Windows Managed Servers

Virtual Machines (VMs) are the preferred option. Servers are located on-premises in a UW-IT Data Center or in the cloud in Microsoft Azure.

Default support options:

• Nightly back-ups
• Off-site backups and vaulting
• System monitoring
• Business hours system support
• Data Security – appropriate for confidential, restricted, or public data

Service options, by request only:

• High availability (HA) clusters
• 24×7 on-call system support
• Geographical redundancy (costs are customized)
• Requisition, installation and renewal of certs

New customers will get Windows Server 2022 or Windows Server 2019 deployed. Existing customers may have Windows Server 2016 or Windows Server 2012 R2. UW-IT supports these OSes via Microsoft purchased Extended Support Updates.

Customers have the following options for update support: as soon as possible, on a schedule.

In-place Operating System upgrades are not supported; OS upgrades require a requesting a new server.

For more information about OS support lifecycle, please reference: OS Lifecycle

Account management: UW NetIDs via the NETID Active Directory (preferred) or server local accounts (discouraged)

Authentication: Kerberos or NTLMv2 via NETID Active Directory, OIDC or SAML via UW Azure AD, UW Shibboleth

Authorization: UW Groups via NETID Active Directory or UW Azure AD or UW Shibboleth

For other IAM integrations, please ask.

We can assist with installation and basic support of the following standard software:

• Web servers: IIS
• Databases: Microsoft SQL Server

Extended support of IIS or SQL Server is possible on a time & materials basis.

Other application software can be installed, but unless special arrangements are made, Windows Managed Servers does not support or manage it.

Rates for this service are variable and will be provided as part of the initial consultation phase. Rates include 3 components:

1. Direct costs (server hardware, licensed software, certificates, vendor support, etc.)
2. Management costs (hours for system design, system administration, application administration, etc.)
3. Costs to use other UW-IT services (data center, backups, virtual servers, etc.)

Below is a list of example pricing – actual hours and charges can vary. Servers which are similar to an existing server may have lower set-up and monthly maintenance charges.

A Windows Managed Server is often provisioned in “units” or “slices” of virtual servers, called “High Availability Virtual Machines” (HA-VM). Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) for Windows Managed Server is higher than a Unix Managed Server, due to licensing costs and the cost of using enterprise storage and SAN infrastructure for shared storage.

• Windows HA-VM “Slice” = 1 vCPU, 2GB RAM, 50GB disk = $36.30/month
• MS Unified Enterprise Support = $11.00/month
• Engineering time = $135.53/hour
• Database admin time = $135.53/hour (if needed)

Windows Web Server: IIS

Windows Database Server:  MS SQL Server

Specific service level items are negotiable but limited by the support hours being billed.

For a typical Windows Managed Server, UW-IT will:

• Provide server specification and setup services
• Provide setup and installation of approved software (see Features & Options)
• Provide OS license
• Provide systems administrative functions including:
  • Provide ongoing operating system updates, patches and security hot fixes
  • Monitor server performance and health
  • Provide hardware maintenance and repair (or arrange for vendor replacement)
  • Provide servers that are under warranty
• Bill service charges to a UW funding source
• If physical hardware is required, UW-IT will additionally:
  • Arrange for the purchase and installation of all hardware
  • Tag server hardware with a generic asset tag and send all relevant paperwork to the customer
  • Provide necessary infrastructure, including:
    • Secured, climate controlled data-center location
    • Server rack space
    • Electrical circuits
    • Network connectivity

• Verify that this service meets all of the business continuity, security, and data management requirements that apply to the planned use of the service. Please contact us if you require additional information about the service’s design, operation, or management in order to help verify that this service will meet your needs.
• Install, support and upgrade custom application software
• Resolve any application problems for custom applications
• Provide any application-level monitoring for custom applications
• Provide UW-IT with permanent system local admin privileges
• Perform server reboots and shutdowns only with prior UW-IT approval
• If the optional data backup service is not selected, then the Customer is responsible for data backups
• If a physical server is provided, the customer may wish to insure the equipment. University property and equipment are not automatically insured for loss or damage due to theft, fire, flood, power spike, etc. You can arrange for insurance through the Equipment Insurance campus-wide online program, which is administered by the Office of Risk Management. This program provides optional, low cost coverage for equipment owned, leased or borrowed by University departments.  You can find more information here: f2.washington.edu/treasury/riskmgmt/insure/EIS