Server Hosting
Depending upon customer preference, the server(s) that run the Tk20 system can either be hosted at the Tk20 Data Center or at the institution’s site. Tk20 will provide you with a complete list of required server specifications. Depending on the number of students and intended usage, software can be deployed in several tiers. Additionally, files that are uploaded as part of system usage can reside on a separate NAS device or on a separate server other than the servers that host the application.
Hosting at the Tk20 Data Center
Once the servers are shipped to the Tk20 Data Center, Tk20 takes over installing the correct version of the operating system and correct versions of components necessary for operation. Once the system is installed, it is configured by installing the correct software release and corresponding core dataset. Finally, canned reports are configured as part of the system configuration. Certain application tests are then carried out before making the system available for the end users. More details can be found in the document titled Tk20 Network Infrastructure.
Hosting at the University IT Data Center
Engineering Services will work with your IT staff to ensure that the servers are installed with the correct version of the operating system, that the correct components are installed, and that the servers are configured correctly and the correct software version is installed on the server. We have identified a minimal set of operating system packages that are necessary for normal behavior of the application. Additionally, other packages/applications can be installed on the servers depending on the policies at your institution.
We will go through all the steps necessary for successful deployment with you in a conference call. We request very specific access to your servers. We never need root access to the servers. We need access to your servers for operational needs and this can be set up to a particular user via ssh from one of our IP addresses. Depending on the need, we may request that sudo access can be granted to the servers. At such times we will let you know the reason for the enhanced access. Engineering Services will work with you to integrate Apache with the server certificates that you purchase.
Details of deployment steps, the necessary server access and other details can be found in the following documents:
