Services

SSL IT Service Recharge Offerings

The following is a description of the UCB SSL IT Services recharge offerings. For pricing, please see IT Services Recharge Rates.

Networking Services:

Advanced Networking:

  • Applies to:  Every device that has a fixed IP address.
  • Services Provided: These charges support SSL hardwired network connectivity and the associated support infrastructure.  For example, this  covers costs for network hardware, network wiring, software and hardware support for the core networking protocols.  In addition, this offering supports the small effort to assist general users with their networking needs.
  • Support level: Only network connectivity issues are supported up to the device NIC.  Sysadmin of these systems is self supported.  To gain more support, system must be enrolled into the appropriate tier described below.
  • Cost for this service is independent of any other offering.

LDAP Account:

  • Applies to: Every entry in the SSL LDAP database.
  • Services Provided: An entry in the LDAP database, which provides access to certain SSL services.  These services include, but are not limited to: and email account, a logon to the SSL wireless network, an optional shell account on the central IT services servers, VPN access to SSL, access to secure areas of the lab web and file sharing space.  Other services will be added over time to this offering.
  • Support level: Help desk support of accessing any of the services provided with and LDAP account.

Backup Services:

EMC Networker Backups:

  • Applies to: All Unix, Linux and Windows systems requiring enterprise grade backups.
  • Services Provided: Any system that is subscribed will be backed up to the IT Services EMC Networker backup system.  Data is stored onsite with copies moved offsite every six months to support disaster recovery.  Backups are typically scheduled nightly, but other scheduling options are available for mostly static data sets.  Typically for very large data stores, a full backup is only run yearly, with monthly differential backups and weekly incremental backups.
  • Charges are per gigabyte that is saved by the backup system. Data backup volume will not be the size of your data set, but how much data is stored on the back server.  The amount of data that is stored on the backup server varies depending upon how often your data set changes.
  • Support level: IT Services will assist to ensure backups run successfully on any subscribed system.  The backup system it self is maintained at priority 1 support (see below) to ensure data recovery is available.

Time Machine File store:

•Applies to: Macintosh computers.

•Services Provided: Any Macintosh computer subscribed to this offering can use the Time Machine file store to hold Apple Time Machine backups.  The storage is maintained on enterprise grade hardware to ensure availability of this service.

  • Support level: IT Services will assist to ensure backups run successfully on any subscribed system.  The backup system its self is maintained at priority 1 support to ensure data recovery is available.
  • This service stores data onsite only.  If offsite storage is desired, then any Time Machine data set can also be backed up using the EMC Networker Backup service.
  • This service is charged by the storage space consumed, at the same rate as Tier 1 Shared Storage below.  For pricing, please see pricing above

Systems Support Services:

Tier 1:

  • Applies to: This tier is for single user, desktop systems.  If more than one user would be impacted by a tier 1 system failure, then this system is multiuser, and should be moved to a higher tier.  Enrollment is optional.
  • Services Provided: Tier 1 systems and all tiers above it get access to the shared IT services infrastructure, including networked user home directories, access to all enrolled project data servers, other shared storage across the network, shared terminal services.  Services also include hardware configuration and repairs, operating system installation and upgrades, security patches and any work to fully integrate the system into the Space Sciences Laboratory network.  Note that printers fall within this tier.
  • Support Level: Systems in tier 1 receive priority 3 support (see below for support definitions).

Tier 2:

  • Applies to: Small work group, multiuser systems (servers).  This tier is defined by systems that would effect between two an ten users if they went down.  Examples of these systems are shared computational, database, small storage (under 5 TB) servers.  Enrollment is optional.
  • Services Provided:  Tier 2 systems are provide all the services from tier 1, and in addition can be optionally rack mounted in our collocated server room and will be monitored for availability.  Services also include any setup necessary to configure the appropriate server resources for these systems.
  • Support Level: Systems in tier 2 would receive priority 2 support (see below for support definitions).

Tier 3:

  • Applies to:  Large multiuser systems (servers) and large storage servers (greater than 10 TB).  This tier is defined by systems that would effect 11 or more users if they went down and storage servers supporting more than 10 TB datasets.  Examples of these systems are large project web servers, mission critical operational servers, or large project data servers.  Enrollment is optional.
  • Services Provided:  This tier would be for large or complex server systems.  Tier 3 systems are provided all the services from tier 2, but demand a higher effort to administer.  Because of this, significant planning is provided for deployment, maintenance and lifespan management throughout the useful life of the system.
  • Support Level:  Systems in tier 3 would receive priority 1 support (see below for support definitions).
  • Pricing note: For storage servers, there will be an additional charge calculated by total storage volume over 10TB.  This additional price is referred to as Direct Attached Storage in the pricing chart above

Virtual Machine:

  • Applies to: Virtual machines hosted by IT Services.
  • Services Provided:  This service provides for the hosting of virtual machines (VM).  VMs are deployed on a clustered VM server providing enterprise grade availability.  These VMs are good for non-compute intensive applications, such as web servers, small database servers, or any system that provides lightweight network services.  VMs have the advantage that the project will not need to buy separate hardware.  They are an affordable option to standalone systems if an appropriate network service is needed.
  • Support Level:  VMs would receive priority 1 support since many systems are run on the same hardware, which support many users.
  • Pricing notes:  VMs are charged per VM unit.  A VM unit includes 1 CPU core, plus 8 GB of RAM.  Multiple VM units can be included in each VM instance.

Tiered Shared Storage:

  • Note:  There are two performance tiers of shared storage.  The following applies to both tiers:
  • Applies to:  Any system on the local network can access and use shared storage.  (Note this is different from tier 3 storage servers, in that there is no project server to support.)
  • Services Provided:  Supply multi protocol enterprise grade shared networked storage.
  • Support Level:  Storage would receive priority 1 support, as it provides a service for many users, and is mission critical.
  • Pricing note:  Data backup is provided at an additional cost

Tier 1 Storage:

  • This is medium performance storage.  This storage is good for large infrequently updated datasets.  Read performance is fast, where write performance is good.
  • Tier 2 Storage:
  • This is very high performance storage.  This storage is good for read/write intensive use.  Both read and write performance are excellent.

Special cases:

  • Non-networked Standalone Engineering Systems and Offsite Systems:  These fall into tiers 1 through 3, based upon the number of users and storage they support.  There would be no networking support, so the advanced networking charges do not apply.  Enrollment is optional.
  • Virtual Machines:  These fall into the same tiered cost structure as non-virtualized systems.  However, the supporting project need not purchase associated hardware.  If IT services hosts the virtual machine, enrollment is not optional.
  • Complex or Experimental software and hardware:  Any system requiring that non-standard software and/or hardware be installed and supported are to be put into tier 3.  Examples of such software are packages that do not have an installer, thus must be compiled from source code, debugged and monitored over time for stability.  Also, support for legacy software or hardware that require customization to be supported on a modern computer fall within this category.  These systems will be reviewed annually to see if they are in the appropriate tier.

Support Level Definitions:

  • Priority 1 Support:  This is highest level support.  It provides 24/7 support as near as possible depending on the IT services staff availability.  Problems covered by priority 1 support will always preempt priority 2 and 3 support issues.
  • Priority 2 Support:  Support is typically provided during normal working ours, Monday through Friday, 8AM – 5PM.  If there is a problem with priority 2 support, it will always preempt priority 3 support issues.
  • Priority 3 support:  This is the lowest level support. Problems covered by priority 3 support will only be address during normal business hours when no other higher priority support issues require attention.