Lab And Other Website Hosting

INTRO

In addition to hosting personal webpages accessed as http://www.cs.jhu.edu/~account, we can also host entire websites, with custom URLs (e.g. http://your-lab-name.cs.jhu.edu).

This service is only available to CS Faculty.

To request a hosted website, you must decide on a website name and file storage method for the website files. Both choices are described below. Then you need to email support@cs.jhu.edu with a complete description of your request.

If you choose the Dedicated Website Account file storage method described below, you'll also need to print out, fill out, and sign a Computer Science Department Website Account Form. You can then scan and email it to support@cs.jhu.edu

NOTE: CS IT does not create or edit webpage content for users. You are responsible for your own website design and troubleshooting.

Website Name Options

This choice governs what URLs people use for accessing your website. There are four options available.

www.cs.jhu.edu Subdirectory

Your website name can exist as part of the www.cs.jhu.edu website, e.g. www.cs.jhu.edu/your-lab.

CS Domain Name

Your website name can exist under the cs.jhu.edu domain, e.g. your-lab.cs.jhu.edu.

If you request this option, we will set it up for you when we set up your website. We will set up SSL access (i.e.https://-style URLs) as well.

JHU Domain Name

You can also set up a website name within the jhu.edu domain, e.g. your-lab.jhu.edu.

We cannot set this up for you automatically. If you want this option, we'll put you in contact with the appropriate people who manage the jhu.edu domain; you'll have to request the name from them. Once the hostname is set up for you, we'll set up SSL access (i.e., https://-style URLs) as part of the website.

Other Domain Name

Finally, you can use any second-level domain you want to register, e.g. your-lab.org.

If you chose this option, you will be entirely responsible for making and maintaining the domain registration. If you want SSL (https:// URLs), we'll provide you an appropriate Certificate Signing Request, but you will have to obtain the certificate and then send it to us.

File Storage Method

There are two options for how the website's files will be stored on our systems. Both require CS Linux accounts.

Personal Account

The simplest approach is to simply store the website's files under your personal CS account. In this case, you create a directory to hold the files (e.g. ~/my-lab-website) and just email support to tell us what directory you want to use.

This approach works best if you are the only person who will be managing the files for the website.

Dedicated Website Account

Alternately, we can create a special account dedicated to your website. It will have its own home directory for the website's files. You and anyone else who manages the files will be given access to the account's home directory. A CS Grad Net account is required for access; if you or the other people need an account, please see our Obtaining CS Computer Accounts page.

For this option, you will need to fill out and sign a website account form.

This approach is best when more than one person needs to be able to manage the website's files, or when the person managing those files will change over time.