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Server Hosting Policy

Policy
Purpose: 

To ensure the registration and collection of accurate information about all servers owned, operated or housed by the University of Kansas Lawrence campus and all reporting units and affiliated organizations, or servers that store data belonging to the University regardless of their location. This policy also describes the criteria for centralization of these systems into centrally administered data centers.

Applies to: 

All servers owned, operated or housed by the University and affiliated organizations.

Campus: 
Edwards
Lawrence
Juniper Gardens
Parsons
Topeka
Yoder
Policy Statement: 

Server Registration:

To ensure that the University of Kansas complies with state and federal regulations and grant requirements, protects information appropriately and adheres to best practices, it is necessary to maintain a registry of all servers that are owned, operated or housed by the University and affiliated organizations, or servers that store data belonging to the University regardless of their location.

All servers described above must be registered with KU Information Technology (KU IT). No server is exempt from this policy.

KU Information Technology will continuously maintain a server registration system. This system will store information that will be used for the purposes of maintaining contact and ownership information, managing assets, auditing security and ensuring compliance with the Data Classification and Handling Policy.

Server Registration Process Overview:

Deans, Directors and Department Chairs (sponsor), or their delegates (primary contact), will request hosting for all servers by selecting one of two options from the KU Information Technology Service Catalog:

  1. Build a new server for me
    1. This option is best for new servers or servers that need to be replaced or virtualized.
  2. Host an existing server for me
    1. This option is best for existing physical or virtual servers that need to be moved to the Price Computing Center data center.

Sponsors are responsible for sending new server requests to KU IT, requesting hosting for needed servers within their areas, and ensuring that all information provided to KU IT is accurate and complete.

To ensure that the information on file about each server is accurate, up to date, and reflects its current use and condition, both the primary contact and sponsor will review server registration information annually. The primary contact is responsible for annual updates.

Server Hosting:

Hosting servers in a managed data center environment improves service, efficiency, and data security. It also reduces costs associated with hardware, maintenance, electrical power and cooling of these systems. Systems that are hosted by KU IT will be managed collaboratively by KU IT and departmental staff to ensure they meet the needs of the sponsor, are highly available, meet security requirements and operate efficiently.

Exclusions or Special Circumstances: 

All servers will be considered candidates for hosting at KU's centrally managed data centers unless there is a sound technical or business justification for an exception.  Requests for an exception to the server registration will be evaluated on a case-by-base basis. Requests for an exception can be made by opening a ticket in Service Now.

Consequences: 

KU IT will continuously monitor the University network to identify unregistered servers and ask the responsible party to complete the server registration process. If the responsible party does not complete the server registration process within 14 days after initial notification, the system’s network access will be blocked until the server registration process is complete.

Contact: 

Chief Information Officer
1001 Sunnyside Ave.
Lawrence, KS 66045
(785) 864-4999
kucio@ku.edu

Approved by: 
Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor
Approved on: 
Tuesday, October 11, 2005
Effective on: 
Saturday, October 15, 2005
Review Cycle: 
Annual (As Needed)
Definitions: 

Server: Any computing device on KU's network that offers services or stores data for the purposes of sharing.

Keywords: 
Server, data center
Change History: 

10/11/2024: Updated broken links.
05/22/2018: Clarified existing practices for hosting servers.
10/12/2012: Recommended by the Chief Information Officer; reviewed and approved by the Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor.

Information Access & Technology Categories: 
Information Technology

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