SERVICE
Q What is the service?
Cloud Storage from UKCloud is a secure next-generation storage platform designed to address a wide variety of use cases. It’s based on object storage technology which is natively optimised for cloud storage in terms of scale, resilience and accessibility.
Q What back up Disaster Recovery options do I get?
By default Cloud Storage provides data resilience using EMC GeoParity coding which improves data durability.
The STANDARD service level provides protection in one data centre, whilst the ENHANCED service level provides remote protection in a second data centre.
Q Where will my data be physically stored?
Data will be stored within our highly resilient Tier3, UK sovereign data centres separated by over 100km.
Q How much data can I store?
As a core benefit of a Cloud storage solution, UKCloud Services can scale to the most demanding of storage requirements.
Q How many copies of the data are included?
Cloud object storage technology works in a slightly different way to traditional local storage solutions that would often use RAID as a method to provide data durability.
Instead, cloud storage provides data resilience using EMC GeoParity coding. The higher the service level, the higher the data durability.
The UKCloud Storage service description gives this doesn’t make sense! data copies equivalent for each service level so customers can compare.
MANAGEMENT
Q How do I access the platform?
The service is API (application programming interface) accessible, so is an ideal target for customer applications or can be used by existing systems.
The platform can also be accessed using a variety of existing software tools such as cloud storage gateways, file browsers and existing software products.
Documentation on ways in which to interact with the platform is available via the UKCloud Portal Knowledge Centre.
Q What API’s are supported by the platform?
UKCloud’s Cloud Storage supports the native ATMOS RESTful API, and also provides an Amazon S3 compatible API.
Documentation and user manuals for supported API calls can be found via the Knowledge Centre.
Q How frequently can I back up data?
The frequency of data backup is defined and managed by the customer’s organisation administrator.
Q What reports can I get about the storage usage?
Skyscape provides tools for monitoring used capacity and storage growth through its Portal.
Q What software tools are provided?
UKCloud do not provide software tools for accessing the platform, but can point customers in the direction of both paid and free 3rd party applications.
SUPPORT
Q How do I raise a support ticket?
UKCloud’s secure online Portal will provide the most common Service Management functionality. Alternatively, support can be reached by telephone or email.
Q How do I manage my services?
This will depend on the Impact Level of the data. Services on the Assured OFFICIAL (IL2) domain, but can be managed over the internet (or other connectivity) by accessing the UKCloud Client Portal. For Elevated OFFICIAL (IL3), the security requirements are much stricter and require either a PSN approved connection, UKCloud’s Secure Remote Access or CAPS approved encryption.
Q What are your service maintenance windows?
UKCloud will adhere to the following in terms of maintenance windows;
“Planned Maintenance” means any pre-planned maintenance of any infrastructure relating to the Services. UKCloud shall provide the Client with at least 14 days advance notice of any such planned maintenance: Planned maintenance of UKCloud’s infrastructure relating to the Services shall happen between the hours of 00:00 and 06:00 (UK local time) Monday to Sunday and/or between the hours of 08:00 and 12:00 (UK local time) on a Saturday and/or Sunday.
No planned maintenance will take place on a Saturday unless agreed in advance by both parties;
Planned Maintenance shall be included in any availability calculation in regard to service credits and included in the monthly service reporting;
“Emergency Maintenance” means any emergency maintenance of any of the infrastructure relating to the Services. Whenever possible, UKCloud shall provide the Client with at least six (6) hours’ advance notice:
Whenever possible Emergency Maintenance of UKCloud’s infrastructure will happen between the hours of 00:00 and 06:00 (UK local time) Monday to Sunday and/or between the hours of 08:00 and 12:00 (UK local time)on Saturday and/or Sunday unless there is an identified and demonstrable immediate risk to a Clients environment;
Emergency Maintenance shall be excluded from any availability calculation in regard to service credits but shall be included in the monthly service reporting.
ONBOARDING
Q How can I get started with the service?
Within 5 days of acceptance of an order, UKCloud will create the Consumers Primary Administrator account and send the consumer a Welcome Pack which includes the URL for the UKCloud Customer Portal and associated authentication details.
Once signed up to the service, the customer organisation will be issued with unique credentials (User ID, Subtenant ID, resolvable hostname and shared secret) which are simply entered into a EMC Cloud Tiering Appliance or other compatible automated solution.
BILLING & LEGAL
Q What is the smallest unit of time that I will be billed for?
Storage is billed on a per GB per month basis and is based on the utilisation of the storage platform across the month.
Q How is my storage bill calculated?
Used storage is calculated on a daily basis. The data for a month is collected and then the average consumption is then calculated and rounded up to the next whole number to provide the number of GB consumed in a month.
Q How can I view billing information?
Billing information is available through our online portal.
Q How can I pay for the services?
Billing for the service is:
- Via purchase order
- At point of order for upfront fees
- Annually in advance for pre-payment fees
- Monthly in arrears for monthly fees
Payment can be made by direct bank transfer (BACS/CHAPS).
Q What are the termination fees?
An early exit charge will be payable if the contract is terminated before the end of its original term.
Customers are responsible for extracting their own data from the platform if required.
UKCloud may make an additional charge for transferring data out of the service.
Q Is there a free trial?
Owing to the dedicated, single-tenant nature of this service, no trials are available. UKCloud offers a trial of Cloud Storage which enables customers to test the viability of cloud storage.
SECURITY
Q What data is suitable for the UKCloud?
Optimised for OFFICIAL — hosted in the UK and operated by SC-cleared staff, the service benefits from extensive independent validation (including CESG PGA) that it is properly aligned with CESG Cloud Security Principles, making it the ideal service for all data classified at OFFICIAL (including OFFICIAL-SENSITIVE) and legacy IL0–IL4 solutions
Q Can systems on different UKCloud platforms communicate with one and another?
UKCloud have a cross domain secure zone that allows customers to use the UKCloud defined and managed Cross Domain Guard, or the customer designed and managed Cross Domain Solution to enable communication between platforms.
For more information see the Cross Domain Security Zone for further information.
Q Is there a protective monitoring service?
Protective Monitoring is included for our IaaS platform and follows GPG13.
