Access to the North Hall Data Center (NHDC)

NHDC operates on the premise that customer access to equipment is seldom required after the initial installation. NHDC is staffed during standard university business hours – typically five days per week from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. All other times and days are considered off or after hours. All visitors to the NHDC must sign the Access and Visitor Log at the NHDC front desk. NHDC hosting customers are expected to us their Access Control / ID Card when visiting NHDC, which is then logged by the NHDC Access Control System. 

UCSB Personnel accessing the NHDC must present a UCSB issued Access Control / Identification KeyCard as photo id. If you do not have this, please contact UCEN Information Desk / Access Card Services for more information. 

accesscard@ucen.ucsb.edu

https://ucen.ucsb.edu/information-desk

https://ucen.ucsb.edu/about-us/contact-us

http://ucsbaccesscard.com/

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Off/After Hours for Hosting Customers: We know that having self-directed access to your equipment hosted at NHDC has been a source of concern for some current and potential customers.  Therefore, for each organizational owner of equipment hosted in NHDC, Governance has approved 24x7x365 access for break-fix / restart / return to service actions only, limited to a designated Primary and Secondary Administrator. The concerned parties will execute an agreement on the T&C's for access, and receive training on the processes to follow. As of mid-April 2014 we are establishing access for Primary and Secondary Administratiors. Please contact us for more information.

Vendors: Approved maintenance vendors known to NHDC management may have access during normal university business hours. The Approved Vendor list is maintained by ETS management for NH staff reference. The maintenance vendor must be pre-scheduled via the customer, who has stated through email or other acceptable communications that such a maintenance visit is impending. Vendors must carry a company picture ID for inspection, and must be logged in and out by a NH staff member upon every visit. Vendors are to be  accompanied by a UCSB staff member while working at NHDC. 

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Data Center Tours / Visitors

In general, casual visits and/or drop-in tours of the data center are not allowed. In exceptional cases, approval of a tour or casual visit may be granted to a Data Center customer. Requests for such visits should be directed to NHDC Management (see Contacting Us) and must be pre-approved by NHDC management. NHDC tours are offered to the campus community during Staff Celebration Week. 

Data Center Etiquette

In order to maintain a clean room environment and allow all work performed within the Data Center to be carried out as efficiently as possible, it is mandatory for all persons working within the Data Center machine room to adhere to the following rules of etiquette:

  1. All work areas must be kept clean and free of debris. Upon completion of any work in the room, staff performing the work should ensure they have left the area as clean as it was before their work began.
     
  2. All rack enclosures should be kept neat and free of manuals, diskettes, cables, etc. Doors on all racks should remain closed at all times except during performed work.
     
  3. Cables should never be strung outside of rack enclosures. Cabling between rack enclosures of adjacent racks may be acceptable, subject to NHDC management approval, provided sufficient pass-through chassis are in place. All cabling must meet NHDC standards for cable dressing and slack management.
     
  4. Customers are restricted to interacting with only the equipment they brought into the Facility. NHDC provide infrastructure (racks, cabling, PDU, cable trays, HVAC, etc.) are specifically off-limits unless otherwise instructed by NHDC management.

     

  5. All food and beverages are banned within the Data Center machine room. Under no circumstances should food or beverage of any kind be brought into the room.

Data Center Security

In addition Access Control / Identification KeyCard, Access & Visitor Log policies above, the NHDC has video surveillance systems which record all activity in NHDC.

Data Center Emergency Access

NHDC Hosting customer's Primary and Secondary Admins who have executed the After Hours Access Agreement are already granted emergency access during non-staffed hours. In extenuating circumstances customers may request emergency access by contacting NHDC Management per the contact info provided to you when you become a customer.