Linux Hosting Environment

Overview

The Office of Information Technology provides Unix servers administration to support Application Hosting for the State of Maine Executive Branch.   This service consists of a combination of centrally managed hardware, Unix based operating system software.   

  • A standardized, dependable cost effective server environment that meets the business’s needs
  • Steady predictable costs with enterprise host monitoring from a single location with reporting and alerting capabilities of server and service availability

Included

  • Operating system support for Red Hat Enterprise & Oracle Linux on shared environments for the Executive Branch
  • Hardware support for physical x86_64 servers for shared environments
  • Installation and configuration of the operating system
  • Initial operating system licensing for shared physical servers, and VM servers with the parameters above for physical and VM servers
  • Operating System installation on redundant storage.  (Note: No application data will be stored on OS partitions)
  • Initial Operating system hardening in accordance with CIS benchmarks (https://learn.cisecurity.org/benchmarks), where all items that can be resolved without negatively impacting functionality will be addressed
  • Patching / upgrading OS and OS-provided software/applications on a quarterly basis or more frequently depending on known security vulnerabilities
  • Systems are hosted in secure datacenters with cooling units, uninterruptible power supplies and backup power generators
  • Operating System backups performed on a regularly scheduled basis with off-site tape rotation.  See the Backup Service Catalog for standard backup schedule & off-site tape rotation schedule
  • Operating system recoverability plans documented and tested biannually (for new implementation, existing system available upon request)
  • Server procurement and refreshed every 4 years
  • Monthly Security Vulnerability scans and remediation’s
  • Coordination of Vendor installation assistance
  • Establishing and maintaining network connections for servers. 
  • Proactive monitoring of server and Operating System health checks via WebNM notifications and daily log review with 24x7 alerting for production systems, and business hours only for non-production
  • On-Call Coverage for Production Break / Fix 24x7x365

Service Level Targets & Availability

The standard production published service level agreement can be viewed at the following link: Standard_SLA CTS Production Services. A formal SLA has not been developed specific to this service.

Standard Business Hour Coverage is 7:00AM - 5:00PM Monday through Friday.  On-Call Coverage is available for Production Break / Fix 24x7.  To Report a Production Break / Fix after hours please contact MaineIT Operations. If service is required for non-production systems outside of the Standard Business Hour Coverage prior arrangements will be required with the Director of this Service Area an associated fee apply.

Service Rates: Please see the MaineIT Rate Table 

Options Available for Additional Charge

  • Operating system licenses for any dedicated physical server.  This is initial cost and yearly maintenance for Red Hat Enterprise & Oracle Linux are passed on to customers for all non-shared environments.  Core Technologies will manage, procure and charge these items back directly to agencies/departments using dedicated servers
  • Initial server cost or replacement cost for dedicated servers, these must be refreshed every 4 years.  Any storage needed for the application is available at the storage published rate
  • The cost of third party software products needed by systems or application teams and yearly maintenance & support of such products
  • The cost of installing 3rd party software products
  • Fiber channel cards for network attached storage
  • High availability options are available for additional cost options
  • Server virtualization in Solaris Zones.  This service will not be available in FY 20-21
  • Non-standard operating system support (Non-standard OS support is defined as any OS that is not Red Hat Enterprise or Oracle Linux)
  • Application level restoration testing
  • WebNM monitoring for targeted server services (e.g. simple process monitoring by checking for active PIDs) and log monitoring available upon request
  • Answering any audit questions, development of remediation plans and/or implementation of remediation plans for said audits
  • Any services for PaaS and/or IaaS hosted systems (performance monitoring/interruptions of monitoring reports/troubleshooting/security services/audits etc)

Customer Expectations

  • Application support
  • Disclosures of any/all business requirements for specific application
  • Disclosure of any/all security requirements for specific applications
  • In the event that MaineIT has a need for equipment to be located in buildings outside of its main data centers, access to these buildings will need to be granted to support staff during normal business hours. If there is a 24x7 requirement for this equipment or any system supported by this equipment access to the building will need to be 24x7
  • Application and 3rd party product subject matter experts and tester available to support installations efforts, upgrades and any outages, both during business hours and outside normal business hours
  • Identification of application and 3rd party product subject matter experts including contact information for storage within WebNM
  • MaineIT uses Saturday’s and Sunday’s for a routine maintenance window, testers and/or subject matter experts will need to beavailable when the maintenance impacts the application
  • Ability to stay current with all operating system components to supported versions and known security exploits
  • Footprints ticket are required for all work requests.  All work requests must have a required RFC or Footprints ticket and if applicable, a bill code will be required for those items that are not part of the base published rate

Technical Specifications

Physical Server Rate

  • Includes any shared physical server with 2 Physical CPUs, 64 GB of memory, and 3 Network ports and all the services located under Service Components included in published rate section
  • Additional components requested will be at an additional cost, outside the Physical Server Base Rate
  • Any storage use outside the normal Operating System storage is charged at the storage rate directly to the customer

Linux VM Server Rate

  • Includes a Linux VM with 2 vCPU and 8 GB of memory and 4 network ports and all of the services located under the Service components included in the published rate section
  • Additional components requested (more vCPU’s or memory) will be at an additional cost, outside the Unix VM Base Rate
  • Any storage use outside the normal Operating System storage is charged at the storage rate directly to the customer

To order or learn more about this service

  • Call MaineIT Service Center at 624-7700, assigned to the Unix team
  • For application projects (new projects or major enhancements or upgrades), contact the MaineIT Project Management Office (PMO) to get started.  Project work is not part of the published rate and will be provided on a time and material basis
  • If the published SLA is not met, the issues can be escalated to the next priority level by contacting any of the following individuals:
    • Contact an Application Hosting Services supervisor, manager or director or your friendly TBC.
    • For after-hours Production Break Fix contact MaineIT Operation at Customer Support 624-7700
    • MaineIT Operations will engage the On-Call Core Technology Duty Manager if necessary