PREFACE
This presentation explores Static Website Hosting using Amazon S3, a
cloud-based service by AWS designed to simplify website deployment and
management. Unlike traditional web hosting, Amazon S3 offers a highly
scalable, secure, and cost-effective solution for hosting static websites sites
composed of fixed content such as HTML, CSS files. We will cover the key
features, benefits, and step-by-step setup process of hosting static websites
on Amazon S3, highlighting how this approach leverages cloud technology to
improve accessibility, reliability, and maintenance efficiency.
Cloud Computing and
AWS
Exploring the Future of Cloud Technology
Introduction
Cloud computing has transformed how websites are built and
managed by offering scalable, cost-effective, and easy-to-use
solutions. In this project, we deployed a static website for a
local gym using Amazon S3, a popular service from Amazon
Web Services (AWS). This allowed us to host HTML, CSS files
without the need for server-side processing. Through this
hands-on experience, we learned the basics of cloud hosting,
file management, and deploying scalable web solutions
essential skills for future cloud-based projects.
Our goal is to demonstrate the simplicity and efficiency of
hosting a static site using cloud infrastructure. This project
underscores the practical applications of cloud platforms in
real-world scenarios, preparing us for larger and more complex
cloud-based deployments in the future.
01
Cloud
Computing
Definition and Overview
We transitioned from offline to online by learning Amazon
S3's bucket system, setting public permissions, configuring
static website hosting.
We also explored versioning to manage file changes. Each
step from account setup to website testing was thoroughly
documented with screenshots, creating a clear,
reproducible guide. This project gave us hands-on
experience with cloud hosting, deepened our AWS
knowledge, and laid the groundwork for future cloud and
DevOps projects.
Benefits Over Traditional Hosting
Unlike traditional hosting, cloud computing eliminates the need for physical servers and
significantly reduces maintenance costs.
Benefits Over Traditional Hosting :
- on-demand resource availability, automatic updates,
- enhanced collaboration capabilities,
- all of which are essential for modern software and web development.
Key Concepts in Cloud Technology
- Key concepts in cloud computing include different cloud models such as public, private, and
hybrid clouds.
- It also involves essential service models likes.
1. Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS),
2. Platform as a Service (PaaS),
3. Software as a Service (SaaS).
-These components enable a wide range of flexible and scalable deployment options.
02
AWS Overview
Introduction to Amazon Web Services
Amazon Web Services (AWS) is a comprehensive and widely adopted
cloud computing platform developed by Amazon. Launched in 2006,
AWS offers a broad set of on-demand services such as computing power,
storage, databases, networking, machine learning, and more delivered
over the internet with pay-as-you-go pricing.
It allows businesses of all sizes to scale resources quickly without the
need for physical infrastructure, significantly reducing operational costs
and increasing flexibility. Trusted by millions of customers around the
world—including startups, enterprises, and government agencies—AWS
is known for its reliability, security, and global reach, making it a key
enabler of innovation and digital transformation.
AWS Features and
Services
Amazon Web Services (AWS) is a cloud platform by Amazon that offers
200+ services from data centers worldwide. It provides scalable,
reliable, and fast infrastructure for building and running applications.
AWS uses a pay-as-you-go pricing model, helping businesses save costs.
It ensures strong security and high availability for users globally.
Key Features of AWS:
Scalability:
AWS offers auto-scaling and load balancing to dynamically adjust
resources based on traffic and usage demands, ensuring optimal
performance and cost-efficiency.
Reliability:
With multiple Availability Zones and data centers across the globe,
AWS ensures high uptime, disaster recovery, and fault tolerance.
Security:
AWS provides robust security features, including data encryption,
identity and access management (IAM), compliance with international
standards, and DDoS protection.
Global Reach:
AWS operates in multiple geographic regions, allowing developers to
03
Static Website
Hosting
Core AWS Services
Amazon S3 (Simple Storage Service):
A secure, durable, and scalable object storage service used for storing and retrieving any amount of
data. It is commonly used for hosting static websites.
Amazon EC2 (Elastic Compute Cloud):
Virtual servers in the cloud that provide resizable compute capacity. Useful for hosting dynamic
applications.
Amazon Route 53:
A scalable domain name system (DNS) web service used to register domain names and route traffic to
AWS services like S3 and EC2.
AWS IAM (Identity and Access Management):
Used for managing access to AWS services securely through policies and user roles.
AWS provides developers with all the tools required to build highly available, fault-tolerant, and scalable
applications. In the context of this project, AWS S3 was leveraged for hosting a static website due to its
simplicity, low cost, and ease of integration with other AWS services.
What is a Static Website?
A static website consists of fixed content created using HTML, CSS,
and JavaScript. Unlike dynamic websites, it does not require any
server-side processing, as each page is a separate HTML file. This
results in faster loading times, making static sites ideal for
straightforward information dissemination.
Use Cases for Static Websites
Static websites are perfect for portfolios, documentation, landing
pages, and promotional websites where content remains largely
unchanged. Other examples include personal blogs and small
business websites that don't require server-side processing or
back-end databases.
INTRODUCTION TO
AMAZON S3
Amazon S3 (Simple Storage Service) offers numerous
advantages for hosting static websites. Key benefits include
high durability, scalability to accommodate traffic spikes, low
latency for fast load times, and cost-effective storage
options that charge only for the storage used.
Relevance to the Project:
In this project, Amazon S3 was utilized to host a static gym website
that was originally developed offline. The website files including
HTML, CSS, and images were uploaded to an S3 bucket, and public
access was configured to make the site accessible over the internet.
Key features like versioning and bucket policies were also applied to
enhance functionality and manageability.
Advantages of Hosting
on S3
Amazon S3 offers a reliable and cost-effective solution
for hosting static websites, making it an ideal platform
for developers and businesses aiming for performance,
scalability, and ease of maintenance. Static websites
typically consist of HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and image
files without server-side logic, making them well-suited
for S3’s object storage model.
04
Deploying on
S3
Steps to Deploy a
Static Website
To deploy a static website on Amazon S3, first
create an S3 bucket, upload your website files,
and configure the bucket for static website
hosting. Adjust permissions and enable public
access to make the website accessible to users
globally.
STEP 1: Create a website
※ The first step is to create a website using HTML, CSS and other assets.
Fig 1.1: Code for Web Page
※ Make Website responsive and adaptive
Fig 1.2: CSS Code to make website Adaptive
Configuration and Settings in S3
Configuration settings involve setting your index document
(usually index.html) and error document to manage what users
see on access attempts. Furthermore, correct bucket policies
must be established to grant read permissions for public users.
STEP 2: Create an S3 bucket
Fig 1.3: AWS S3 console
※ In the Buckets tab, click Create bucket
Fig 1.4: Creating bucket in AWS S3 console
Give your bucket a name. This name must be unique across all S3 buckets in your partition
(a grouping of regions: aws, aws-cn, or aws-us-gov). If you intend to attach a custom domain
to your site later via Route 53, this name needs to be identical to the root domain of the site
(e.g. powerhousegymgnu.com).
Fig 1.5: Creating bucket in AWS S3 console
※ Uncheck Block all public access and accept the warning that
displays below. This gives us finer control over how public access
can be granted.
Fig 1.6: Configuring public access
STEP 3: Upload web packages to the Bucket
The next step is to upload the static site files that define the website into the S3
bucket.
❖ Steps for performing the upload to AWS S3:
In the S3 dashboard, click on your new bucket to navigate to its overview page.
In Objects, click Upload. In Files and Folders, upload your project files, then
click Upload.
Fig 1.7: Uploading files to bucket
STEP 4: Configure the bucket for static website hosting
We will perform some additional configuration to configure the bucket specifically
for static site hosting, as opposed to standard hosting for static files.
Fig 1.8: Enabling static hosting
Fig 1.9: Properties section of packages
STEP 5: Configure the bucket for static website hosting
We'll finalize the security configuration so that our static site is accessible to the public.
Throw Public URL
Fig 2.1: Enabling bucket public access
※ Bucket Policy
{
"Version": "2012-10-17",
"Id": "Policy1747741397639",
"Statement": [
{
"Sid": "Stmt1747741395207",
"Effect": "Allow",
"Principal": "*",
"Action": "s3:GetObject",
"Resource":
"arn:aws:s3:::powerhousegnu/*"
}
]
STEP 7: Enable Versioning
Fig 2.2: Enabling bucket Versioning.
RESULT AND DISCUSSION
After following through all the above process and instruction we finally will
be able to access the live static website through the public link generated.
For our specific one it can be accessed through HERE↗
Which when accessed will look like this
Fig 2.3: Frontpage(index) of hosted Fig 2.4: Frontpage(index) of hosted website
website
SECURITY
Security is a critical aspect of any web-hosting project, even for static websites. Although static
CONSIDERATIONS
websites do not involve dynamic content or databases, it is still essential to ensure that files are
securely hosted and access is properly controlled. Amazon S3 offers several features and best
practices to enhance the security of static websites.
1. Public Access Control
By default, new S3 buckets block all public access. For a static website, public access must be
enabled only for specific objects or folders that need to be visible to users.
2. Bucket Policy Management
S3 allows you to write custom bucket policies using JSON to control access permissions. These
policies should be carefully crafted to avoid overexposure.
4. Versioning and Change Tracking
5. Access Logs and Monitoring
6. IAM Roles and Policies
Use AWS Identity and Access Management (IAM) to define who can access the AWS Management
Console or make changes to the S3 bucket.
FUTURE SCOPE
While this project successfully demonstrates how to host a static website using Amazon S3, As
cloud computing technologies continue to evolve, developers can take advantage of more
advanced AWS services to build scalable, dynamic, and intelligent web applications.
1. Integration with Continuous Deployment (CI/CD)
To streamline updates and improvements, the project can be integrated with CI/CD pipelines
2. Add Dynamic Functionality
Although S3 only supports static content, dynamic features can be added using other AWS
services:
DynamoDB or RDS to store and retrieve dynamic data
3. Custom Domain and SSL Integration
To make the website more professional, a custom domain name can be linked using Amazon
Route 53, along with SSL/TLS certificates via AWS Certificate Manager (ACM)
4. Scalable Hosting for Production
CONCLUSION
Through this project, we demonstrated the end-to-end process of:
Building a functional static website
Setting up and configuring an S3 bucket
Hosting the website publicly on the internet
Implementing versioning and permission controls
Evaluating cost, performance, and scalability
This project not only helped us apply our academic knowledge in a practical setting but also
prepared us for real-world scenarios where cloud platforms like AWS play a vital role. We believe
this foundational experience will serve as a stepping stone for more complex cloud-based projects
and professional opportunities in the future.
REFERENCES
1. https://aws.amazon.com/s3/
2. https://docs.aws.amazon.com/AmazonS3/latest/userguide/WebsiteHosting.html
3. https://www.geeksforgeeks.org/launch-a-website-on-aws-s3/
Thank you!