CloudStack End User Agreement

Introduction

CloudStack is an Infrastructure as a Service provided to University of Calgary researchers to allow them to quickly deploy Virtual Machines to support their research.

Researchers have a great degree of freedom in how they use CloudStack. As such, they are solely responsible for maintaining any VMs they deploy.

CloudStack is a research environment. While the system is available 24/7, support is only available during University business hours.

We ask that researchers follow the best practices listed below to ensure that the system remains available for the campus community.

Best Practices

1. Please stay abreast of security updates for your OS and apply them.
2. Backup your data (RCS does not provide backups).
3. Do not run Windows (Our infrastructure is not licensed to run Windows).
4. Remember that the University's "Acceptable Use of Electronic Resources and Information Policy" applies to your work using a VM. Please look here and search for "Electronic".
5. This environment is only rated to handle Level 1 and Level 2 data. Please see here and select "Information Security Classification Standard".
6. If you create user accounts on your VM, make sure to manage them appropriately (remove/disable accounts that are no longer required).
7. If you have created accounts, remember that you are responsible for the appropriate use of the VM by those accounts.
8. All user accounts on the VM must have good passwords. See here for details on creating strong passwords.
9. CloudStack is not meant as a High Performance Computing (HPC) number cruncher. If you have HPC needs, please see "How to get an account" for details on how to apply for an account. Not sure what you need? Contact us at support@hpc.ucalgary.ca.
10. If your VM faces the outside world, please consider using appropriate security tools. Contact support@hpc.ucalgary.ca for assistance.

Important notes

Please note that in the event of a security incident IT Operations/Security will shutdown affected VMs.

Any non-critical patches/upgrades to CloudStack that are required will happen on Tuesday of each week. Running VMs should not not be affected.

Any non-critical patches/upgrades that require a complete restart of CloudStack will occur after 1 day email notice.

Urgent security patches to CloudStack may happen with little to no notice.

Please check back with this document as changes may occur.