The University Policy Manual

UNCG enterprise systems will be operated and maintained by Information Technology Services, with servers in one or more designated machine room(s) that are fully compliant with the state auditor's IS audit standards. Centrally locating these systems and utilizing appropriate technologies will provide for enhanced data and network security and reliability, and enable the University to realize cost advantages from economies of scale. An enterprise system is defined as an application that requires hosting by an application server and meets any of these additional criteria:

1. requires a system administrator
2. is designated as enterprise level by the vendor
3. provides functional support to more than one department
4. is accessed by faculty/staff of more than one department
5. is accessed by students
6. supports functions that are considered "mission-critical", i.e., the functions carried out by the application are critical to the successful accomplishment of the University's mission.

By hosting these applications on centrally located servers, the University not only gains efficiencies for both processors and mass storage, but can more effectively secure access to these applications by surrounding them with an internal firewall. Other mission-critical activities, such as system backup and disaster recovery (activities monitored in all IS audits), as well as complete 24x7 support, also can be provided.

Mission-critical software applications manage the core business transactions of the University concerning students, courses, finances, human resources, information resources, and facilities. They will run on servers on one of three enterprise operating systems (OS): Unix, Windows NT/2000, Novell. ITS also supports two OS for desktops: Windows and Macintosh. Applications will be fully integrated, accessible through a single log-in, and back-ended (where appropriate) with a common database.

ITS will review all current and future systems/servers to ensure that enterprise systems are handled properly. Servers used for direct instructional/research purposes in the College or the professional Schools will be exempted from this policy. Transition plans (and, where appropriate, Service Level Agreements) will be developed for enterprise systems/servers currently managed outside ITS. Transition will occur in an orderly fashion, in cooperation with functional area staff and with minimum disruption. Servers that support enterprise systems will be located in (or moved to) ITS-secured areas. Responsibility for system administration for current systems will be moved to ITS unless functional areas choose to continue managing those systems. In such cases, system administrators must be ITS-certified.