Astra Cloud : Frequently Asked Questions

Transcription

1 Astra Cloud : Frequently Asked Questions The Astra Cloud offers a way to take advantage of the benefits of Ad Astra software without investment in additional infrastructure and IT personnel. The Astra Cloud has been available since 2013; however, in 2015, the hosting infrastructure moved from Rackspace to Amazon Web Services. This move included major overhauls to connectivity, security, and performance. Benefits of hosting in the Astra Cloud include: a. Improved Reliability - Redundancy at all levels of our network and real-time monitors keep an eye on our clients sites 24/7 to ensure sites are up and available when needed. b. Application Hotfixes - When an error is found and a resolution is determined, the fix is applied to all clients hosted in the Astra Cloud environment (not just to the client reporting the error). c. Faster Issue Turnaround - Astra Cloud is managed directly by Ad Astra s Software Support Team. Gone are the days of the Ad Astra Software Support Team talking the client s IT resources through lengthy troubleshooting activities and Ad Astra s requests for data backups. The Ad Astra Software Support Team simply fixes the problem. Additionally, if another client detects an issue first, the Ad Astra Software Support Team automatically applies hot fixes to all client sites before they even encounter the issue. d. Free Hardware Upgrades - Equipment in Astra Cloud is leased for a year. After one year, Ad Astra automatically upgrades to newer/faster hardware with no additional capital cost to clients. e. Server Maintenance - Backups/Server Patches/etc. are handled by Astra Cloud and Ad Astra s Software Support Team, freeing the client s internal IT resources to work on other initiatives. f. Standard Upgrades - When a client is ready to upgrade to the latest version of Ad Astra software, Ad Astra will provide a test environment and handle all the technical activities to ensure readiness. g. Automated Client Testing [2017] With every software release, Ad Astra runs through a strenuous quality assurance (QA) process. In 2017, in addition to our current QA processes, we will be piloting an optional test program in which participating Astra Cloud clients will be added to our automated quality assurance process. This means new releases will be tested against client-specific configurations. This will not only improve the upgrade process across the board, but will also specifically address, in advance, any issues found with participating client configurations W. 80 th Street, Suite 300, Overland Park, Kansas (913) (888) aais.com 2016 Ad Astra Information Systems, L.L.C., all right reserved

2 h. Automatic Client Upgrades [2017] - For participating Automated Testing clients, automatic upgrades are a natural extension of our Automated Client Testing. As Ad Astra improves the reliability and accuracy of Automated Client Testing, software upgrades can be automatic. Frequently Asked Questions 1. Where are your hosting servers located? In Fall 2015, Ad Astra partnered with Amazon Web Services (AWS) for its hosting data center (servers, network, firewalls, etc.) Although Amazon has physical locations throughout the world, Ad Astra has two data centers that collectively make up the Astra Cloud one in Oregon and another in Northern Virginia. 2. Where will our data be stored? All data is stored in Astra Cloud. We never transfer client data outside of Astra Cloud without your express permission. For QA purposes, Ad Astra may anonymize or deidentify client data to use, with client permission, while testing future versions of Ad Astra software. 3. Will I be on shared hardware? By default, clients are hosted on shared hardware in a multi-tenant environment. In this setup, multiple clients are co-located on shared web servers, shared task agent servers and shared database servers. Dedicated single tenant hosting (where a single client is located on the web/task agent/database stack) is available for an additional cost. Please contact your Ad Astra Account Executive for more information. 4. Are routine preventative network penetration testing, vulnerability scans performed? Penetration testing of Ad Astra applications is performed on a quarterly basis. Vulnerabilities are immediately assessed for prioritization/correction and fall into two categories: server issues and application issues. Server issues are remediated with server patches (either to Internet Information Server, Windows Operation System, etc.) and are scheduled for the next monthly maintenance window. Application issues are remediated in quarterly software releases and are generally packaged with other functional enhancements and/or software bug fixes. If a vulnerability is deemed critical, we have a process to release an emergency patch containing just the vulnerability fix. However, we have never had to use this process. 5. Is uptime monitoring in place? The Astra Cloud Software Support Team monitors our web servers, task agents, database servers, and Virtual Private Network (VPN) connections via automated tools Astra Cloud: Frequently Asked Questions Page 2 of 5

3 that alert us of any issues. Additionally, all new clients receive web uptime percentages provided by a third party monitoring service. Existing clients will receive this same benefit as they are migrated to our high availability environment later in Is security monitoring in place and available to clients? Yes, we have several layers of monitoring in place that alert us of any issues. 7. Is the hosted environment set up for redundancy and high availability? Yes. All of the components of the Amazon infrastructure are fully redundant, including duplicate power systems, internet connections, and data storage. Additionally, all new clients receive redundant web and task agent servers within our high availability environment. As existing clients migrate to the high availability environment, they also receive redundant web and task agent servers. 8. How are new application releases pushed out and accepted? Currently, all application upgrades are coordinated with clients. During an upgrade, a test environment is created with the new software version and a copy of production data. Clients perform User Acceptance Testing within this environment. Once clients approve the upgrade, the production environment is upgraded. In the future [2017], Ad Astra plans on offering automated upgrades for clients that optin to the service. Clients opted-in to this service will receive production upgrades on a quarterly basis automatically, skipping the test environment phase. A snapshot/backup of production will be taken prior to performing the upgrade just in case you decide to revert back to the previous software version. 9. How are hot fixes applied and accepted? Hot fixes include application or operating system modifications to correct critical issues in functionality or security. 10. Will I have a test and/or staging environment? Generally, a test/staging environment is available during the software upgrade process only (for client User Acceptance Testing). The environment is not maintained during non-upgrade periods. Current clients may contact their Ad Astra Account Executive to access a test environment outside of the upgrade window if needed (e.g., for monthly training, etc.) Astra Cloud: Frequently Asked Questions Page 3 of 5

4 11. How will the hosted instance of Ad Astra interface with my SIS? The Ad Astra modules commonly interface with a client s SIS, server, and/or LDAP/Authentication services. Communication between Astra Cloud and these services occurs over a secure VPN or tunnel between the client s network and the Astra Cloud. Once the VPN is in place, Astra Schedule or Platinum Analytics can securely access client SIS and other services. 12. Can I directly access my data directly for reporting, exporting or integration with other third party systems? Although not available today, Ad Astra is working to have a near-real time copy of the client s database accessible as an additional, optional service. 13. Can I customize the look and feel of instance of the application? Yes, the Ad Astra modules in Astra Cloud behave just like an on-premise installation with the ability to modify Cascading Style Sheets to customize the look and feel. 14. Are there software requirements (firewall, VPN, etc.) that are needed by the client? The hosted Ad Astra modules need access to the client s local network for access to SIS data (imports/exports), server and authentication (LDAP, etc.) This access is handled via a VPN connection between the client s network and Astra Cloud. Usually this connection is directly between Astra Cloud s firewall and local client s firewall/router using existing hardware. Most clients already have this special hardware in place, so no additional software/hardware is required. 15. How long will it take to get the hosted environment set up and the application available for use? As with any installation, there are a number of options that factor into an implementation effort that are beyond the scope of this FAQ document. Generally speaking: For new clients/implementations, an Ad Astra Implementation Consultant will be assigned to the new client s case and work with them on several tasks, such as mapping the client s SIS data to the Ad Astra Database, scheduling regular imports/exports, training the client team, etc. This generally takes 2-3 months, but exact estimates are client dependent. For existing on-premise clients, transitioning to Astra Cloud can be completed in a few weeks. The most time-intensive activity is the setup of the VPN connection due Astra Cloud: Frequently Asked Questions Page 4 of 5

5 to the number of Ad Astra and client IT personnel involved, as well as the variability in client network configurations. Once the VPN is in place, the software is generally available within a few days. 16. What other services come with hosting? In addition to continued access to Ad Astra Software Support and Training Team: a. Server maintenance All activities to keep servers up to date (e.g., security/performance patches, etc.) b. Hardware upgrades From time to time, Ad Astra upgrades to newer/faster hardware with no additional capital cost to clients c. Application Hotfixes Emergency fixes, as needed d. Standard Upgrades Configuring test environments, data migrations, software installation Environment Configuration Updated: Astra Cloud: Frequently Asked Questions Page 5 of 5