pages, posts, meta data, and users information. Each of these tables would have different fields that are relevant to the information stored in the table.
Their are many types of databases used in modern websites but the most commonly used is SQL.
Note: In our case WordPress Stores the Data/Content for it's pages, posts, seo info, and links in a MySQL data base. This way the website can re-use or re-purpose the template code to create new webpages more efficiently by just adding new content.
MySQL
MySQL, pronounced either "My S-Q-L" or "My Sequel," is an open source relational database management system. It is based on the structure query language (SQL), which is used for adding, removing, and modifying information in the database.