Activity 8: Deployment in Hostinger

What was this all about?

After building and testing the portfolio website locally (on my own computer), this final step was to make it publicly accessible on the internet. This involved purchasing and configuring web hosting and a domain name through Hostinger. This activity proves proficiency in the entire lifecycle of a website, from coding to live deployment and management.

Live URL Confirmation

The entire portfolio is now accessible and live online!

Live URL: http://allysonportfolio.nemsucantilan.site

Note: The primary demonstration site is codex-nemsu.online, which is the site managed in the dashboard screenshots.

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Hostinger Dashboard Proof

The following screenshots from the Hostinger control panel (hPanel) confirm the active hosting plan and the live domain.

1. Live Website Status (Websites List)

This screenshot confirms that the website, allysonportfolio.nemsucantilan.site, is successfully set up under the hosting plan and is listed as an active website.

2. Domain and Hosting Overview

This dashboard view provides details for the site codex-nemsu.online and shows that both the Domain and Hosting services are Active. This proves the server space and the domain name are correctly configured and working together.

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Explanation of the Deployment Process

Deploying a local WordPress site (like the one used for the CRUD activity) to a live server is a multi-step process that ensures everything runs smoothly under the public domain.

Here is a summary of the steps I executed in Hostinger:

1. Domain Acquisition & DNS Setup:
   • First, I secured the necessary domain name (e.g., nemsucantilan.site or codex-nemsu.online).
   • I configured the DNS (Domain Name System) settings to point the domain name to Hostinger’s specific server IP addresses. This is like telling the domain “this is where your website lives.”
2. Hosting Provisioning:
   • I chose a suitable hosting plan and used Hostinger’s hPanel to provision the server space. This creates a dedicated folder and environment on the Hostinger server for my website files.
3. WordPress Installation:
   • I used the Auto Installer tool within the Hostinger dashboard. This simplified process automatically downloaded the latest WordPress files, created the necessary MySQL database, and linked the WordPress site to the chosen domain name.
4. Database and Files Migration:
   • Since I developed Activity 7 (the CRUD Plugin) locally, I had to migrate the content. I used a migration plugin or manual methods (phpMyAdmin and FTP) to:
     • Export the local WordPress database and import it into the new Hostinger database.
     • Upload all the website files, plugins, and themes from my local machine to the Hostinger server’s public folder.
5. Final Configuration:
   • I updated the Site URL settings inside the WordPress database to reflect the new live domain (allysonportfolio.nemsucantilan.site), ensuring all internal links worked correctly on the live site.
   • I verified that the site was secure (installed an SSL certificate for https).

This process resulted in the fully functional, publicly deployed portfolio website you are viewing now.