DreamHost
{{Short description|Web hosting provider and domain name registrar}}
{{Infobox company
| name = DreamHost
| logo = DreamHost2014.svg
| type = Private
| industry = {{ubl|Web hosting service|Cloud computing service|Cloud storage service|Domain name registrar}}
| area_served = Worldwide
| foundation = {{start date and age|1996|4|10}}{{cite web|url=http://whois.domaintools.com/newdream.net|title=DreamHost.net WHOIS, DNS, & Domain Info - DomainTools|work=WHOIS|access-date=2009-04-04}}
Claremont, California, U.S.
| location = Brea, California, U.S.{{cite web|url=https://www.dreamhost.com/company/|title=DreamHost Company|access-date=2020-03-30}}
| key_people = Dallas Bethune, Josh Jones, Michael Rodriguez, Sage Weil, Brett Dunst{{Cite web|url=http://www.hostingreviewbox.com/interview-with-brett-dunst-vice-president-brand-community-at-dreamhost/ |title= Interview with Brett Dunst, Vice President at Dreamhost |website= Hosting Review Box |date= 15 June 2016 }}
| products = Web and cloud services
| homepage = {{URL|https://www.dreamhost.com}}
| parent = New Dream Network, LLC
| module = {{infobox network service provider|child=yes}}
}}
DreamHost is a Los Angeles-based web hosting provider and domain name registrar. It is owned by New Dream Network, LLC, founded in 1996 by Dallas Bethune, Josh Jones, Michael Rodriguez and Sage Weil, undergraduate students at Harvey Mudd College in Claremont, California, and registered in 1997 by Michael Rodriguez.{{cite web
|url= http://blog.dreamhosters.com/kbase/index.cgi?area=577
|title= Company History |access-date= 2009-05-09
|date= January 24, 2001 |publisher= Unofficial DreamHost Blog}}{{cite web
|url= http://kepler.sos.ca.gov/corpdata/ShowLpllcAllList?QueryLpllcNumber=199904910092
|title= California LLC Registration Search
|publisher= ca.gov
|access-date= 2009-04-01
|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20130523230552/http://kepler.sos.ca.gov/corpdata/ShowLpllcAllList?QueryLpllcNumber=199904910092
|archive-date= 2013-05-23
|url-status= dead
}} DreamHost began hosting customers' sites in 1997.{{cite web | url=http://www.infoworld.com/t/platforms/update-billing-nightmare-dreamhost-customers-538 | title=Update: Billing nightmare for DreamHost customers | publisher=InfoWorld | first=Juan Carlos | last=Perez | access-date=2009-04-05 | date=2008-01-15}} In May 2012, DreamHost spun off Inktank.{{cite web|title=DreamHost spins off Inktank, provides professional services for Ceph cloud storage|url=https://451research.com/report-short?entityId=72305|access-date=5 February 2013}} Inktank is a professional services and support company for the open source Ceph file system.{{cite web|title=Startup Inktank Supports Ceph Open-Source Storage Technology|date=4 May 2012|url=http://www.crn.com/news/storage/232901497/startup-inktank-supports-ceph-open-source-storage-technology.htm|access-date=5 February 2013}} In November 2014, DreamHost spun off Akanda, an open source network virtualization project.{{cite web |url=http://www.eweek.com/networking/dreamhost-launches-nfv-company-akanda.html|title=DreamHost Launches NFV Company Akanda |date= November 3, 2014 | publisher=Eweek | last=Burt | first=Jeffrey |access-date=September 6, 2016 }} As of February 2016, Dreamhost employs about 200 people and has close to 400,000 customers.{{Cite web|url=https://hostadvice.com/blog/dreamhost-cloud/|title=DreamHost Knows the Cloud is the Future of Computing, Interview with Jonathan LaCour, Vice President, Cloud and Development, at DreamHost|date=February 1, 2016|website=HostAdvice}}
Web hosting
DreamHost's shared, VPS, and dedicated hosting network consists of Apache, nginx and lighttpd web servers running on the Ubuntu operating system.{{cite web | url=https://www.dreamhost.com/dreamscape/2013/06/03/change-is-in-the-air-dreamhost-upgrades/ | title=Change Is In the Air' – DreamHost Upgrades | publisher=Dreamhost | access-date=2014-07-16 | date=June 3, 2013}} DreamHost also offers cloud storage and computing services for entrepreneurs and developers, launched in 2012.{{Cite web|url=https://finance.yahoo.com/news/dreamhost-introduces-dreamobjects-cloud-storage-170000829.html|title=DreamHost Introduces DreamObjects Cloud Storage Service|website=finance.yahoo.com|date=5 September 2012 }}{{cite web |url=http://www.marketwatch.com/story/dreamhost-introduces-dreamcompute-public-cloud-computing-service-2012-10-15 |title=DreamHost Introduces DreamCompute Public Cloud Computing Service - MarketWatch |website=www.marketwatch.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130801055721/http://www.marketwatch.com/story/dreamhost-introduces-dreamcompute-public-cloud-computing-service-2012-10-15 |archive-date=2013-08-01}} The control panel for users to manage all services is a custom application designed in-house, and includes integrated billing and a support ticket system. DreamHost's staff contribute to an official blog and a customer support wiki.{{cite news | url=http://blogs.zdnet.com/BTL/?p=3419 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060818102432/http://blogs.zdnet.com/BTL/?p=3419 | url-status=dead | archive-date=August 18, 2006 | title=Honesty, transparency can offset customer service disasters | publisher=ZDNet | date=August 3, 2006 | first=David | last=Berlind | access-date=2009-03-30}}
DreamHost does not offer call-in phone support, but customers can pay extra to request callbacks from support staff. Furthermore, a live chat option is available for all accounts when the level of support emails is low. This option is always available for customers that already pay the monthly fee for callbacks.{{cite web | title=DreamHost Wiki: Contacting Us Methods | url=http://wiki.dreamhost.com/Contacting_Us_Methods | access-date=2010-06-01 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110925182219/http://wiki.dreamhost.com/Contacting_Us_Methods | archive-date=2011-09-25 | url-status=dead }} The company hosts in excess of one million domains.{{cite web | title=Web Hosting Report for DREAMHOST.COM | url=http://www.webhosting.info/webhosts/reports/total_domains/DREAMHOST.COM | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040927181203/http://www.webhosting.info/webhosts/reports/total_domains/DREAMHOST.COM/ | url-status=dead | archive-date=2004-09-27 | access-date=2010-06-08 | publisher=Webhosting.info }}
=File hosting=
In 2006, the company began a beta version file hosting service they called "Files Forever".{{cite web | url= http://www.genbeta.com/web/files-forever-nuevo-servicio-de-dreamhost | access-date= 2009-07-01 | title= Files Forever, nuevo servicio de DreamHost | language= es | first= Javier | last= Penalva | date= 4 October 2006 | publisher= Genbeta}} The company stated that existing customers could store files "forever" after paying a one-time storage fee, and redistribute or sell them with DreamHost handling the transactions.{{cite web|url=http://wiki.dreamhost.com/index.php?title=Files_Forever&oldid=7642 |access-date=2014-05-17 |title=Files Forever - Dreamhost |date=2006-11-29 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110915143204/http://wiki.dreamhost.com/index.php?title=Files_Forever&oldid=7642 |archive-date=2011-09-15 |publisher=DreamHost |first=Josh |last=Jones |work=DreamHost Wiki |url-status=dead }} As of November 2012, this service was no longer offered to new customers.{{cite web|url=http://wiki.dreamhost.com/Files_Forever |date=2012-11-14 |title=Files Forever - Dreamhost |publisher=DreamHost |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130330135310/http://wiki.dreamhost.com/Files_Forever |archive-date=2013-03-30 |work=DreamHost Wiki |access-date=2014-05-17 |url-status=dead }} In April 2013, DreamHost mentioned that the Files Forever service had been discontinued and that they would focus on building a better-supported storage technology.{{cite web |url=https://twitter.com/DreamHost/status/322714585683591168 |title=Twitter / DreamHost: @BrattyBlkBarbie We cancelled ... |date=2013-04-12 |publisher=DreamHost |work=DreamHost Twitter feed |access-date=2014-05-17}}
=Free application hosting=
In 2009, the company began offering free web application hosting. With either their own domain or a free subdomain, customers were able to make use of a number of open source applications, such as WordPress and MediaWiki without charge.{{cite web |url=http://www.thewhir.com/web-hosting-news/010909_Dreamhost_Offers_Free_Apps_Hosting_Service |title=DreamHost Offers Free Apps Hosting Service |publisher=The Web Host Industry Review |date=January 9, 2009 |access-date=2009-06-26 |last=Lee |first=Justin |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090623031336/http://www.thewhir.com/web-hosting-news/010909_DreamHost_Offers_Free_Apps_Hosting_Service |archive-date=2009-06-23 }} The service is similar to, and can be integrated with, the Google App Engine. Through a control panel, customers are able to manage their applications or upgrade to the standard, fully managed hosting service.
DreamCompute
DreamHost's DreamCompute is a public cloud computing service that provides scalable compute resources for developers and entrepreneurs. DreamCompute users select the amount of compute resources and storage resources needed and define their own virtual networks. DreamCompute is powered by OpenStack and Ceph and is designed for scalability, resiliency, and security.
The DreamCompute dashboard is built with OpenStack's Horizon project. The dashboard provides a user interface for interacting with DreamCompute's three main services: Compute, Networking, and Storage. Functions such as launching an instance, creating storage volumes, and configuring a virtual network, as well as creating and managing snapshots of both a running instance and storage volumes, are done in the dashboard.
DreamCompute leverages OpenStack APIs for system automation.
DreamObjects
DreamHost's DreamObjects is a cloud storage service powered by Ceph. Ceph's distributed object storage system allows for storing DreamObjects’ data on multiple disks across multiple servers for high fault-tolerance. DreamObjects users store any kind of data (developer content, video, music, etc.) and make it accessible from anywhere in the cloud. Because data is redundantly stored across multiple locations, a fault in any part of the redundant system – such as the loss of a server – will go unnoticed by users, as a user's data remains available and accessible. Commonly used by developers needing object storage to augment or replace S3 or Swift functionally via API, DreamObjects will scale to let a user store any capacity of data. DreamObjects costs are usage based, with no costs upfront.
DreamPress
DreamPress is DreamHost's managed WordPress hosting offering that features WordPress-optimized servers and support for novice and advanced WordPress users. In May 2015, DreamHost released DreamPress 2, featuring the deployment of high-speed Solid State Drives.{{cite web |url=http://www.thewhir.com/web-hosting-news/dreamhost-improves-dedicated-server-performance-with-solid-state-drives|title=DreamHost Improves Dedicated Server Performance with Solid State Drives |date=2015-06-17 | publisher=The Web Host Industry Review | last=Burt | first=Chris |access-date=2015-10-06}}
In December 2024,{{Cite web |date=2024-12-17 |title=DreamHost Launches Partnership with Content Delivery Network Provider bunny.net |url=https://www.dreamhost.com/news/press-releases/dreamhost-launches-partnership-with-content-delivery-network-provider-bunny/ |access-date=2025-02-03 |website=DreamHost |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |date=2024-12-18 |title=DreamHost Teams Up with Bunny CDN to Supercharge Website Performance |url=https://hostdean.com/news/dreamhost-bunny-cdn-agreement/ |access-date=2025-02-03 |website=hostdean.com |language=en-US}} DreamHost partnered with BunnyCDN and integrated their CDN into DreamPress, naming it "Essential CDN". This partnership aims to enhance site performance and reliability for DreamPress users, ensuring faster load times and improved user experiences.
Involvement with OpenStack
DreamHost was involved throughout the evolution of OpenStack, contributing developers and engineers to the project beginning in early 2011.{{cite web|title=DreamHost-Openstack a Match Made in Open Source Heaven|url=https://www.dreamhost.com/blog/2015/02/04/dreamhost-openstack-a-match-made-in-open-source-heaven/|website=DreamHost|access-date=6 October 2015}} DreamHost development team members have been leaders on a number of major OpenStack projects, and have over 1,200 code commits changing over 128,000 lines of OpenStack code.{{cite web|url=http://stackalytics.com/?release=all&company=dreamhost&metric=commits|website=Stackalytics.com|access-date=6 October 2015|title=Stackalytics: DreamHost contribution in all releases}} DreamHost CEO Simon Anderson has been on OpenStack's Board of Directors since the OpenStack Foundation's inception. In January 2015, DreamHost was elected by Gold members of the OpenStack Foundation to represent for a third consecutive year.{{cite web|url=http://www.openstack.org/foundation/board-of-directors|website=OpenStack.org|access-date=6 October 2015| title=OpenStack Board of Directors}}
Inktank
In May 2012, DreamHost spun off Inktank. Inktank is a professional services and support company for the open-source Ceph storage system. Inktank was acquired by Red Hat in April 2014 for $175 million.{{cite web|title=Red Hat Buys Ceph Provider InkTank for 175M Cash to Beef up its Cloud Storage Offerings|date=30 April 2014 |url=https://techcrunch.com/2014/04/30/red-hat-buys-ceph-provider-inktank-for-175m-in-cash-to-beef-up-its-cloud-storage-offerings|access-date=6 October 2015}}
Akanda
Anti-Trump site warrant
On July 12, 2017, the U.S. Department of Justice was granted a federal search warrant ordering DreamHost to hand over IP addresses and other personally identifiable data from visitors to disruptj20.org, a website that helped organize anti-Trump protests on and around Inauguration Day 2017.{{Cite news|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/thomasbrewster/2017/08/14/dreamhost-government-order-blasted-as-overreach/|title=Feds Demand '1.3 Million IP Addresses' Of Visitors To Trump Protest Website|last=Fox-Brewster|first=Thomas|work=Forbes|access-date=2017-08-14|language=en}} The Electronic Frontier Foundation said in a blog entry there was "no plausible explanation" for such a warrant and asserted it violates the Fourth Amendment.{{Cite news|url=https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2017/08/j20-investigation-doj-overreaches-again-and-gets-taken-court-again|title=In J20 Investigation, DOJ Overreaches Again. And Gets Taken to Court Again.|date=2017-08-14|work=Electronic Frontier Foundation|access-date=2017-08-14|language=en}} DreamHost went to court, seeking to narrow the scope of the warrant, and in October 2017, Chief Judge Robert E. Morin, of the District of Columbia Superior Court, did just that, ordering that the DOJ could execute its warrant, but that "it does not have the right to rummage through the information contained on DreamHost's website and discover the identity of, or access communications by, individuals not participating in alleged criminal activity, particularly those who were engaging in protected First Amendment activities."{{Cite news|url=https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2017/10/court-reins-in-what-data-anti-trump-website-must-give-up-to-feds/|title=Court significantly reins in what data anti-Trump website must give to feds|date=2017-10-11|last=Farivar|first=Cyrus|access-date=2018-09-27|language=en}}
References
{{Reflist|30em}}
External links
{{Portal|Companies}}
- {{Official website|www.dreamhost.com}}
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Category:Employee-owned companies of the United States
Category:Domain name registrars