docs/deployment.md

🚀 24/7 Free Cloud Deployment Guide

This guide details how to host both the Static Technical Docs Hub and the Full Interactive Gateway (Playground & APIs) online 24/7 completely for free ($0 cost).

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🎨 Part 1: Host Static Docs Hub on GitHub Pages (24/7 Free)

Since our Academic & Technical documentation hub (docs/index.html) is completely self-contained with client-side interactive cascade simulators and LaTeX math formulas, it runs perfectly on GitHub Pages:

Step-by-Step GitHub Pages Setup:

1. Push your code: Ensure the latest commit containing the docs/index.html file is pushed to your GitHub repository (e.g. github.com/ypeng12/InferRoute).
2. Open Repository Settings: Go to your GitHub repository webpage and click the Settings tab.
3. Navigate to Pages: In the left sidebar under the "Code and automation" section, click Pages.
4. Configure Build Source:
   • Under Build and deployment ➔ Source, select Deploy from a branch.
   • Under Branch, select main (or your default branch) and change the folder dropdown from / (root) to /docs.
5. Save Configuration: Click Save.
6. Access Public URL: GitHub will compile and launch the page in 1–2 minutes. Your docs hub will be permanently online at: https://ypeng12.github.io/InferRoute/

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🧠 Part 2: Host Full Gateway Server on Hugging Face Spaces (24/7 Free)

Hugging Face Spaces allows you to host Dockerized Python web servers 24/7 for free. It automatically builds the application from our root Dockerfile and serves it securely.

Step-by-Step Hugging Face Setup:

1. Create Space: Go to Hugging Face Spaces and click Create new Space.
2. Configure Space settings:
   • Space Name: e.g., InferRoute or inferroute-gateway.
   • License: Choose MIT or open source.
   • SDK: Select Docker (very important).
   • Docker Template: Select Blank (do not select Gradio/Streamlit).
   • Space Hardware: Choose CPU Basic (Free - 16GB RAM).
   • Visibility: Set to Public.
3. Upload Files:
   • Git clone the Space repository or upload the files directly using the Hugging Face web UI.
   • Upload the following files/directories to the Space repository:
     • inferroute/ (complete folder)
     • docs/ (complete folder)
     • benchmarks/ (complete folder)
     • requirements.txt
     • Dockerfile
4. Automatic Build: Once files are uploaded, Hugging Face automatically detects the Dockerfile, compiles the dependencies, and deploys the gateway on port 7860.
5. Enjoy Live Playground: Your gateway and interactive playground will be online 24/7 at: https://huggingface.co/spaces/<your-username>/<your-space-name>

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⚡ Part 3: Alternative - Host Gateway on Render (Free Tier)

Render.com provides free container hosting with automatic GitHub integration:

1. Connect GitHub: Log in to Render and click New ➔ Web Service.
2. Select Repository: Connect your GitHub repository.
3. Configure Environment:
   • Runtime: Select Docker.
   • Instance Type: Select Free.
4. Environment Variables: Under the "Advanced" tab, add variables if you want to override default credentials (e.g. custom API keys).
5. Deploy: Render will build the container from the Dockerfile and expose it. (Note: Free tier Render instances go to sleep after 15 minutes of inactivity. Hugging Face Spaces is recommended for persistent 24/7 uptimes).