Chapter 5
Hosting
This chapter provides an introduction to popular hosting providers.
Binder is a cloud-based platform that allows users to share and
execute Jupyter Notebooks as interactive environments.
It utilizes Docker containers to create custom environments
for notebooks and provides public and private hosting options.
Binder runs on a public infrastructure and is provided as a free
service by the Binder team.
BinderLab is a development environment for JupyterLab that runs on top of Binder.
It allows users to create and run custom JupyterLab environments
and provides a collaborative workspace for multiple users.
Unlike Binder, BinderLab is designed for development purposes
rather than just sharing and executing notebooks.
BitBucket is a popular hosting provider for Git repositories.
It provides users with a cloud-based platform to store and manage
their Git projects, and includes features such as code collaboration
and continuous integration.
DockerHub is a cloud-based repository for Docker images and containers. It provides users with a centralized location to store, manage and share their Docker images, and allows for easy distribution and deployment of containerized applications. DockerHub also provides features such as automated builds, which allows users to automatically build Docker images from source code repositories.
GitHub is a widely used platform for hosting Git repositories,
collaborating on code, and managing projects.
In addition to hosting Git repositories, GitHub provides
users with a variety of tools for project management,
such as issue tracking, code reviews, and continuous integration.
GitHub Pages is a free service for hosting static websites
directly from a GitHub repository.
Users can create websites using static site generators or
by manually writing HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.
GitHub Pages also provides custom domain support,
SSL encryption, and GitHub Actions for automating website builds and deployments.
JupyterHub is a multi-user server for Jupyter Notebooks that allows multiple users to access and use the same Jupyter Notebook environment simultaneously.
Choosing Hosting for Jupyter Notebooks
The choice of platform to share a Jupyter Notebook depends on the
intended use case, audience, and level of collaboration required.
Here are some guidelines for when to use each platform.
GitHub
Use GitHub to share Jupyter Notebooks that are part of a larger project,
and to collaborate on code with others.
GitHub provides version control, code reviews, and issue tracking,
making it an ideal platform for collaborating on code.
However, GitHub is not optimized for executing Jupyter Notebooks
in the cloud, and
users may need to download and run the notebooks locally to interact with them.
Binder
Use Binder to share Jupyter Notebooks that require
specific software dependencies,
or to share a single notebook with a small group of users.
Binder provides a cloud-based environment
that allows users to interact with Jupyter Notebooks
directly in their web browser,
without having to install any software.
However, Binder is not intended for large-scale collaboration,
and may not be suitable for running notebooks with
high computational requirements.
BinderHub
Use BinderHub to create a custom, scalable cloud-based environment
for running Jupyter Notebooks.
BinderHub is built on top of Kubernetes and Docker,
providing automatic scaling and load balancing
for your Jupyter Notebook environments.
BinderHub is suitable for sharing Jupyter Notebooks with a large audience,
and provides customizable environments and version control integration.
However, setting up and managing a BinderHub instance
requires technical expertise and resources.
JupyterHub
Use JupyterHub to provide a shared computing environment
for a group of users.
JupyterHub allows multiple users to access and use the same
Jupyter Notebook environment simultaneously,
making it suitable for classroom settings or collaborative research projects.
JupyterHub provides user authentication and access control,
and can be customized to provide specific software dependencies
and resources for different groups of users.
However, setting up and managing a JupyterHub instance
requires technical expertise and resources.
Subsections of Hosting
Binder
Binder is a cloud-based platform that allows you to share your Jupyter Notebooks as interactive, executable environments.
It’s built on top of Docker, and provides a way to easily share and launch Jupyter Notebooks in the cloud.
Here are some key features of Binder.
Customizable environments
Binder allows you to create custom environments for your Jupyter Notebooks using Docker containers. This makes it easy to package and distribute your code and dependencies,
and ensures that your environment is consistent across different machines.
Public and private hosting
Binder allows you to host your Jupyter Notebooks on either a public or private server.
Public hosting allows anyone to access and run your notebooks,
while private hosting restricts access to authorized users.
Version control
Binder integrates with GitHub and other version control platforms,
allowing you to easily share and update your notebooks as you develop and improve them.
Scalability
Binder provides automatic scaling and load balancing for your Jupyter Notebook environments. This ensures that your notebooks are always available and responsive, no matter how many users are accessing them.
Accessibility
Because Binder runs in the cloud,
it provides a way to make your Jupyter Notebooks accessible from anywhere,
on any device with an internet connection.
This makes it easy to collaborate on projects and share your work with others.
Get Started
To get started with Binder,
you can either use the public hosting service provided by the Binder team,
or you can set up your own instance of Binder on your own servers.
The Binder documentation provides detailed instructions for both options.
BinderHub
BinderHub is a cloud-based platform that allows you to share your Jupyter Notebooks as interactive, executable environments.
It’s built on top of Kubernetes and Docker,
and provides a way to easily share and launch Jupyter Notebooks in the cloud.
Here are some key features of BinderHub.
Customizable environments
BinderHub allows you to create custom environments for your Jupyter Notebooks using Docker containers. This makes it easy to package and distribute your code and dependencies, and ensures that your environment is consistent across different machines.
Public and private hosting
BinderHub allows you to host your Jupyter Notebooks on either a public or private server. Public hosting allows anyone to access and run your notebooks, while private hosting restricts access to authorized users.
Version control
BinderHub integrates with GitHub and other version control platforms, allowing you to easily share and update your notebooks as you develop and improve them.
Scalability
BinderHub is built on top of Kubernetes, which provides automatic scaling and load balancing for your Jupyter Notebook environments. This ensures that your notebooks are always available and responsive, no matter how many users are accessing them.
Accessibility
Because BinderHub runs in the cloud, it provides a way to make your Jupyter Notebooks accessible from anywhere, on any device with an internet connection. This makes it easy to collaborate on projects and share your work with others.
Get Started
To get started with BinderHub, you can either use the public hosting service provided by the Binder team,
or you can set up your own instance of BinderHub on your own servers.
The BinderHub documentation provides detailed instructions for both options.
Bitbucket
Bitbucket is a web-based version control repository hosting service
owned by Atlassian.
It is designed for team collaboration and primarily used for
source code and development projects that use either Mercurial
or Git revision control systems. Bitbucket provides a platform for
teams to plan projects, collaborate on code, test, and
deploy applications efficiently.
Atlassian is the company behind Jira, a popular project management
and issue tracking software. Jira is designed to help teams plan,
track, and manage their work, including software development, agile
project management, bug tracking, and task management.
It offers a flexible and customizable platform that allows teams to
organize their work, prioritize tasks, and monitor progress efficiently.
Dockerhub
Docker Hub is a cloud-based repository service provided by Docker,
similar to GitHub, but specifically designed for sharing and managing
Docker images. Just as GitHub is a platform for storing and collaborating
on code repositories, Docker Hub allows you to store, share, and
collaborate on Docker images. Docker Hub simplifies the process of
distributing and deploying containerized applications and streamlines
collaboration with other developers.
Here’s a brief introduction to some key features.
Public and private repositories
Docker Hub allows you to create both public and private repositories for your Docker images. Public repositories are accessible to everyone, while private repositories can only be accessed by authorized users.
Image versioning
Docker Hub supports versioning of Docker images using tags, which allows you to maintain multiple versions of an image in the same repository. This is similar to using branches in a Git repository to manage different versions of your code.
Automated builds
You can link your Docker Hub repository to a GitHub or Bitbucket repository, enabling automated builds of Docker images whenever code is pushed to the linked repository. This feature ensures that your Docker images are always up-to-date with your source code.
Webhooks
Docker Hub supports webhooks, which can be used to trigger events or notifications when a new image is pushed to a repository. This can help automate deployment workflows and keep your applications up-to-date.
Official images
Docker Hub hosts a wide range of official images for popular programming languages, frameworks, and tools. These images are maintained by their respective organizations or developers and can be used as a base for building your own custom images.
In addition to official images, Docker Hub also hosts thousands of community-contributed images. These images are created and maintained by Docker users and can be a valuable resource when you’re looking for a pre-built solution or starting point for your own images.
Get Started
To get started with Docker Hub, sign up for a free account.
Once you have an account, you can create your own repositories,
browse and search for images, and collaborate with other users.
If you’re familiar with GitHub, you’ll find many similarities in the way
Docker Hub organizes and manages repositories, making it easy to transition
between the two platforms.
Github
GitHub is a web-based platform that allows developers to store and manage
their code and collaborate with others. It is built on top of Git,
which is a distributed version control system that allows developers
to track changes to their code over time and collaborate with others
on the same codebase.
With GitHub, developers can create their own repositories,
which are essentially folders that contain their code, documentation,
and other files related to a specific project.
They can also fork other people’s repositories to create their own copies,
which they can then modify and contribute back to the original repository.
This allows for easy collaboration and code sharing among developers.
GitHub also provides a range of tools for developers to manage their code,
such as the ability to track and resolve issues, review and
merge pull requests, and create and manage branches.
It also provides a
web-based interface for viewing and editing code, as well as a built-in
code editor.
Additionally, it has a wide range of integrations and
APIs that allow developers to automate various development tasks and
integrate with other tools and services.
Integrated Editing - New!
You can use the github.dev web-based editor to edit files and
commit your changes from your browser.
To try it, when viewing a repository in your browser:
- Change the URL from “github.com” to “github.dev”.
- When viewing a file, use the dropdown menu next to and select github.dev.
Read more at https://docs.github.com/en/codespaces/the-githubdev-web-based-editor.
GitHub Renders Executed Jupyter Notebooks
GitHub has the ability to render Jupyter notebooks directly within its platform,
allowing users to view and interact with notebooks without having to
download or install any software.
However, this feature only works if
the Jupyter notebook has been executed first and saved as an .ipynb file.
When a Jupyter notebook is executed,
the output cells are stored within the .ipynb file along with the code cells.
This means that when the notebook is opened on GitHub,
the output cells can be rendered and displayed alongside the code.
If a Jupyter notebook has not been executed before being uploaded to GitHub,
then the output cells will not be present in the file,
and therefore will not be displayed when the notebook is opened on GitHub.
In this case, users will need to download the notebook
and execute it locally in order to view the output cells.
GitHub Alternatives
Read More
Read more about GitHub at the links below.
Github Pages
GitHub Pages is a free and easy way to host static websites directly
from your GitHub repositories.
It is ideal for hosting personal blogs, project documentation,
or simple websites.
With GitHub Pages, you can quickly create a site using Markdown,
HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, and have it automatically generated and
hosted by GitHub.
Some key features of GitHub Pages include:
Easy setup
Setting up a GitHub Pages site is simple and requires only a few steps. You can create a new repository or use an existing one, add your content, and enable GitHub Pages in the repository settings.
Custom domains
By default, GitHub Pages sites are hosted under a github.io subdomain, but you can also configure a custom domain for your site.
Jekyll integration
GitHub Pages integrates seamlessly with Jekyll, a popular static site generator.
This allows you to write your content in Markdown, use templates and themes,
and have Jekyll automatically generate your site’s HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.
Hugo support
GitHub Pages also supports hosting websites generated with Hugo.
Hugo is an open-source static site generator written in Go,
known for its speed and flexibility.
It enables you to create websites using Markdown, HTML, CSS, and JavaScript,
and comes with a rich set of features, including templates, themes, shortcodes,
and built-in support for taxonomies such as categories and tags.
Hugo is designed to handle large sites efficiently, making it a
popular choice for blogs, portfolios, and documentation sites.
Version control
Since GitHub Pages sites are hosted directly from your GitHub repositories,
you get all the benefits of version control. This makes it easy to track
changes, collaborate with others, and revert to previous versions of your site if needed.
SSL support
GitHub Pages provides free SSL support for both github.io subdomains and
custom domains, ensuring secure connections for your site visitors.
JupyterHub
JupyterHub is a multi-user server for Jupyter Notebooks that allows multiple users to access and use the same Jupyter Notebook environment simultaneously. This is useful for teaching or collaborative work where multiple people need to work on the same code or data simultaneously.
How JupyterHub Works
JupyterHub allows users to access their own private Jupyter Notebook servers from within a shared environment. This means that each user can have their own Jupyter Notebook environment, complete with their own set of packages and dependencies, while still being able to share data and collaborate with others in the same project.
JupyterHub runs on a server and can be accessed through a web browser. Once logged in, users can create new notebooks, access existing notebooks, and share their work with others in the same project.
Key Features of JupyterHub
Multi-user support
JupyterHub is designed to support multiple users accessing the same Jupyter Notebook environment simultaneously. This makes it ideal for teaching environments or collaborative projects where multiple people need to work on the same code or data at the same time.
Customizable environments
Each user in JupyterHub can have their own customized Jupyter Notebook environment, complete with their own set of packages and dependencies. This means that users can work with the tools and libraries they are most comfortable with, while still collaborating with others in the same project.
Centralized control
JupyterHub provides centralized control over user access and permissions, making it easy to manage access to Jupyter Notebook servers and data. This makes it easy to control who has access to what data and to ensure that users are only able to access the data and tools they need for their work.
Scalability
JupyterHub is designed to be scalable and can support large numbers of users simultaneously. This makes it ideal for use in teaching environments or for collaborative projects with a large number of participants.
Getting Started with JupyterHub
To get started with JupyterHub, you will need to set up a server that meets the system requirements for running JupyterHub. Once you have set up your server, you can install JupyterHub using a package manager like pip or conda.
Once JupyterHub is installed, you can configure it to meet your specific needs, including setting up user accounts, creating custom environments, and managing access and permissions.
JupyterHub is a powerful tool for collaborative work and teaching environments, and provides a flexible and customizable environment for working with Jupyter Notebooks.