Tanya Leigh Jansen, IST–TAM
The recharge rates for blade servers and virtual machines offered by IST were changed effective September 1, 2007. These new rates are based on changes in operating costs and service enhancements. In addition, because one-time set-up fees can often be a financial obstacle for campus customers, these fees have been incorporated into the new monthly rates.
The new rate for a blade server is $211 per blade per month. Previously, the rate for a blade server consisted of a set-up fee of $600 and a monthly recurring charge of $167.
Blade servers are configured with two dual-core CPUs, four gigabytes of memory, two built-in host bus adapters (HBAs) for fiber-attached SAN storage, and redundant one-gigabyte network connections.
Blade servers are the preferred solution for resource-intensive applications that require dedicated physical hardware.
The new rates for virtual machine (VM) servers are as follows:
Previously, IST offered the standard service which included a set-up fee of $400 and a monthly recurring charge of $75.
Features of the VM standard service include one CPU, 512 MB of RAM, a one-gigabyte network connection, and 10 gigabytes of standard disk storage for the operating system. IST also added a new enhanced tier to the VM service offering. This service consists of two CPUs, one gigabyte of RAM, a one-gigabyte network connection, and 10 gigabytes of enhanced disk storage for the operating system. Additional storage is available depending upon the requirements of the customer.
Virtual machines are a low-cost alternative for development and test environments that do not require a physical server. The VM service offerings provide options for hosting applications, collaborative environments, and other technologies in dependable and secure environments while remaining an inexpensive solution for campus customers. Virtual machines have the capacity to run multiple operating systems and applications in isolation while being on the same physical machine.
To determine whether a blade or virtual machine is the appropriate environment for your department's needs, contact IST's Technical Account Management (TAM) unit,
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