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Created by
Paul Allen, last updated on Oct 08, 2025
2 minute read
Introduction
The CIT Cloud Architecture Team is often asked about the options for web hosting at Cornell. This is our take on the answer to that.
Options
- AWS
- Your own AWS account
- The CIT Cloud Architecture Team can provision an AWS account for teams wishing to use AWS services for web hosting. Any AWS service can be used, but some services that might be most relevant to hosting are S3+CloudFront, LightSail, and EC2. Be aware that managing an entire AWS account just for simple web hosting might be overkill.
- Using an existing AWS account owned by a ITSG
- Many Cornell units (e.g., schools, colleges, departments) already have an AWS account and they may be amenable to offering resources in that account for web hosting. Billing for the AWS services used can be targeted to specific KFS accounts (see AWS Standard Tagging).
- Your own AWS account
- Azure
- Your own Azure Subscription
- The CIT Cloud Architecture Team can provision an Azure Subscription for teams wishing to use Azure services for web hosting. Any Azure service can be used, but some services that might be most relevant to hosting are App Service, Static Web Apps, and Virtual Machines. Be aware that managing an entire Azure Subscription just for simple web hosting might be overkill.
- Using an existing Azure Subscription owned by a ITSG
- As is the case with AWS accounts, many Cornell units (e.g., schools, colleges, departments) already have an Azure Subscription and they may be amenable to offering resources in that subscription for web hosting. Billing for the Azure services used can be targeted to specific KFS accounts (see Azure Standard Tagging).
- Your own Azure Subscription
- Github
- Github Pages offers a way to publish web sites/pages. We have detailed how to publish such deployments to a Cornell domain. See Github Pages Custom Domains.
- Cornell Center for Advanced Computing
- CAC offers web hosting for research applications
- Departmental Web Services
- Several units offer web hosting or access to VMs. Check with the relevant ITSG
- Cornell-wide Services
- Center for Teaching Innovation
- CTI offers support for academic web sites
- CIT Services
- Managed Servers can provide a managed VM in AWS or Azure. This lets you focus on the applications you want to run, without worrying about managing the VM.
- Custom Development offers a variety of hosting options.