Server housing

Version 13, June 2023

IT resources of institutes and facilities of Clausthal University of Technology can be housed and operated in the secure machine room of the data center at the Clausthal site:

• "Housing" means the accommodation of IT resources/servers in
  1. a. the virtualization infrastructure as a virtual machine or
  2. b. the 19" rack system of the data center as hardware (the inclusion of other formats can only be agreed in the rarest of exceptional cases).
  The maintenance of the server operating system and the applications installed on the system is carried out by the institute/facility; the computer center and its employees are only available for support to a limited extent at most. Access to these systems by external service providers is generally possible.


• "Hosting" means the operation of an application on a virtual machine or hardware provided by the data center.
  The (supported) operating system is installed, regularly updated and maintained by the data center - preferably by automatically installing updates and rebooting at a specified time (e.g. using Ubuntu Landscape or Microsoft WSUS).
  Here, the institute assumes responsibility for updating and operating an application "above the operating system"; the integration of and access to the system by external service providers is possible.

The more precisely you can show the data center what resources you need, the easier it will be for us to provide them or support you in procuring them (e.g. rollout of a virtual machine or hardware purchase from a framework agreement including delivery to the data center and installation in the rack).

1. supported operating systems

The data center supports the operating systems Ubuntu Linux and Microsoft Windows Server in their current versions.
Please contact the data center before using the housing/hosting if you have other operating system requirements!

2. security, access/remote access and backup

The security measures for the machine room include the installation/provision of a machine including UPS connection, air conditioning (in regular operation max. 30°C SET temperature) and BMA/EMA together with access restriction and control.
Access to the hardware is only possible when accompanied and by appointment. In particular, if you wish to convert/install components, please contact us in good time. You can usually access your system remotely via SSH (Linux, with key login) or RDP (Windows). If you are using a server system in hardware, it is also necessary to install a
remote access card. It is necessary that the administrative staff of the data center can gain access to the systems at any time. In particular, a data center
root key for SSH must therefore be stored on the housing/hosting systems, or a user login must be created on Windows servers for the data center. These accesses may not be removed and are only used at the request of the institution or in the event of unavoidable work on a system (for acute troubleshooting or as part of a security incident). Regular server backups can be created after consultation, a restore/recovery of data and systems is only possible by the data center if necessary.

3. network connection and firewalling

Each server receives a public IP address from the TU Clausthal network area and a DNS name. CNAMEs/aliases are possible. Access to the machines via central firewalling is only intended for clients within the TU network area. This regulation can be adapted individually for specific use cases. These are outlined in the notes or attached to the application. To increase security, a local firewall must remain or be activated on the system. RZ-Housing/Hosting 06/2023 3/5

4. special requirements in the research area

Please inform us of any special requirements in the research sector. Examples include the operation of several machines in a cluster or a special type of connection between machines, e.g. with an effect on positioning in our cabinets. A minimum data rate when accessing data storage or a known permanently high CPU load during operation are also important parameters for the data center to know.

5. fee regulation and licenses

The use of server housing/hosting is currently free of charge for TU Clausthal institutions; only hardware costs are to be borne, if such hardware is to be procured. The institution is responsible for the correct licensing of all software components installed and operated on the resources provided. In the case of housing a machine, this includes the license for the operating system; in the case of hosting with maintenance of the operating system by the data center,
is responsible for correct licensing. If special components requiring a license (e.g. database server) are or become necessary for the operation of the machine/application, proof of correct licensing must be provided to the data center. In this respect in particular, the institution shall indemnify the data center against any third-party claims.

6. Contact, IT security and other conditions

The Clausthal University of Technology institution using the hosting or housing shall designate a contact (natural person and member of the institution) who is fully informed about the use of the resources and is authorized to make decisions about changes to the machine. In particular, this contact will be involved in all questions arising during operation. The data center is entitled to refer inquiries from third parties to the named contact if necessary. In the event of acute threats from the area of IT security, the data center is entitled to partially or completely restrict access to systems operated in housing or hosting, to shut them down if necessary and to request coordination with the named contact of the facility before restarting them. The reasons for the restriction or shutdown are documented transparently for all parties involved. The operation of campus-wide or externally accessible services requires a tight restriction to research projects or a limited group of people. This can be mapped in central directory services.