SPSS Online Services

Dimensions™ MSP

Frequently Asked Questions

SPSS Inc.’s MSP (managed service provider) solution provides you with a dedicated infrastructure which can be customized to suit your company’s needs. We take care of all of the setup and infrastructure management, freeing you to concentrate on your research needs.

The following questions provide detailed information about our Dimensions MSP product. For more general information regarding ASP, MSP, or our Service Bureau product, please visit the online services main home page

GENERAL QUESTIONS

ENVIRONMENT & TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS

MONITORING

SECURITY

PATCHING

How does SPSS handle OS patching for the MSP offering?

DISASTER RECOVERY (DR), BACKUPS, AND STORAGE

SUPPORT

PROOF OF CONCEPT (POC)

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Who do I contact for more information on MSP?

What is MSP?

Our Managed Service Provider (MSP) offering provides the infrastructure management and monitoring for SPSS software you own. This solution is completely customizable and scalable to meet your business needs, while allowing you to manage the application yourself.

The MSP solution from SPSS offers:

Hardware hosting + software licensing in a SAS70 Certified DataCenter
Ability to use or create customized applications
Ability to customize security
Software scalability
High Availability
24x7x365 Support
Service Level Agreement (SLA)

What are some of the benefits of the MSP option?

The MSP solution provides the infrastructure for SPSS software you own. In addition to your ownership of the software, SPSS will architect a customized solution based on your specific business requirements and will manage your systems and hardware 7x24x365. Using SPSS’ vast resources, we will manage your security, operating systems, hardware, storage, and backup needs, allowing your company the freedom to focus on its core business.

What does a typical MSP solution from SPSS include?

A typical MSP solution includes the following:

Dedicated environment
Your choice of a 1-, 2- or 3-year contract
System architecture
Implementation management
Production support
Vendor management
Configuration and change management
SLA (Service Level Agreement)
Service delivery documentation

What does Implementation include?

Implementation includes the following:

Project management
Logistics
Facilities preparation oversight
Hardware installation
OS installation and configuration
Application installation and configuration
Security setup
Backups, Storage
Monitoring configuration
Runbook development
Test planning and execution
Migration and production acceptance

What does Production Support include?

Production Support includes the following:

System monitoring
System management
Reporting
Maintenance (HW, SW, OS)
Change management
Asset management

What does Customer Support include?

Customer Support includes the following:

Contractual activities
Onrequest activities
- Application troubleshooting and support
- Customization
- Future planning
- Consulting
Issue management
Change management

What does Vendor Management include?

Vendor Management includes the following:

Purchasing
Monitoring
Data Centers
RFPs, contract negotiations, performance and contract reviews, SLA management

What does Configuration and Change Management include?

Configuration and Change Management includes the following:

Configuration of new and existing production level systems
Migration planning and execution
Equipment purchase

What components are included in MSP pricing?

Our MSP pricing always includes the following:

Hardware
Software (OS, SQL, etc)
Implementation
Hosting
Monitoring
Management
Customer support
Services
- System architecture
- Implementation
- Production support
- Customer support
- Vendor management
- SLA management
- Configuration and change management

How much does SPSS charge for their MSP solution?

Since every business has unique needs, we architect each MSP solution on an individual basis, providing you with an individualized and detailed quote with every contract

How does the MSP environment address redundancy and availability?

All environments are architected for High Availability and Redundancy. We use clustered server environments that allow for transparent failover of production activity and greater uptime assurance. SPSS architecture includes:

Redundant Cisco 12000 Core Router
Redundant Cisco Catalyst® 6500 switches
Redundant Lucent Brick™ Firewalls
Legato Tape backup
HP Network Storage Array with Brocade switches
HP Servers

What is your methodology to ramp-up or ramp-down servers to meet scalability needs?

SPSS plans accordingly to ensure that 75% capacity is not achieved for any extended time period. If this capacity is achieved with all other activities taken into account, SPSS proactively assess the environment for any additional hardware that may be required. Generally, this is not necessary since SPSS performs an extensive capacity planning process before customer environments are implemented.

What is your technology/methodology to accommodate bandwidth on demand?

SPSS provides customer with 10Mbps burstable to 100Mbps as needed.

What ports are required to be opened on our firewalls?

There are no special requirements for ports other than 80 for access to DimensionNet and interviewing.

What is the preferred hardware platform to run your application?

HP Compaq ProLiant Servers running Windows® 2003 Standard server depending on the tier. Clustered SQL 2000 is also a standard for our implementations that require production SQL.

What type of Internet capability is inherent in the MSP solution?

The servers will have Internet access through the network with an array of six additional Tier 1 peering partners. The connection between the servers and the network will be a direct 1Gbps Ethernet connection, with dedicated bandwidth to the Web, burstable to 100MB. Unlimited data transfer volumes will be supported through this link.

What type of system monitoring can SPSS provide?

Parameters Monitored:

Pinging: Every five minutes to ensure that the device is online
SNMP: Simple Network Management Protocol developed to manage nodes, network performance, find and solve network problems, and plan for network growth
OS agent: Monitors CPU utilization, memory utilization, disk space, etc.
Transaction monitoring, HTTP, HTTPS, FTP, POP3, LDAP, TCP, IP, SMTP, DNS, IMAP4, NNTP, WAP, Radius, DHCP, NTP, Database, OS, etc.

Is the monitoring information available?

Monitoring reports are available upon request. Reports may be sent daily, weekly, or monthly as agreed to and arranged.

How do agents manage logging errors?

All errors and alerts that have been defined for an environment are logged either in a database that is specific to the logging application or other application event logs.

How are alarms managed and notifications sent?

Auto escalation is used for notification of issues with predefined escalation lists in place both manually and by the application itself. Alarms are e-mailed, text messaged via SMS, and made audible through the monitoring apps interfaces.

How are resolutions of errors addressed?

All resolutions are logged through ticketing, and solutions that are nonstandard or out of the norm are logged in forums for support personnel to review.

How often is your infrastructure reviewed?

This is defined by each customer according to specific needs.

How does SPSS comply with the European Union Data Protection Act?

SPSS maintains an ongoing commitment to the protection of personal data and to ensuring the privacy of those who provide personal information to SPSS.

SPSS often hosts surveys and collects information on behalf of its clients. As a member of the Council of American Survey Research Organizations (CASRO), SPSS abides by the CASRO Code of Standards and Ethics for Survey Research, which includes extensive provisions for the protection of respondent privacy. In the course of performing services for clients, however, SPSS does not assume ownership of collected information. Rather, SPSS collects and handles this information as prescribed by the client company, which may itself be subject to applicable data protection laws. SPSS will make reasonable efforts to accommodate client needs for adequate levels of data confidentiality and security. These efforts may be specified by prior agreement between SPSS and the client.

What kind of physical security does SPSS have at its Data Centers?

Seven-foot fence around the complete perimeter
Bulletproof glass and metal detectors in a secured entrance
Access badges with individualized access privileges
Building-wide door-access system, interconnected to video cameras and videotape
Security breach alarms
24x7 uniformed onsite guards, specially trained in Data Center security procedures
Motion detection system

What type of Infrastructure Security does SPSS have in place?

Service:

24x7x365 monitoring and support
Rule base installation and changes
VLAN configurations for virtual firewall support
Patch upgrades and notification
Software license management
Vulnerability scans
VPN tunneling
Syslog, with reports and storage options

Hardware

Multi-vendor best-of-breed options available for dedicated solution
Shared firewall employs two (2) Lucent VPN Firewall Brick 1000 carrier-grade devices in a redundant failover configuration
Monitored and maintained by data center, 24x7x365
Immediate and seamless failover
Brick 1000 Features
1.7Gbps clear text throughput per Virtual Firewall
90 Mbps at 3DES
Automatic Failover within 400 milliseconds
Can support up to 2.0 million sessions, 3,000 VPN tunnels
The CERT ( links to: http:// www.cert.org) Web site will be monitored for security risk announcements that may impact the servers and critical system related patches are applied the same day they become available to the public.
Windows updates and Hot Fixes are to be monitored for security and stability updates that maybe relevant to our environment.
Symantec AntiVirus™ Corporate edition will be installed on all servers and managed from a remote server for updates. This service includes active file monitoring and weekly scanning.

What types of logical and application security are inherent in the MSP product?

These following standards are applied to help prevent security risk from forming or escalating: SPSS uses industry best practices around security where ever possible. Occasionally, business or technical reasons require SPSS to customize these best practices in order to better serve our customers.

Details of SPSS’ standard security documentation are available upon completion and submission of a non-disclosure agreement (NDA).

What technologies and methodologies are used for intrusion detection?

SPSS has internal documentation that outlines the facility intrusion detection service (IDS) policy. As per corporate policy, this documentation cannot be distributed to externally. Nevertheless, SPSS can arrange for customers to view a hard copy of the documentation in person, if requested.

What processes are in place to check for viruses of all types?

SPSS provides real time scanning and nightly full machine scans. Virus definition files are updated automatically as the files are released from Symantec.

How does SPSS handle OS patching for the MSP offering?

SPSS installs all Microsoft critical updates. These updates are automatically installed during the first maintenance window that follows an update release.

SPSS may install non-critical Microsoft updates upon request.

What types of disaster recovery and business continuity functions are included?

Below is a description of the standard data collection and protection services SPSS provides in the MSP offering. These services are often referred to in the industry as disaster recovery (DR) and business continuity (BC).

Using key terms and definitions obtained for the disaster recovery Institute (DRI) SPSS defines business continuity in the following way: Advanced arrangements and procedures that enable an organization to respond to an event in such a manner that critical business functions continue with planned levels of interruption or essential change.

The aspects of business continuity included as part of our standard MSP offering are:

Alternate site/cold Site
Computer recovery team
Multiple command center Locations
Call tree development, maintenance, and execution
Contact list development, maintenance, and execution
Application recovery
Data Backup strategy with associated procedures
Data backup
Off-site storage
Data recovery
High-availability architecture
Data Center facility safeguards
- Systems and safeguards that exceed all building codes
- Building design capable of withstanding 150mph winds
- Chilled water HVAC, with separate cooling zones
- Water pipes confined to corridors, away from data area
- Two separate power feeds from Florida Power & Light
- Multiple power generators, with automatic start
- Siemens 4,000 ampere switchboards
- Uninterruptible power supplies
- Digital static transfer Switches
- Ultra-clean AC power process
- Very early smoke detection apparatus (VESDA)
- Fire alarms and suppression systems, including fm200
- Multiple fiber trunks
- Seismically braced racks

Physical Security Safeguards

Seven-foot fence around the complete perimeter
Bulletproof glass and metal detectors in a secured entrance
Access badges with individualized access privileges
Building-wide door access system, interconnected to video cameras and videotape
Security breach alarms
24x7 uniformed onsite guards, specially trained in Data Center security procedures
Motion detection system

What additional disaster recovery and business continuity functions are available?

For customers requiring additional business continuity and disaster recovery Services, SPSS can provision, monitor, and manage an alternate site for additional fees. The scope and fees associated with this additional service must be clearly addressed in the contract. Additional services available include:

Contingency plan development, maintenance, and execution
Coordination of crate and ship services
Damage assessment
Data Center recovery services
Database replication
Electronic vaulting
File shadowing
Journaling
Forward recovery
Hot Site/warm Site

Caveats:

SPSS does not provide professional services for business continuity or disaster recovery planning.
SPSS will work with the customer to formulate plans only for systems, applications, and equipment under SPSS’ direct control and as identified in the customer contract.
Backup and restore: Additional hardware and software cost will be associated with any requirements which include backups and/or restores to or from locations other than the primary site. Services sharing this additional cost include, but are not limited to, database replication, electronic vaulting, file shadowing, journaling, and forward recovery.
Business continuity and disaster recovery requirements are unique for each customer, as such SPSS, upon request, will present customers seeking service outside those included in our standard offering with a Statement of Work (SOW) outlining the costs and activities associated with the development of a DRBC solution, for the customers approval, before research and development begins.

What is the technology/methodology on disaster recovery (DR)?

SPSS can provide specific disaster recovery (DR) options for each implementation. By default, offsite tape cloning, data security, and other features are available to all customers that use SPSS' backup services. Additional backup services can be made available, such as non-local hot sites and data staging, when contracting these services with SPSS.

What types of backup services come standard with the MSP solution?

Options for non-disruptive backups – with zero downtime
24 x 7 x 365 availability of backup and restore processes
Monitoring of scheduled backup jobs
Tape management (on-site and off-site), with media replacement/recycling.
Daily incremental backup and weekly full Backup stored onsite for two weeks; monthly offsite rotation saved for one year

How does SPSS perform data backups?

SPSS will back up customers’ servers located in the Data Center using a tape backup System. SPSS will perform a nightly incremental backup of all customers’ data servers’ data. Incremental backup tapes will be copied to provide two (2) copies of each incremental backup. One (1) copy of each night’s incremental backup will be kept at the Data Center for immediate use. The second copy of each nightly incremental backup will be sent to an offsite secure data storage facility. Nightly incremental backup tapes will be on a seven (7) day rotation schedule with SPSS’ offsite secure data storage facility.

Once per week, SPSS will perform a full system backup of each covered data server’s data. This backup will be mirrored to provide two (2) copies of the weekly full system backup. One (1) copy of this backup will be kept onsite at the Data Center. The second copy of this weekly full system backup will be sent to an offsite secure data storage facility. Weekly full system data backup tapes will be on a four (4) week rotation schedule with an offsite secure data storage facility.

Once each month SPSS will perform a full system backup of each covered data server’s data. This backup will be mirrored to provide two (2) copies of the monthly full system backup. One (1) copy of this backup will be kept onsite at the Data Center. The second copy of this monthly full system backup will be sent to an offsite secure data storage facility. Monthly full system data backup tapes will be on a twelve (12) month rotation schedule with an offsite secure data storage facility.

What is provided in the power backup facilities?

Facility has a minimum of n+1 redundancy on the data center floor and electrical room. This level of redundancy means that every data center needs a minimum number of Heating Ventilation Air Conditioning (HVAC) units of "n" units. The data center has an additional unit (n+1) to ensure constant temperature and humidity levels.

The HVAC units are backed up on generator power. The data center’s HVAC systems will ensure facilities operate between 6872 degrees Fahrenheit and 4555 percent relative humidity. Air filtration levels are maintained at 9095%. Chilled water HVAC, with separate cooling zones is a redundant HVAC system and redundant water supply. Water pipes are confined to corridors, away from equipment areas.

What is the uptime for power availability?

Power availability uptime is 100% in any given month

What types of data storage services are available to SPSS’ MSP customers?

Capacity on demand for virtually unlimited growth

Capacity planning and trend analysis
Dedicated and shared service
High performance, availability, reliability, scalability, security, and flexibility
Full Integration with backup Infrastructure
NAS & SAN deployments
24 x 7 x 365 management and monitoring
Management of custom and/or dedicated solutions.
Non-disruptive mirror copies available, without the need to take the system down. Hot backup also available to restore data very quickly.
Network and external Storage: You can even access the managed storage services remotely, without moving your systems, via our high performance IP Network
Customer Tools, including a graphical user interface allows you to see disk space allocation, disk space utilization, configuration, I/O’s and billing information.

SPSS does not store or maintain customer data upon contract expiration unless terms have been agreed to prior to the contract’s termination date.

How does SPSS ensure quality during and after implementation?

Every new customer will receive our Service Delivery Guide. Our guide outlines:

All the steps of our delivery process
All our implementation and on going support processes
Your solution and the services that will be provided to you
Presents sample customer reports and invoices

Expectation setting roles and responsibilities

Delivery process overview
Service delivery scope and definition
Delivery schedule
SPSS delivery team
Customer communications
Sample customer Invoice

Transitioning to Steady State

Operations runbook development
Test plan development and approval
Steady state acceptance

Ongoing support

Escalation
Root cause analysis—issue management
Production change management
Production support activities
Alarm management
On-request functions
Pre-defined maintenance
Standard build security documentation

What type of application support does SPSS provide?

Support staff can answer questions regarding all survey products sold by SPSS. To find the Support number for your their location and product, visit the support page or e-mail mrsupport@spss.com. E-mails and faxes will be acknowledged within a half-hour of receipt and looked into by a qualified Support representative within two hours of receipt.

Do you provide an environment for evaluating your application?

We offer a Proof of Concept (POC) environment that may be used for a 30-day evaluation period. Since the POC environment is shared among many customers, customizations to the software or environment are not allowed. Additionally, this environment does not represent the offering in hardware and resources that may be part of your particular proposal.

What is the extent of access that is provided to the POC environment?

Access is restricted to the Web Interface only.