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Virtual Servers / Virtual Machines (VMs)
For IT applications that require their own server environment with their own operating system, the University Computer Center for Research and Education can provide Virtual Servers (synonym: Virtual Machines, "VMs").
A VM offers almost the same possibilities as a "real" hardware server, but is much more flexible in the configuration of resources and can be adapted comparatively easily to changing requirements. The VM is operated by the University Computer Center in a virtualization environment on a server cluster; this allows hardware failures to be bypassed, thus increasing the availability of the IT application. There is also the option of increasing data security by mirroring to a second location.
With the service model offered, the University Computer Center thus takes over the maintenance of the underlying hardware and the (virtual) system environment ("Infrastructure as a Service": IaaS). A VM is handed over by the University Computer Center with a pre-installed operating system (Linux or Windows) to the future administrator of the VM, who is then responsible for the maintenance of the software (IT application and operating system).
Target group
The offer "Virtual Servers" is aimed at university members who independently maintain an IT application in the areas of research or teaching
Requirements
- Knowledge for the administration of a server.
- Compliance with the "Richtlinie zur Administration von IT-Systemen und IT-Diensten im Netzwerk der Philipps-Universität" (GER)
Status
The VMs are currently operated by the University Computer Center in a VMware cluster. The development of an open source server cloud based on OpenStack is aspired.
Costs
Technical documentation [German]
Support and help
Inquiries about VMs can be directed to the email address zentrale-systeme@hrz.uni-marburg.de. The following information is required to deploy a VM: technical documentation.
The following information is required to deploy a VM:- System disk size (20GB or 50GB).
- number, size and quality (SAS/SATA) of additional hard disks, if applicable
- Number of virtual CPU cores
- Size of available RAM in GB
- Desired operating system (Windows or Linux distribution)
- University internal or public IP address required?
- If desired DNS CNAME of the form <xxxxx>.Online.Uni-Marburg.DE
- Billing method: typically via SAP cost center
- for Linux VMs: public SSH key for root access (please as email attachment)
Related services
Worth knowing
Technical documentation (uni-intern, Login necessary)
Please note that network-based security measures (e.g. blocking selected network ports at the transition from the university-internal UMRnet to the Internet) are also relevant and effective for VMs. If required, you must have e.g. port 80 explicitly unblocked for unencrypted transmitted http://-webservice after establishing appropriate security measures (here: redirection to https://).