Product Summary
The Shared MS SQL Server product is available to all State of Utah agencies, including the Legislative and Judicial Branches and local government.
Description of Services
DTS provides shared SQL Server Production, Development, and Acceptance Test environments in the Taylorsville State Office Building (TSOB) Data Center. State agencies access SQL Server data using the well known Structured Query Language (SQL) via applications and other standard interfaces. MS SQL Server environments run on a VMWare platform and use highly available SAN storage.
Product Features and Descriptions
DTS manages the MS SQL Server environment by performing these services:
- 7 x 24 support of the SQL Server environment
- Software upgrades, as well as preventative software maintenance of the SQL Server environment. This includes ongoing application of Microsoft security patches.
- State of the art diagnostic tools and monitoring
- Microsoft license compliance and vendor support
- Administration security for the SQL Server subsystem
- Enterprise class storage provided by highly available disk environments
- Data placement, backup and recovery, and performance tuning of the SQL Server environment, including routinely scheduled data reorganization and operating system tuning
- Database encryption at rest included by request. No additional charge
- Proactive identification of problematic routines and processes, which may be result in performance degradation within the environment with suggestions for improvement
- Tuning of SQL, etc., to make applications run more efficiently can also be performed, upon request. In some cases extra charges may apply
- Customers are responsible for the building of tables, indexes, etc., once they have received their own database environment. However, business day support of user requests for DBA assistance in data loads, table and index creation, data migration and other non-disruptive tasks can be requested for an additional charge
- SQL Database Servers are protected by firewalls and are only available through internal state networks. Special arrangements for VPN Tunnels or point-to-point connections are reviewed by the DTS Security Group
- Daily database backups are created and retained at the TSOB Data Center and Richfield datacenter for seven days. However, providing archiving of a collection of backups or sending backups to an offsite location for disaster recovery can be performed for the customer at an additional cost
Features Not Included
- N/A
Application Programming Services
- Application Programming Services are available through another DTS product offering and are not included in the SQL Server Shared Hosting product
- Related DTS Services available on time and materials basis.
- Extended hours support of user requests for data loads, table and index creation, recovery of tablespaces and indexes, and other user requested after hours tasks (Time + Materials)
- Assistance with off-site recovery procedures and testing (Time + Materials)
- Assistance with application specific diagnostics (Time + Materials)
- Assistance with data propagation to other platforms (Time + Materials). This includes database replication to our alternate data center in Richfield, Utah
- Dedicated environments to accommodate the requirements for applications with special needs, including clustering fail over, replication, and disaster recovery. (Time + Materials)
Ordering and Provisioning
DTS Customer Support
- Problem resolution by DTS staff, agency staff, and vendors is managed and coordinated through the DTS Customer Support Center. The following parameters govern DTS efforts to resolve technical issues:
- Problem priority is based on defined criteria for the importance of the system affected, the severity of system degradation, and the number of affected users.
- Problems can be submitted 24 x 7 by telephone, Internet, or online chat.
- Internet submissions are monitored during business hours (MF 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.).
- Time to Initial Response targets for submitted problems are two business hours for low and medium priorities, one clock hour for high priorities, and thirty clock minutes for urgent priorities.
- Total Time to Resolution targets for problems are twelve business hours for low priorities, ten business hours for medium priorities, six clock hours for high priorities, and two clock hours for urgent priorities.
- Performance against Initial Response and Resolution targets is measured regularly.
- Customer satisfaction is measured regularly.
- Service outages are analyzed to determine root causes and to indicate future preventative measures.
Ordering the Product
Any State agency interested in purchasing Shared SQL Server Hosting should contact their assigned IT Director or email to dbase@utah.gov. The IT Director will help guide the customer through the following process:
- DTS contacts the customer to gather additional information.
- DTS provides a cost estimate and schedule estimate to the customer.
- The customer agency provides approval, including billing information.
- DTS builds the requested database environment and informs the customer when the environment is ready for use.
For technical support you can contact the DBA’s at:
- DBA Group Google Mailbox: dbase@utah.gov
- DTS Help Desk at: https://dts.utah.gov/
Product Agreement
DTS and the Customer agree that this Product Description together with an approved Product Order Form constitute a binding agreement between both parties for the Product and related services required by the Customer. This Agreement remains in effect according to the terms specified in the Product Order Form.
Product and/or Service Rates listed are in accordance with the approved DTS Rate Schedules. Therefore, the product description and order form replaces all other documentation, i.e., Contracts, Special Billing Agreements (SBA), Service Level Agreements (SLA), Memorandums of Understanding (MOU), etc.
To the extent that the terms set forth above conflict with an existing Contract, Special Billing Agreement (SBA), Service Level Agreements (SLA), Memorandums of Understanding (MOU), or other agreement between DTS and the customer, the parties acknowledge that the foregoing shall supersede the earlier agreement.
DTS Responsibilities
- Scheduled Version Upgrades
- Security Patch Maintenance schedule
- License Compliance
- Security Monitoring
- Performance Monitoring and tuning of DB server
- Scheduled on-call support after hours, holidays, weekends
- Change Control Policy compliance
- Backup and Recovery most recent with 7 day retention period
- Space management
Agency Responsibilities
- SQL Server shared database customers are expected to be in compliance with DTS Policies and Procedures for sharing database data with other authorized users.
- The need for HL7 & HIPAA compliance will be determined by the Agency and owners of schemas hosted in the SQL Server shared environment. Costs associated with HIPAA and HL7 compliance are the responsibility of the Agency owner of the schema. This includes safe keeping of financial data and electronic commerce transactions.
- DTS Database Services adheres to Industry best practices when it comes to handling patching and/or version upgrades. Adherence to DTS Change Control procedures are followed whenever any patch/upgrade is introduced to the system. In a Shared environment customers are expected to work with vendors and developers and move forward to new database releases as they become available.
- Database environments that are disruptive to other shared users or that require resources beyond the scope of this product offering may not be candidates for an MS SQL Server shared environment.
- MS SQL Server database environments are only available through connections within the internal State Network. Special requirements may require firewall changes and will be managed on a one on one basis.
- Users of the SQL Server Shared environment are expected to follow DTS Policies and Procedures regarding password maintenance.
