Service overview
Virtual web hosting allows web publishers to publish an independently designed website on a centrally managed system that is secure, reliable, and easily recoverable and offers a reduced risk of server downtime.
NOTE: Important considerations for owners and sponsors of custom or vendor-built websites
When choosing to create a custom or vendor-built website you are accepting responsibility for compliance with all legal and institutional requirements. Any site managers you nominate will be accountable to you concerning compliance with the digital standards and other requirements. McGill assumes no responsibility for the construction or maintenance of these sites.
For information about requirements, see our custom or vendor-built project toolkit.
This service can be used for sites representing McGill research groups, labs, special projects and applications, and inter-university collaborations led by McGill University members. Data resources for these sites should not exceed the maximum space of 1GB. Requests for custom site specifications beyond the regular allotments will be considered case-by-case. (See also Virtualization Servers for information on leasing larger virtual machines with custom specifications.)
The service allows running scripts written in PHP.
Installs of Content Management Systems (CMS) such as Joomla, Drupal, or WordPress are not supported or allowed on the current virtual hosting service.
Before web publishers choose to create a custom site on the virtual web hosting service, they should check if pre-existing services could accommodate their needs, such as:
Request a Web Services consultation for assistance to determining which platform is appropriate for your needs.
NOTE:
If the content is course-related or the web publisher is developing a learning module, they should request a consultation with the Educational Technologies group before requesting virtual web hosting.
If the website content is intended to be public-facing, Web Services training is required.
Virtual host site specs at a glance
- See the Request a new Virtual Host site form for the list of available subdomains.
Other URL formats are considered on a case-by-case basis.
- Username: Assigned at site creation
- Password: Assigned at site creation
The username and password reset instructions are mailed to the technical contact upon account creation.
- Current quota: 1Gb
- One MySQL database per account
- Multiple databases are possible under certain circumstances considered on a case-by-case basis.
- If you have a database configured for your site, the cPanel will have the appropriate tools for managing your site.
- There will be a MySQL Wizard for creating accounts and databases, and phpMyAdmin for managing the data and data structures.
- The data stored in the database should comply with McGill University's policies regarding user data. This means that user-sensitive data should not be stored in this database, either in encrypted or unencrypted formats.
Note: If you want IT Services to host a physical server for your department or research, see Data Centre Hosting.
Who can use this service
Official McGill research groups, laboratory groups, conference organizers, service units, and organizations can apply for virtual web hosting services for independently designed websites.
How to request & access the service
To request virtual web hosting services, complete the Request a new Virtual Host site webform and Web publisher and developer agreement form.
See Accessing your virtual host account and database for more information.
Cost
There is no cost associated with this service.
Note: In the future, there will be a requirement to officially renew each site periodically.
Availability
Access to virtual host accounts is available 24x7 except during maintenance or exceptional circumstances. Check the System Status page for announcements regarding service interruptions.
Frequently asked questions
- How do I access my virtual host account?
- How do I reset my vhost password?
- How do I reset my database password?
- How do I manage the MySQL database?
- How do I view basic site statistics?
- How do I view logs?
- How do I check my disk space quota?
- How do I manage files?
Best practices & policies
NOTE:
When creating a custom or vendor-built website, you accept responsibility for compliance with all legal and institutional requirements. Any site managers you nominate will be accountable to you concerning compliance with the digital standards and other requirements. McGill assumes no responsibility for the construction or maintenance of these sites. See the custom or vendor-built project toolkit for more information.
The data stored in the database must comply with McGill University's policies regarding user data. This means that user-sensitive data should not be stored in this database, either in encrypted or unencrypted formats. See the Policy on the Responsible Use of McGill Information Technology Resources for more on data storage.
Training & documentation
The following training courses are required for public-facing virtual host sites:
- WS 100 Writing for the web at McGill
- WS 101 McGill's digital standards
- WS 102 Designing great digital experiences
- WS 103 UX at McGill (for some users; see footnote here: Which web services courses should you take)
- WS 106 Web accessibility
Consult the following IT Knowledge Base articles:
- Accessing your virtual host account and database and changing the passwords
- Managing files in your VHost
- Viewing your virtual host site statistics, logs, and quota
Support
IT Services assumes no responsibility for constructing or maintaining sites using this service. Clients requesting a virtual host must have the skill and competency to install and run their own site and any additional compatible software.
- Request new or changes to DNS record
- For technical issues, contact the IT Service Desk