Overview
University IT’ Technology Consulting provides administrative and consultative support to organizations on campus, focusing on systems running modern versions of Linux, Windows Server and OS X Server operating systems. Technology Consulting has a variety of custom contract support options.
Our team handles your service request as a top priority above all other competing requests, soon after submitting a HelpSU ticket or after a service alert is generated, during business hours. After hours, the incident is handled immediately at the start of the next business day. For clients with a CRC Desktop Support contract, we work side-by-side with CRC Consultants to provide comprehensive support.
Description of Services
Planning
We go beyond typical “behind the scenes” system administration. Technology Consulting emphasizes clear communication with our client and deference to the priorities and needs of our clients. We develop customized strategies for our clients, develop documentation and establish strategies that go beyond just keeping the server up and running. We become an extension of your team.
Your system administrator works closely with your organization to determine needs, specify and help purchase equipment, navigate the ITS portfolio of services, install and configure equipment and integrate the system into the larger campus infrastructure. This is not just for new systems, but for emerging technology needs and for periodic reviews.
Ongoing Support
Support Services
Comprehensive Support
Standard Environments
Our premier service offering provides end-to-end administration of your system with a focus on customer service and our role as IT consultants. We take care of planning, configuring, securing, maintaining and backing up the server. Most of our clients use this tier, which provides proactive monitoring and prioritized response times. Work is performed usually during normal business hours.
Complex Environments
Some environments are more complex, requiring additional management and incurring a supplemental charge. This may involve administering attached storage, like RAIDs or SANs, configuring fibre channel, iSCSI or networking switches, and assisting with some third party software applications.
Flexible Support
This service tier provides three hours of support per month. The contract is for one monthly support session that is scheduled in advance. A typical work session might include applying security patches, reviewing logs and troubleshooting performance problems. If a work session exceeds three hours, the overage is billed hourly as On Call Support. This service is often used for groups that have someone on-site who participates in the day-to-day administration of the system, but may benefit from some professional assistance. Because this service tier does not include monitoring or proactive support, nor does it include prioritized response times, it is not a good match for groups that have a critical dependence on their system for day-to-day operations.
On Call Support
This service tier is for discrete projects that are billed on an hourly basis, with one hour minimums; fractions of the hour are rounded up. This is a great option for assistance with troubleshooting in the absence of an ongoing support contract. On Call Support is available on a case-by-case basis with limited availability, so it is not appropriate for recurring system administration.
Support for Virtual Machines in the Cloud
We provide also provide support for remotely-accessed guest operating systems in the cloud, such as with Amazon's Cloud or Microsoft Azure. The cost of this service is discounted to reflect the absence of hardware maintenance. This is done with the same attention to detail as our Comprehensive Support, except we don’t support any physical components associated with the VM. If you have your own VM host server our regular Comprehensive Support contract will provide the level of required service needed.
Limitations Of Support
Third Party Software Management
Generally speaking, Technology Consulting provides “best effort” support for specialized third-party software. Technology Consulting can help determine needs, assist with ordering and install the software to help ensure overall system stability, but the subsequent configuration and management is usually performed by highly skilled specialists. Exceptions include programs like CrashPlan PRO Server, where the system is used to back up client workstations. An initial consultation with a system administrator will help further identify the limitations of support.
Database or Website Management, Coding and Programming
Technology Consulting cannot provide support with database design or website management, including coding, programming and scripting. Technology Consulting will partner with a service administrator (e.g., webmaster, dba) to ensure that backups are performed and system integrity is maintained.
Co-administration
When partnering with other service administrators, Technology Consulting will make sure our partners have the necessary access to perform associated role responsibilities, but no more access than is required. In most cases, administrative privileges are limited to members of Technology Consulting. We work with on-campus peers and off-campus vendors.
Desktop Management
Technology Consulting works closely with CRC Desktop Support to help your organization configure workstations and laptops to securely access your system. For organizations that do not have a desktop support contract, Technology Consulting will work with your local desktop support team to help users connect and use managed server resources, but we depend on others for general desktop configuration and administration of desktops, laptops, tablets and handheld devices.
Security
Security policy is put forth by the University. We can configure your system to prevent data loss and to guard against unauthorized access. We do this while leveraging the larger campus infrastructure for services such as directory access, account management, change management and vulnerability testing.
We adhere to all security policies documented in the Stanford Administrative Guide, and follow the guidelines from the Information Security Office.
Monitoring and Alerting
Proactive monitoring includes automated measurements of CPU usage, disk space consumption, whether select programs are running and other metrics. We use a combination of enterprise programs to continuously monitor and measure the servers, storage and other devices, which helps us ensure uptime and availability of your server and data and to forecast upcoming needs
Responsibility Matrix
The Responsibility Matrix indicates whether University IT or the client is ultimately responsible for performing the listed task. In instances where there are check marks (✓) in both columns, both the client and University IT must coordinate their efforts to ensure the successful completion of the task. It is not the intent of any Responsibility Matrix to absolutely define every process, function or task performed as a contracted function.
We depend on our clients for things like keeping Technology Consulting informed of changes in your organization that affect billing and system access, approving system change requests, managing license codes, configuring and administering third party software (where appropriate), using HelpSU for incident management and identifying authorized users.
You can depend on Technology Consulting to inform you when work needs to be scheduled, updates are to be applied, reboots are necessary and when SSL certificates expire. We will provide information about your system, your backup policies and contingency planning. We will manage your server backups and do test restores.
For project work that’s billed by the hour, we will provide an estimate of the work that needs to be undertaken and the time it should take to complete the project. You will be informed as early as possible when there’s an expected variance and have the opportunity to approve the changes. You will receive a follow-up communication at the conclusion of the project that details the work that was done and the actual time taken.
| SERVICE NAME | CLIENT | University IT |
|---|---|---|
| SYSTEM ADMINISTRATION: GENERAL | ||
| Keep client contact information current | ✓ | |
| Keep systems administrator contact information current | ✓ | |
| Approve all hardware and software to be installed on server | ✓ | ✓ |
| Resolve or coordinate with vendors to resolve hardware problems | ✓ | |
| Propose hardware and OS configuration and installation standards | ✓ | |
| Review hardware and OS configuration and installation standards | ✓ | ✓ |
| Configure and install hardware and OS | ✓ | |
| Understand and document the hardware and software business application requirements | ✓ | |
| Perform routine housekeeping and system maintenance activities as required and approved | ✓ | |
| Start and stop processes that require privileged access as requested by the client and as required by documented procedures | ✓ | |
| Schedule server hardware and OS maintenance/upgrades | ✓ | |
| Schedule client-managed application maintenance/upgrades | ✓ | |
| Schedule Technology Consulting-managed application maintenance/upgrades | ✓ | |
| Notification of emergency changes | ✓ | ✓ |
| Approve or deny in a timely fashion the installation of new OS releases, upgrades and patches, unless it is related to an exploitable security fix | ✓ | |
| Install new OS releases, upgrades and patches in the production environment | ✓ | |
| Support OS software and services as negotiated and documented in Service Agreement | ✓ | |
| Support application as negotiated and documented in Service Agreement | ✓ | |
| Maintain OS documentation | ✓ | |
| Maintain application softward documentation | ✓ | |
| Provide and implement monitoring processes and/or tools | ✓ | |
| Use automated system software tools and/or procedures to proactively monitor, manage and report on server performance | ✓ | |
| Perform proactive fault detection and diagnostic procedures | ✓ | |
| Determine server vs. application issues. If application issue is determined, contact client and/or correct third-party support to resolve. | ✓ | |
| Monitor application availability | ✓ | ✓ |
| Monitor/recommend tuning of performance of hardware and OS | ✓ | |
| Provide outage notificaiton of failed hardware and software | ✓ | |
| Respond to audit requirements | ✓ | ✓ |
| Set user and file permissions | ✓ | |
| Provide account management for OS and directory services | ✓ | |
| Provide account management internal to the application | ✓ | |
| Track unused accounts | ✓ | |
| Track server license compliance | ✓ | ✓ |
| Track application software license compliance | ✓ | |
| Monitor security using Stanford standard security | ✓ | |
| Review security reports | ✓ | |
| Install OS and Technology Consulting-supported application security patches | ✓ | |
| Install client-supported application security patches | ✓ | |
| Troubleshoot and solve problems with hardware, OS and supported software | ✓ | |
| Provide 8-5 M-F support for production servers | ✓ | |
| Coordinate acquisition of vendor softward | ✓ | ✓ |
| Acquire SSL certs as appropriate | ✓ | ✓ |
| Forecast resource requirements | ✓ | ✓ |
| Forecast environment requirements | ✓ | ✓ |
| Identify hardware/software (CPU, memory) needs | ✓ | |
| Configure hardware/softward installation/upgrades | ✓ | |
| Provide and implement application monitoring processes and tools | ✓ | |
| Identify all authorized users | ✓ | |
| Administer user accounts (adds, changes, deletes) | ✓ | ✓ |
| Install and test application patches in development environment | ✓ | |
| Install application(s) and patches on server | ✓ | ✓ |
| Monitor application performance | ✓ | |
| DEPARTMENT FIREWALL MANAGEMENT | ||
| Identify department firewall rule needs for accessing server | ✓ | ✓ |
| Submit firewall rule requests | ✓ | |
| Approve firewall rule requests | ✓ | |
| DATA MANAGEMENT | ||
| Identify storage requirements | ✓ | |
| Manage storage hardware | ✓ | |
| Identify data to back up | ✓ | ✓ |
| Provide data retention requirements | ✓ | |
| Approve backup and recovery strategy | ✓ | |
| Install client software on servers to facilitate data backup | ✓ | |
| Prepare application data for backups | ✓ | |
| Restore/recover data at server level, if necessary | ✓ | |
| Assist client to restore individual files | ✓ | ✓ |
| Assist client to do ad hoc backups as requested | ✓ | ✓ |
| INCIDENT MANAGEMENT | ||
| Provide and maintain a single point of contact for the reporting and tracking of hardware or system software problems | ✓ | |
| Resolve HelpSU tickets from client | ✓ | |
| Adhere to problem management escalation procedures | ✓ | ✓ |
| Maintain current status on open problems | ✓ | |
| Provide status and updates on problems per Service Agreement, at client's request, or according to severity guidelines | ✓ | |
| Report on problems within established timeframes | ✓ | |
| Perform problem analysis as requested | ✓ | |
| Participate in problem analysis if needed | ✓ | |
| Implement problem analysis recommendations as needed | ✓ | ✓ |
| Provide problem trend analysis | ✓ |
