UB Containers as a Service for web hosting

faculty member using laptop while peers look on.

Photographer: Douglas Levere

Published February 5, 2024

In the dynamic landscape of web hosting services, UB's Containers as a Service (UB CaaS), formerly known as WebApps, has emerged to integrate with a diverse range of programming languages and databases. 

Print

Author

Canfield photo.

Michael Canfield joined UB in January 2023 as an IT Communications Specialist for UBIT. A former newspaper reporter with a background in higher ed communication, Michael is also a volunteer firefighter. When he’s not writing or learning about all things UBIT, Michael likes to spend time with his wife and two English bulldogs. 

If you’re a UB faculty or staff member creating a web presence at UB, learn what the service has to offer. 

Versatility

UB CaaS stands out for its versatility, offering an accessible platform to a broad spectrum of programming languages and databases. Additionally, its compatibility with various databases ensures that web applications run smoothly.

Using Linux containers, docker images are provided by the platform with pre-installed software, allowing the developer to immediately begin building their website or application.

Integration with UBCMS

A noteworthy feature of UB CaaS is its seamless integration with UBCMS sites. This synergy allows content creators to augment their websites with additional functionality. CaaS-built web applications can be displayed inside a UBCMS site by using External Embed or HTML Snippet components.

Enhanced functionality for web applications

Beyond traditional web hosting, UB CaaS takes a step further by enhancing the functionality of web applications. Developers can leverage the platform to deploy containerized applications, ensuring scalability, portability, and efficient resource utilization.

The platform fully supports load balancing multiple containers running the same code, thereby scaling horizontally by simply spinning up another instance of the application. When not needed, these extra instances can be deleted, freeing up resources for other projects.

Since the applications run in containers, a developer can run a package such as docker on a laptop, storing their application code in a git repository, and once the application is ready, easily port it to the CaaS environment.

Learn more about UB Containers as a Service

Need help?

If you need help, contact the UBIT Help Center online or call (716) 645-3542.