Web sites on faculty servers
ICT-Bèta offers project space that can be used by groups to build a web site, e.g. for presenting research or promoting a symposium. There are limitations to available technology and support. If you plan to build a web site (or have it built by others), you should contact ICT-Bèta in advance.
Available solutions
It is possible to make use of a UU WordPress installment. Many examples of such sites can be found at https://sites.uu.nl/en/ (click 'All sites' in the menu bar to see an overview). These sites come pre-equiped with a UU theme, but this can be adjusted up to a certain point. Many WordPress-plugins are available.
It is highly recommended that you use this environment.
Contact ICT-Bèta, to get in touch with the WordPress maintainers.
If, however, this does not suit your needs, you may create your own web site, as described below.
Available technology
Web platforms
ICT-Bèta currently runs two distinct web platforms:
- Apache 2.4.6 on a Linux OS; PHP 7.2 is available.
- IIS 10.0 on a Windows OS; .NET 4 is available on this platform, as well as PHP 7.3.
Database platforms
For data storage, there are two distinct database platforms:
- MySQL 5.5.59 (Linux OS)
- SQL Server 2017 (Windows OS)
Accessibility
External developers/site builders can be provided with a guest account.
Access to our web servers is only via SSH and SFTP.
Limitations to technology and support
Before you start building a site, you should know what kind of limitations you may encounter. Preferably, you should contact ICT-Bèta in any case: we can assess the possibilities for your site.
Technology
In general, it is not possible to have other technology at your disposal than that mentioned above. Neither is it possible to have other versions run than the ones mentioned.
Updates/upgrades
ICT-Bèta is responsible for the software technology mentioned. Updates/upgrades will be made regularly. It is not possible to inform individual users of these updates, but you may subscribe to our maintenance mailing list. Users are responsible for the proper functioning of their web sites.
Support
In general, you are responsible for setting up and maintaining your site. ICT-Bèta can monitor the performance of your site and/or database connections, but we cannot support you in fine tuning your site.
ICT-Bèta can only offer limited support in setting up your web site. This is especially important when you are using complex technology, or when your site is built by a third party. We can make small adjustments as directed by the third party, e.g. in setting write permissions on specific directories.
In case of abuse or performance interference
If web space is abused, or the operation of a web site interferes with the proper working of our servers, ICT-Bèta may (temporarily) shut down your site. We cannot support you in fine tuning your site.
What does this mean in practice?
Before you start building a web site, and especially when you plan to involve an external party, you should contact ICT-Bèta.
General terms and conditions
There is a document describing the terms and conditions in detail (PDF).
In short
Read the document mentioned above. Before you decide what to do, you should at least consider:
If you plan to build your own site
- Who is the contact for ICT-Bèta?
You should identify someone within your group who will act as a contact for ICT-Bèta. - Are there special demands on technology?
E.g. if you plan to use PHP, is it possible to setup your site in such a way that updates to PHP will have no (foreseeable) impact on your site. - Are there special demands on security?
If visitors need to log in to enter (parts of) your site, or will have to send sensitive information (e.g. through a web form), care should be taken that this happens in a safe way. Privacy laws may apply to storing or processing data. - Who is responsible for maintaining your site?
If your site is developed by a co-worker on a temporary contract (e.g. a PhD student), there will come a time when this person is no longer available. You should plan for continuity.
If you plan to have your web site built by an external party
- Who is the contact for ICT-Bèta?
You should identify someone within your group who will act as a contact for ICT-Bèta. - Are there special demands on technology?
External parties tend to rely more on complex products, e.g. a content management system (CMS) to maintain your site. These systems often are heavily dependent on specific versions of underlying technology such as PHP and MySQL. An upgrade of one of these technologies can have severe impact on your site. - Are there special demands on security?'
If visitors need to log in to enter (parts of) your site, or will have to send sensitive information (e.g. through a web form), care should be taken that this happens in a safe way. Privacy laws may apply to storing or processing data. - Are there special adjustments necessary on the platform your site is planned to run on?
Web sites based on a CMS sometimes require special adjustments on the file system they are running on. E.g. specific directories need write permission, or files with specific extensions need special handling. Your building partner is responsible for these adjustments, ICT-Bèta can offer only limited support. Adjustments that interfere with the integrity of our systems are not allowed. - 'Who is responsible for maintaining your site?
Keep in mind that maintenance does not stop once the site has been delivered. Who can you call when problems arise? Have you arranged for regular maintenance?