What Is It?
A Virtual Machine is a guest server hosted on a VM host. The Technology Solutions VM service includes maintenance of the physical environment such as power, cooling, physical security and networking, system monitoring, patches and upgrades, backups, business continuity and disaster recovery, and performance tuning of the VM Hosts.
Other Service Names
Virtual Servers, VMs
Features
- Available for Linux and Windows
Requirements
The person requesting the virtual machine:
- Must have a valid NetID.
- Must have technical ability to manage and maintain the requested Windows or Linux VM.
- Must connect using the UIC VPN connection.
- Must manage IP and DNS assets directly with the TS Networks team and have access to the DNS management tool.
- Acknowledges that the VM can only be used to support the academic, research, or business needs of the University.
- Must provide a CFOPAL account for billing.
- Must make sure to upgrade/update the VM to a vendor-supported operating system, such as Windows Server or a Linux distribution, as soon as the installed version is no longer vendor supported.
- Acknowledges that if that the virtual machine is taken offline due to a security event, service costs will still apply. Costs for incident response, data recovery, and system restoration may be included.
Highly recommended:
- Have a robust anti-malware and anti-virus system in place to prevent, detect, and remove malware from the virtual machine guest. This system should be regularly updated and configured to scan for malware on a regular basis.
Overall, these requirements should ensure that the person requesting the virtual machine is able to meet the requirements for security and reliability, while also providing ongoing maintenance to keep the virtual machine guest up-to-date with the latest operating system and security patches.
Who Is Eligible To Use It?
Where Can I Get It?
Select the Request Virtual Machine button located on this page.
How Do I Use It?
In addition to the existing requirements, the requestor is also responsible for requesting a "Fixed IP Address" from the networks team. Once the fixed IP address is assigned, the requestor must create a DNS A Record for each fixed lease and/or static NAT in a DNS zone that is owned by the requestor. This step ensures that the IP address is correctly mapped to the domain name, allowing for proper routing and accessibility. It is crucial to complete this step promptly to avoid any disruptions in service.
Depending on the use case for your VM, you would request at least one Fixed IP Address on your departmental private vlan. If you need some ports to be accessible from the public internet, you would also need to request a Static NAT (Public IP Address).
To request either of these, use the "Request Network Configuration Change" form linked at:
and provide the MAC address that you receive from us.
To request either of these services, please use the "Request Network Configuration Change" form available at the following link: https://help.uillinois.edu/TDClient/37/uic/Requests/ServiceOfferingDet?ID=68. Be sure to provide the MAC address that you receive from us.
- The option "MAC-Fixed IP Address" is for your primary network interface, typically a private IP on a private VLAN.
- The option "Static NAT (Public IP Address)" provides a one-to-one mapping of private IP addresses to public IP addresses.
For detailed instructions, please refer to the following KB articles:
How Much Does It Cost?
This service is funded by the self-supported model. The costs and rates for this service is listed under 'Virtual Servers" on the Technology Solution's self-supporting services' costs and rates page.
How Can I Get Support?
If you are experiencing a problem with this service, please report it. If you just have a question, feel free to ask us.
Service Levels
| Service Request Fulfillment Time |
2 business days |
| Incident Resolution Time |
1 business day |
| Service Availability |
24x7 |
| Maintenance Window(s) |
Approved Technology Solutions maintenance window(s) |
| Service Notification Channel(s) |
IT Service Notices |