Overview
ITS offers UIS departments and other units the ability to host their server-grade applications on a virtual server infrastructure (sometimes called a private cloud) provided by VMware VSphere technology. This infrastructure allows multiples instances of various server operating systems to run simultaneously on a single set of physical hardware, with each instance sharing a portion of the total available CPU, memory, network and disk resources with the other virtual server instances. (More information on virtualization can be found here: http://www.vmware.com/virtualization/virtual-infrastructure.html)
Server virtualization at UIS provides the following benefits to the campus:
- Lower capital and operating costs
- Improved operational efficiency and flexibility
- Faster deployment
- Increased availability
- Easier backup
- Faster disaster recovery
- Lower power consumption
- Reduced cooling requirements
- Reduced physical space requirements
- Improved responsiveness of ITS to the business and academic needs
- Improved efficiency and effectiveness in the use of limited human and financial resources.
ITS supports Windows 2003 (and newer versions) as well as various Linux distributions as virtual servers.
Additional Information
Customers hosting applications on ITS virtual servers will usually be required to:
- Allow ITS administrator-level access to the server, in order to install management software and provide other support services
- Allow the installation and monitoring of anti-virus software, backup software, and other required system management software
- Allow ITS to install vendor patches required to maintain appropriate security levels in a timely manner
- Allow for periods of regular maintenance (see http://blogs.uis.edu/itstatus/help/weekly-maintenance-schedule)
- Allow non-disruptive migration of the virtual server instance from one location to another (also called vmotion)
- Provide application vendor support agreements to address application issues that ITS staff are unable to resolve internally
Virtual servers are usually available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week with a targeted uptime of 99.999% (or about 9 hours of downtime a year), excluding planned maintenance periods. However, due to the integration and dependencies between virtual servers, other ITS services, and the other physical computing infrastructures, other outages may occur.
There may be a modest, recurring, annual fee.
Related Info: Physical Server Hosting and Management
Audience: Faculty and Staff
Support: Helpdesk
Curtis Spears
11/19/12