Frequently Asked Questions
When I rent a virtual system, what exactly am I getting?
All virtual systems are hosted on high-end Dell enterprise-class R810 x86 with intel 7500 series processors. Each virtual system is provisioned to match your
configuration request.
For a virtual system created using VMWARE, there are virtual CPUs allocated to each system. Each one of these virtual CPUs is equivalent to a core. Up to 4 of these virtual CPUs can be
allocated to any single virtual system, so 1 CPU in a virtual system = 1 core.
How often will you bill me for these services?
Customer billing for services will occur monthly, in arrears.
If I estimate my needs incorrectly, can I make changes?
Absolutely. Generally, you will be able to add or reduce resources in your agreement, anytime during the month. Your billing will then reflect either
an additional charge (for additions), or a credit (for reductions).
Can I rent disk space from you, and attach it to one of the servers that I own?
Sorry, you cannot. Disk space is only available for IUII virtual system rentals.
If I rent a virtual system from you, can I install a Linux distribution other than Red Hat?
Yes. When you subscribe for a virtual system rental, you still assume all system administration responsibilities, including any and all installation of software and related components.
You may install a variant of Linux, as long as you maintain responsibility for security scans, integrity, compliance; any and all installation of software and related components; and other items as indicated in the document. UITS Enterprise Infrastructure will only support Red Hat Linux, and can only provide assistance for that distribution. If you have difficulties, have performance issues, or need assistance, UITS will not be able to provide help.
Note: Not all operating systems are compatible with VMWARE. To see what VMWARE supports, go to http://www.vmware.com/pdf/GuestOS_guide.pdf
For II services, how do I find out what I am being billed monthly?
For information about detailed billing, please refer to KB article http://kb.iu.edu/data/azrj.html
My application files contain critical data. Are II Backup Service's retention policies compliant with retention parameters for critical data?
II Backup Services is not intended for multi-year, or indefinite, archival of application data. System administrators are highly encouraged to utilize
available encryption toolsets such as full disk encryption. System administrator are encouraged to maintain a copy on disk to comply with retention
requirements for critical data. The university has acquired the PGP software
suite to enable Whole
Disk Encryption (WDE). Alternative tools are availablesuch as BitLocker or TrueCrypt support whole
disk encryption as well. If alternative storage location is desired, the Research Storage team offers a data archive service. Contact the Research
Storage team at:http://uits.iu.edu/page/apuc