Database Services Common to All Platforms

Data Center, Network & Firewall
The IST database servers are hosted in a secured and state-of-the-art Data Center. Servers are racked with redundant power and network connectivity. Electrical power is backed up with generators and regularly tested.

Database servers are hosted on a separate 1gig network subnet and secured with redundant firewalls.

Storage
Database space is used for data, disk backups and transaction/archive logs. The Database Administrators utilize the storage that provides the highest performance for data and transaction/archive logs and the least expensive storage for backups.

All database services are hosted on the high performance Storage Area Network (SAN). Each application is provided 10Gigs of usable storage for all database environments at no extra cost.

Additional space can be purchased in 10gig increments.

Database Backups
The database services include the following for 10gigs of usable data storage at no extra charge:

Ability to restore to any point in time within the last 31 days in production and QA environments.

Ability to restore to the point when the nightly backup was taken in the development environment within the last 31 days.

Potential data loss is less than 2 hours for an isolated database hardware failure in production. Potential data loss is less than one day for a database hardware failure in QA and development.

Potential data loss is less than 3 days for a data center disaster or multiple system failure in production environments.

Database Recovery

Database Administrators perform quarterly recovery testing which includes bringing back offsite tapes and restoring databases.

An annual disaster recovery exercise is performed to practice bare metal restores of database servers at an offsite facility.

Monitoring
Dedicated servers monitor databases and notify Database Administrator via email or cell phones with alerts for:

Database Log Errors

Database Logins Not Accepted / Database Unavailable

Database Maximum Connections above Threshold

Database Space above Threshold

Database Backups Unsuccessful

Database Consistency Check & Updated Statistics Unsuccessful

Firewall logs traffic

Database accounts for separated employees are locked on a daily basis

Systems Administrators monitor the following server and operating system components:

Hardware Logs for Errors

Operating System Logs for Errors

File System Space above Threshold

Database Server CPU/IO/Memory above Threshold

Hardware and Database Maintenance
Non-critical patches are scheduled on a quarterly basis outside of business hours. Database Administrators will email the Technical and Application Owners with a minimum of one week's advance notice for these patches.

Critical security patches are applied as needed. The Database Administrators will email the Technical and Data Owners as soon as possible to coordinate these patches.

Note that most maintenance work will cause service disruptions.

Software Support
Database Administrators and Systems Administrators are responsible for patching and upgrading the following:

Operating System

Database Modules and Tools hosted on Database Server

Database Connectivity Software on IST-Supported Servers

SAN Connectivity

Backup Connectivity

Application software is not supported by the database service.