What is the Consolidated Hosting Environment?

The Consolidated Hosting Environment (CHE) serves a wide variety of web applications and other information system needs for departments on all Indiana University campuses. For instance, on the Bloomington campus, University Division uses the environment for a client/server application that tracks student advising. Technologies Services at IU Northwest is also moving several web applications, including the campus calendar, to the environment.

The CHE enables clients to use desired technologies not available in any other hosting environment provided by UITS, for the lowest cost possible, while maintaining an acceptable level of performance, reliability, and security. For information on pricing, see Rates and costs of services.

Unique features include a Microsoft IIS web server with the ability to serve dynamic web pages written using Adobe ColdFusion, Microsoft ASP, and Microsoft .Net programming languages. Also included is a Microsoft Windows Share with the ability to serve executables and files. The web pages, shared files, and executables hosted in this environment may access data in a Microsoft SQL Server that is part of this environment, or they may use other data stores as desired by the client and acceptable to the provider.

The departments develop and maintain the applications, and UITS provides the hardware, software, and system administration through a combined effort of the Enterprise Web Technical Services, Enterprise Server Administration, Database Administration, and Computer Operations groups.

To request an account on the CHE for departments or auxiliary units, contact CHE Help.