The Grainger College of Engineering
Engineering IT Shared Services

Server Hosting

 

Server Hosting Options

There are several methods available on campus to host your servers. Please read the options and restrictions below and engrit-help@illinois.edu (let us know) which hosting options you are interested in or if you need more information to make a decision. We are happy to explain the options in more detail.

Virtual Machine Hosting from Engineering IT

Virtual servers are often cheaper than equivalent physical servers, and they are easier to upgrade. In addition, you don’t have to worry about power or space!

  • Available to: Faculty, Units, RSOs, Research Groups, Staff in the College of Engineering
  • OS Installation/ System Administration: By default, all administration of the system is the responsibility of the client. Engineering IT offers a separate server management service to provide administration. (Each VM comes with 100G of storage to allow for OS installation.)
  • Administrative access: VMware vCenter client or web interface
  • Data allowed: Most types of sensitive data are allowed with appropriate controls applied. Not authorized for HIPAA data.

To obtain: Email engrit-help@illinois.edu and we will contact you for more information.
Documentation

Physical Server Rack Space from Technology Services Data Center

Put your physical server in a quality datacenter. This provides controlled physical access, protection against brief periods of power loss, appropriate environment (cooling, filtering, humidity levels).

  • Available to: Faculty, Units, RSOs, Research Groups, Staff
  • Cost: None for the space. (Subsidized by campus). The server hardware itself must be purchased by the client.
  • OS Installation/ System Administration: All administration of the system is the responsibility of the client. Engineering IT offers a separate server management service to provide administration.
  • Data Allowed: Most sensitive data is allowed with appropriate controls applied. Authorized for HIPAA data.
  • Each system deployment in a Technology Services Data Center (TSDC) facility is considered a project, and specific terms for that deployment will be discussed at the initial meeting.
  • All hardware must be compatible with the data center connections and racks. The physical setup of rack mounting, power, and networking are set up by TSDC per requirements set forth in the application.

To obtain: https://datacenter.illinois.edu/ (click on “Data Center Tickets” button)

Amazon Web Services (AWS)

The Urbana-Champaign campus has a contract with AWS. If your needs can be met by AWS plugins/tools (rather than a proper VM) or if you need elastic computing (paying for only exactly what you use, because you have very spikey or sparse or simply very short use patterns) this may be the right choice. For a standard, traditional VM, AWS will be more expensive than if the services outlined above were provided by either Engineering IT or Technology Services.

  • Available to: Faculty, Units, RSOs, Research Groups, Staff in Engineering
  • Operating Systems Available: Difficult to answer, because often the best use is not as a stand-alone VM, but Windows, Linux
  • Cost: Varies with campus contract. Data egress fee is waived and there is a discount from standard costs.
  • Data Allowed: Not HIPAA. FERPA allowed with proper access restrictions applied.
  • Amazon provides an  extensive suite of tools, and the most effective and efficient use of AWS is to use those tools, rather than set up VMs proper. For more information see their website. 

Please read more detailed information on provisioning an AWS account through the Technology Services contract.

To obtain: aws.illinois.edu (Click "Request an AWS Account")