Data Centre Networking

IT Services

Title of Service: Data Centre Networking - part of Shared Infrastructure Services

Status of Document: This document describes the data centre networking service offered in June 2012.

Contents

1. Purpose

This document sets out the Service Level Description (“SLD”) for the Shared Infrastructure Services (“SIS”, “the Services”) delivered to a customer (“the Customer”) and managed by Oxford University Computing Services (“OUCS”). Shared Infrastructure Services are grouped into the following:
- Computing equipment co-location in the University Shared Data Centre (“USDC”) – “Co-location Services”.
- Network provision within the USDC – “Data Centre Networking”.
- Virtual machine (“VM”) and virtual data centre (“vDC”) provisioning within the SIS virtual infrastructure – “Virtual Infrastructure”.
Unless otherwise expressed in writing, this SLD will apply to all Services offered to the Customer. The schedules attached will form part of this SLD.
The OUCS Management Committee, or its successor body will review this SLD regularly. Any addition or variation made will be communicated with 90 days notice.

2. Customer Responsibilities

The Customer will nominate up to three members of its staff, who will be responsible for liaising with OUCS concerning the usage of Data Centre Networking Services. In normal circumstances only these nominated individuals would be expected to contact OUCS concerning the Service. The Customer will promptly notify OUCS should there be any change to these nominees.
The Customer must not interfere with aspects of the Services for which OUCS is responsible. OUCS reserves the right to charge for the time involved in resolving issues caused by members of the Customer's organisation attempting to take any action in regard to the Services that has been defined as the responsibility of OUCS.
All service usage is bound by the University of Oxford‘s “IT Rules and Regulations” and the University’s “Disclaimer of Liability”.

2.1. Working Hours

Working Hours are defined as 09:00 to 17:00, Monday to Friday excluding statutory public holidays and the period between 24^th December and the 1^st January inclusive.

2.2. Fault Reporting

If a fault is notified within Working Hours, OUCS will commence investigation within one working hour (provided that no similar fault is also being handled by the same group).
For faults notified outside Working Hours, informal arrangements exist for staff to be called, but no funding is provided to make this a contractual obligation.
OUCS will use reasonable efforts to resolve any notified fault.
Faults should be reported to OUCS via:
- E-mail to usdc@oucs.ox.ac.uk
- Or telephone to 01865 (2)73200
OUCS will report significant faults/outages to the itss-announce mailing list and will also attempt to contact Customer contacts via email. The ITSS SMS system may also be used in the event of a major fault.

2.3. Request Fulfilment

OUCS will use reasonable efforts to respond to any request for the supply of Services within one working day.

2.4. Availability

Although no formal availability target is published, the service operates at all times.
Outside Working Hours, OUCS will use reasonable efforts to ensure the Services are available.
OUCS reserves the right to deny Customer access to the Services on reasonable grounds. OUCS will endeavour to notify the customer promptly should such a situation arise.

2.5. Scheduled Maintenance

OUCS will give a minimum of 5 days notice of scheduled maintenance events.
Emergency maintenance work can be carried out at any time and OUCS will attempt to inform Customers of emergency maintenance work at the first available opportunity.

2.6. Charges and Payments

Unless otherwise agreed, the customer will be invoiced quarterly (at the end of January, April, July, and October) in arrears for all other charges due. Intra-University payments must be made by journal transfer within the University’s financial system. Other invoices are due for payment within 30 days of the date of the invoice.
OUCS may vary the charges specified with effect from the end of the first 90 days or any date thereafter by giving to the Customer 90 days notice in writing of the new charges.

3. Description

Data Centre Networking provides the following network services to equipment located within the USDC and virtual machines located upon the SIS Virtual Infrastructure:
- Connection to the Data Centre Network
- Connection to the Campus Network
- Connection to a private VLAN hosted on the Data Centre Network
- Connection to a private VSAN hosted via the Data Centre SAN
A Standard Connection is defined as a 1Gbps Copper Ethernet connection to an IP network (1000BASE-T).
There is no guaranteed bandwidth to any connection and traffic shaping may be used should any connection place an abnormal burden upon the network which affects other network users.
Fibre Connections, IP or Fibre-channel, are available by negotiation on a first come first served basis where a real need for fibre-based connectivity can be shown to the satisfaction of the USDC staff.

4. The Data Centre Network

OUCS maintains the Data Centre Network exclusively for use in the USDC and the OUCS Data Centre at Banbury Road.
The Data Centre Network has been designed in an N+1 resilient fashion to allow for close to 100% availability for dual-connected Customer equipment.
Customer equipment must be dual-connected if possible. Equipment that is not dual connected may suffer network outages at short notice when emergency works are required.
Customer Systems connected to the Data Centre Network will be allocated an IP address by OUCS unless the connection is to a private VLAN.
Network Availability is defined as a period when a routable network connection is available to dual-connected Customer equipment.
OUCS will use reasonable efforts to ensure Network Availability.

5. The Campus Network

The Campus Network is defined as the University Backbone network managed by OUCS on behalf of the University.
A description and definition of the backbone service is available in the Backbone SLD found on the OUCS website.
Campus Network connections are only available to Customers who already have a connection to the University Backbone Network.
Customers connected to the Campus Network in the USDC will be supplied with a single 1Gbps connection to their VLAN on the University Backbone Network.
Equipment connected to the Campus Network cannot also be connected to the Data Centre Network. NB: This is to isolate the Campus Network and Data Centre Network fault domains.

6. The Data Centre SAN

Two private data centre SANs are maintained, an “A” SAN and a “B” SAN, allowing independent paths for dual-connected equipment.
All SAN connections are delivered by 8Gbps fibre-channel.
SAN Availability is defined as a period when SAN connectivity is available via the “A” SAN, the “B” SAN or both.
OUCS will use reasonable efforts to ensure SAN Availability.
SAN Connections are available by negotiation.

7. Customer Responsibilities

Customers in private racks are responsible for the supply of all cabling to connect equipment to the Data Centre Networking Services located within the rack.

8. Charges

All charges are monthly or part thereof and will be pro-rata for the first month.