This Managed Servers service provides a virtualized server environment with enhanced security for hosting business applications in the State Data Center. The virtual server environment supports Microsoft Windows Server and Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server operating systems.
Managed Server support is divided into tiers based on services supported.
| Service Tier | Silver | Bronze |
|---|---|---|
| Service Support | ||
| Availability Measurement | OS & Infrastructure | OS & Infrastructure |
| Availability Targets | 99.90% | 99.90% |
| Platform Supported (Availability Measurement Window) | 15x7x365 (6 a.m. - 9 p.m.) | 12 X 5 M-F (6 a.m. - 6 p.m.) |
| Incident Resolution Time - Severity 1 | 4 hours | 6 hours |
| Incident Resolution Time - Severity 2 | 6 hours | 8 hours |
| Incident Resolution Time - Severity 3 | 3 business days | 3 business days |
| Incident Resolution Time - Severity 4 | 7 business days | 7 business days |
| Monitoring (Described Below) | ||
| Network Monitoring | Standard | Standard |
| Hardware Monitoring | Standard | Standard |
| Operating System (OS) Monitoring | Standard | Standard |
| Database Monitoring | Optional | Optional |
| Application Software Monitoring | Optional | Optional |
| Middleware Processes Monitoring | Optional | Optional |
| Capacity Utilization Alerts | Standard | Standard |
| Service Tier Requirements | ||
| Must have a fully documented disaster recovery test plan within 6 months of service commencement including who can declare, escalation process, and work breakdown, structure for recovery. | Standard | Standard |
| Production application must have dev/test OS instances separate from production OS instances. | Standard | Standard |
| Online backups will be completed within the scheduled backup window. | Standard | Standard |
Monitoring Descriptions
Network Monitoring – Server IP ping with alerts.
Hardware Monitoring – Server up/down, hardware specific errors, component monitoring, CPU, disk memory, components of a server.
Operating System (OS) Monitoring – Server capacity threshold monitoring (CPU, Memory, file system and OS disk).
Database Monitoring – Database up/down, database free space, database status, etc.
Application Software Monitoring – Any process required to support an application, process up/down, URL website availability, application file system capacity and availability.
Middleware Process Monitoring – Process up/down, application file system capacity and availability where standard tools are capable of such monitoring.
Capacity Utilization Alerts – Alerts on key server resources such as CPU, Memory and Disk.
- Key Features and Benefits
All services are delivered in compliance with the State of South Carolina's information security policies, as presented in SCDIS-200.
Virtual machines (VMs) can be sized to support customer processing requirements through incremental configuration of memory, processor and disk space.
The virtual server environment is based on VMware ESXi.
OTIS will ensure the customer has remote access to the virtual server.
OTIS will coordinate with the customer for any planned OTIS changes or outages affecting the customer’s server environment.
OTIS maintains the VM-hosted Microsoft Windows Server and Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server operating systems at vendor-supported versions.
The standard patching maintenance window is Saturday from 8 a.m.-noon. Patches are applied 10 days after release but are occasionally applied sooner based on the risk of the unpatched vulnerability. Customer will have a dedicated resource to coordinate restoration of service after maintenance unless otherwise notified.
If a customer’s business applications require a larger server environment or a custom configuration, please contact OTIS to discuss custom configuration options.
VM OS is subject to security scanning services by the Division of Information Security (DIS) before being placed into production.
A standardized, dependable, cost-effective server environment that meets business needs.
OS managed and maintained by OTIS to include current OS, security updates and patches.
Active monitoring of systems for high resource utilization.
Regular security patching and monitoring by qualified server administrators ensuring the environment is efficient and secure.
Eliminates the need for customers to maintain their own data center infrastructure including physical security, power, cooling, rack, backup generators, etc.
- Physical Security & Facilities
- Host all managed firewall technologies in the State Data Center, which has appropriate physical and environmental security controls such as biometric access control, internal and external security camera coverage, 24x7x365 armed uniformed officer, conditioned UPS power, emergency power, fire detection and suppression and temperature control.
- Management and monitoring of physical security to the data center.
- Management and monitoring of the data center environment (e.g., racks, power and cooling).
- Management of emergency response for man-made and natural disasters.
- Redundant electrical power and cooling infrastructure is provided.
- VMware Host System Management
- VMware host systems engineering.
- Provisioning and setting up of VMware host server hardware and software in accordance with OTIS standards and policies.
- Hardware and software enhancements to the VMware host server over time.
- Upgrades of VMware host service components.
- VMware Host System Maintenance
- Administration and maintenance of hardware to ensure that each VMware host server is reliable, performing adequately and providing overall service availability.
- Maintain VMware host server hardware and software at recommended patch and release levels following standard change management procedures.
- Standard capacity and performance analysis reporting capabilities for customers to review utilization, performance, and trending information for processors and memory.
- OTIS provides and maintains a VM OS and related systems utilities.
- OTIS installs manufacturer field change order, service packs, firmware and software maintenance releases.
- OTIS performs product patches, "bug fixes," service pack installations, or upgrades to the currently installed version.
- OTIS manages and maintains software licenses and media (e.g., procures, monitors, tracks status, verifies, audits, performs contract compliance, renews and reassigns).
- VMware Host Systems Support and Monitoring
- Responsive support to incidents
- Responsive support to unscheduled service outages in a timely manner
- Provision of diagnostic information to assist with customer application support needs
- Repair or replacement of failing hardware components.
- Ongoing security monitoring, detection and notification.
- Security event monitoring, detection and notification.
- Periodic vulnerability scanning and reporting.
- Security event/vulnerability remediation.
- 24x7x365 access to the Division of Technology Operations (DTO) Service Desk.
- Simple Network Management Protocol (SNAP) and Internet Control Message Protocol (ICMP) based monitoring and alerting.
- Hardened server images.
- System management and reporting software.
- Monitoring and alerting services to ensure operating system is up and operating normally.
- Network Connectivity
- Connectivity within the data center is provided through a dedicated customer virtual local area network (VLAN) to keep data and application separated from other department data and applications.
- Virtual Machine Redundancy in State Data Center
- Virtual machines are configured with full redundancy, allowing system recovery within the same data center.
- The automated high availability feature is involved if a physical server fails, also commonly referred to as an VMare host hardware failure. All VMs affected by the VMare hardware failure are migrated to an alternate VMware host and restarted on the alternate host within the virtualization cluster.
- All workloads are supported with minimal impact to performance with unplanned downtime related to the VM migration and the restarting of the VM on an alternate host in the virtualization cluster. The alignment and compliance of application requirements are maintained as when the VM was initially provisioned.
- Server failover (VMware HA) capabilities do not currently support application-level load balancing.
- Exclusions
- Full customer server migrations to the State Data Center are not included in this service. Customers interested in full server migrations to the State Data Center should contact their Agency Relationship Managment (ARM) representative to initiate a Request for Solution (RFS).
- Requests for installations, adds, moves or changes that exceed 40 hours will require additional funding. OTIS will provide an estimate beginning work.
- Prerequisites
- Required service(s) for eligible customers:
- Managed Router
- Enterprise Storage
- Backup and Recovery
- To maximize the benefit of this service, customers are expected to maintain application compatibility with vendor-supported Microsoft Windows Server and Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server operating system versions.
- Customers must submit service requests to OTIS in advance, as described below:
- Contact OTIS at least 30 days before new service installations or office moves when existing network infrastructure exists.
- Contact OTIS at least 60 days before new service installations or office moves when no existing network infrastructure exists. Depending on customer requirements, location and need for vendor support, more advanced notice may be needed.
- OTIS may need approval from the customer agency director and Admin chief information officer (CIO) to support requests submitted outside the advance notice requirements, and additional funding may be required to cover overtime, vendor fees and other costs.
- Required service(s) for eligible customers:
OTIS and Customer Responsibilities
| Responsibilities | OTIS | Customer |
|---|---|---|
| Data Center Facilities | ||
| Data center power, cooling and related support infrastructure. | Image
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| Data center network infrastructure. | Image
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| Data center facilities physical security. | Image
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| Data center facilities structure maintenance and enhancements. | Image
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| Hardware | ||
| VMware host server hardware (processor, memory, storage for system files) at the State Data Center. | Image
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| Virtualization software (hypervisor and virtualization management tools). | Image
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| Standard System Software | ||
VM server operating system. | Image
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| Standard security software (antivirus, host intrusion detection, scanning) for VMs | Image
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| Standard system management tools | Image
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| Server remote access software (Citrix/Horizon/VPN/etc.) | Image
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| Client remote access software (Citrix/Horizon/VPN/etc.) | Image
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| Non-Standard System Software | ||
| Additional VM OS CALs | Image
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| Application Software | ||
| Custom developed | Image
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| Commercially provided | Image
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| Middleware/utility software | Image
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| Other software not defined above | Image
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| Initial Provisioning and Configuration Management Of | ||
| VMware host server hardware/software | Image
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| Virtual machine instance | Image
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| Service Level Name | Description | Target Service Level |
|---|---|---|
| Incident Response – Severity 1 and 2 | Means the percentage of time it took for a Severity Level 1 and Level 2 Incidents to be acknowledged and worked by OTIS within the applicable timeframes in the Service Level Definition. | 99.00% |
| Incident Response – Severity 3 and 4 | Means the percentage of time it took for a Severity Level 3 and Level 4 Incidents to be acknowledged and worked by OTIS within the applicable timeframes in the Service Level Definition. | 95.00% |
| Service Request Fulfillment Timeliness | Means the percentage of time OTIS successfully completes “Service Requests” (defined as requests that are not automated self-provisioned or that do not require solution proposal development; examples of such requests include provisioning ID access, password resets, Service Catalog requests, IMACDs) within the applicable timeframes. | 96.00% |
Service Rates
| Resource Unit | Monthly Rate |
|---|---|
| Server, Support, Bronze | $205.43 |
| Server, Support, Silver | $256.79 |
Service Contacts
To report issues related to this service, customers should contact the Division of Technology Operations (DTO) Service Desk (servicedesk@admin.sc.gov).
For additional information on this service customers should contact their Agency Relationship Management (ARM) representative or the Program Management Office (pmo@admin.sc.gov).
Estimate Initial Service Delivery Time
Within 10 business days for onboarding new a Managed Server customer (following approval of the Request for Solution (RFS) and independent of other services). Quantity of new servers requested may extend initial service delivery time.
Within 5 business days for existing Managed Server customer (following approval of the Request for Solution (RFS) and independent of other services). Quantity of new servers requested may extend initial service delivery time.
| Customer Entity Type | Eligible |
|---|---|
| State Agencies | Yes |
| Local Government Entity including Municipality and County | No |
| Higher Education | No |
How To Order
Customers should contact their Agency Relationship Management (ARM) representative or the Program Management Office (pmo@admin.sc.gov) to acquire these services.
