Capabilities

Taking advantage of virtualization technology, we can host multiple servers, each functioning as a complete and independent server, on a single physical server. Based on VMware’s vSphere 5, the industry’s most reliable platform for data center virtualization, our service offers the highest levels of availability and responsiveness.

Configurations

Select from our preconfigured packages designed to meet the requirements of different-sized workloads, or order exactly the resources you need for a customized instance. Customers are able to (1) operate and maintain their own virtual machines or (2) subscribe to one of the System Administration Services provided by the Data Center Team.

Our service addresses the majority of server hosting requirements. When your application requirements or nonstandard configurations require the use of physical hardware, consider our Physical Server Hosting service.

Set up a consultation with ITS to discuss the virtual hosting options that best fit your needs.

Cost

Rate Sheet

How do I get it?

For virtual server requests, visit https://ucsf.service-now.com/ess/home.do, select Data Center Services, and select Virtual Server Request Form.

For custom requirements, please email DataCenterServices@ucsf.edu.

Benefits of virtual hosting

Shorter Deployment Time	No procurement of hardware Allocated resources from the virtual server pool Multiple servers created from single image Reduced staffing time required Shortened server deployment time
Scalability and Flexibility	Virtual resources can be quickly added to increase capacity Buy only what you need Adding vCPUs and RAM is as simple as a reboot Additional disk space can often be added "on the fly" Move data from a slow storage tier to a faster one without disruption to services Need to over-build a server “just to be safe” is reduced, saving money and power
Simplifies Development and Testing Environments	Reduces the costs of running separate development, staging and production environments Development servers may be created from production images with no downtime Quickly modify, test and deploy images into production, speeding up the development cycle Decommission development and staging environments when no longer needed, further reducing costs
It's Green - Save on Power, Space and Cooling	Dramatically reduce the physical space, power and cooling compared to physical counterparts Reduced consumption of power and cooling also saves money
No Physical Server Upgrades or Maintenance	No scheduled downtime to perform hardware upgrades, replace failing components or aging hardware Seamlessly migrate to a different server, perform preventative maintenance and even completely refresh the hardware
Hardware Fault Tolerance	Infrastructure is built with fault-tolerant components (e.g., redundant power supplies, storage and network connections) If a host fails, virtual servers are automatically migrated and restarted using spare capacity
Simplified Disaster Recovery and Business Continuity	Software replicates virtual machines to a remote data center Disaster recovery and business continuity plans are relatively standard and do not require custom engineering for each physical system and application
Leverage Other Benefits of the Data Center	24/7 staffing Precision power and cooling Enhanced security Encrypted tape backups

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Service Level Agreement

ECDC upgrade

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