Webspace

In general, all employees of the University of Vienna are entitled to create a webspace and manage it as administrator. After creating a webspace, you can enter further u:account UserIDs as additional administrators and/or users.  u:account for guests require the extended authorization level.

As an administrator, you can configure all webspace settings using the webspace admin form.

As a user, you can view the webspace admin form, connect to the webspace and edit its content. 

IT representatives see all webspaces allocated to their organisational unit and can independently join all these webspaces as an administrator. For example, this is helpful if the previous administrator leaves the University of Vienna. If the last administrator of a webspace leaves the University of Vienna, the ZID will automatically register the IT representative as the new administrator. You will be informed of this by e-mail. 

If an external person should be able to edit the content of a webspace, they have to set up a u:account (if they do not have one yet), which has to be approved by the IT representative. The IT representative creates the webspace and adds the external person as a user.

Open the webspace admin page and log in using your u:account login details.

Use the relevant user guide:

• Creating webspace with installed WordPress
• Creating empty webspace

You receive a ready-to-use WordPress installation. This option is ideal if you want to publish text, images and other files on the Internet, but do not require any further functionalities. After creating the webspace, you can create and manage users in the WordPress backend using your webspace account. The WordPress software is updated continuously and automatically. You only have to independently and regularly update themes and plug-ins that you installed yourself.

Example page: wordpress.univie.ac.at

You receive a PHP webspace that processes files with the file ending *.php. Use this option for your own applications and/or for web software that you have to install yourself and that require PHP and/or a web database.

If necessary, you can edit both the Apache configuration file as well as the PHP configuration file. This is at your own responsibility. The ZID does not provide relevant support.

You receive a Perl webspace. Use this option if you intend to use Perl scripts with the file ending *.CGI. If necessary, you can adapt the Apache configuration file. This is at your own responsibility. The ZID does not provide relevant support.

• Empty webspace: PHP or Perl (script languages for the creation of dynamic websites)
• Webspace with installed software and automatic software updates: WordPress
• Host name (URL) of webspaces for work purposes can be defined (hostnameofyourchoice.univie.ac.at)
• Separate user administration on each webspace
• Manage cron jobs in the form:
  Enter a cron job command (not a web URL), using the example for PHP in the following form:
   /usr/bin/php /var/www/html/console core:archive > /var/www/archive.log
  After specifying the execution frequency, save the job with Save.
• HTML and CSS files for displaying a website
• SSL certificate: All websites on the webserver automatically receive a valid certificate and are accessible via https://.
• Authentication: Single sign on via Shibboleth is fully integrated and already active on webspaces with pre-installed WordPress. In addition, methods for general directory protection are available.
• Web database: any number of MariaDB databases including phpMyAdmin for administration
• Web statistics: anonymous report of visits to your website
• Viewing log files
• Extended webspace administration for experienced users via OpenShift: This is at your own responsibility. The ZID does not provide relevant support.

If you require more storage space then 50 gb or any special resources (such as special software or databases), please contact the ZID Helpdesk before requesting a webspace. 

You can edit the website via the browser. Go to the WordPress backend of your website:

• Personal website: https://homepage.univie.ac.at/firstname.lastname/wp-admin/
• Website for work purposes: https://hostnameofyourchoice.univie.ac.at/wp-admin/

Log in locally to the WordPress backend using your personal u:account.

Edit the website according to your wishes. If necessary, use the user guide Editing a WordPress page and the documentation provided on WordPress.com.

Save the changes you made. They are visible online immediately.

The homepage must be called index.html (PHP webspace: index.php, Perl webspace: index.CGI). It must be located in the website folder /html/. To publish the website on the internet, you have to transfer the files of the website to the webspace. You have the following option to transfer the files:

• Transfer log: SMB
• Server name (host): \\webspace-access.univie.ac.at\u:account userID
• User details: u\u:account userID and password (note the prefix u\)

Use the user guides for personal storage space.

If you are not in the range of the University of Vienna’s data network, you require a VPN connection to access the storage space.
 

• In the home directory (/u/u:accountUserID), you can find directories and/or system links to the webspace accounts of the relevant webspaces. In this root directory of a newly created webspace, you can find the following directories:
• html/: Contents in this directory are published on the WWW. Do not store contents that you do not wish to publish in this directory.
• conf.d/: You can use this directory for your own extensions of the httpd. configuration file. All files ending on .conf are automatically included after restarting the webspace (https://httpd.apache.org/docs/2.4/mod/quickreference.html).
• php.d/: You can use this directory for your own extensions of the php configuration file. All files ending on .ini are automatically included after restarting the webspace (https://www.php.net/manual/en/ini.list.php). This directory does not have a function if you selected Perl.
• You can always find the root directory of a webspace under /var/www on the WWW server and in cron jobs.

The ZID offers the webspace service as well as the different webspace versions and keeps them up to date, as far as possible.

• Updates, such as an update from PHP 7.4.1 to PHP 7.4.2 are implemented centrally on all webspaces by the ZID.
• Upgrades, such as from PHP 7 to PHP 8, must be implemented by the relevant administrator via the webspace admin form. It may be necessary to adjust some data before the running version reaches the end of its life cycle. Administrators receive an e-mail if the version of the software they are using is out of date.

When running self-installed or self-developed software on a PHP or Perl webspace, the registered administrator is responsible for keeping the webspace up to date and secure.

On a WordPress webspace, only self-installed themes or plug-ins have to be updated regularly.

The ZID reserves the right to deactivate a webspace in case of security issues or violations of the terms of use.

Each webspace has an expiration date. To continue using it, it must be extended before then. A notification of the expiration will be sent via e-mail to:

• 1 month before: administrators
• 1 week before, if the webspace has not been extended by then: administrators, for webspaces for work purposes additionally IT representatives of this organisational unit

Extending webspace:

1. Log in to webspace-admin.univie.ac.at (u:account UserID and password).
2. Click Edit webspace.
3. Click (webspace title) edit.
4. On the right click Extend Webspace.

The extension is valid for 1 year.

If you do not extend the webspace, it will expire automatically:

1. On the expiry date, the webspace is deactivated and is no longer visible on the WWW. You can still manage the web space and access the content.
2. 3 months later, the webspace and all content stored in it will be irretrievably cleared. 

Open the webspace admin page and log in using your u:account login details.

Click Edit Webspace.

You now see a list of your webspaces with the titles that you specified when creating them. Click the URL to access the website allocated to the relevant webspace. Alternatively, you can also click the webspace title to open the detail view.

In the detail view, you first land in the Settings section. Here, you can change the settings of the webspace retroactively. As soon as you save your changes, they are automatically implemented (loading icon). You can only make further changes as soon as all components have been updated.

In the Status section, you can view the technical details of the webspace. These details are relevant to experienced users. The following functions are available:

• Detailed information about the webspace
• Display log file
• Open OpenShift
• Restart webspace

Open the webspace admin page and log in using your u:account login details.

Click Edit Webspace.

You now see a list of your webspaces with the titles that you specified when creating them. Click the title of the webspace to open the detail view.

Then click the Delete webspace button.

In the following pop-up window, click Delete.

Your webspace is deleted.

The web databases used for empty webspaces remain unchanged for the time being. If necessary, you can delete them using the Managing databases form. This way, you can delete databases created using the webspace account as well as automatically created WordPress databases.

The Websites Terms Of Use apply.