Big Data Analytics Service Definition G-Cloud 7

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1 Big Data Analytics Service Definition G-Cloud 7

2 Big Data Analytics Service Service Overview ThinkingSafe s Big Data Analytics Service allows information to be collected from multiple locations, consolidated in specified locations, and analysed in the most appropriate locations. Most big data analytics services require all the data to be consolidated in a single location before any analytics can be performed, but this may not be appropriate in real world applications for a variety of reasons. Some big data problems involve massive quantities of data, which are physically stored in different geographic locations, and it may not be economically viable to move the data to the processing. In such cases, we apply a principle derived from the high performance computing world, which is to move the processing to the data. In other case, there may be information security restrictions, which prevent the data from being transferred to a single consolidation point. This typically occurs when the big data analytics need to utilise information collected across multiple legal jurisdictions, but can also occur when information is collected across organisational boundaries, or across security classifications. The big data analytics service uses the same concept of security domains that we use in our secure file sharing and collaboration service, which allows information to be securely partitioned using military grade cryptography. The information security requirements can be addressed by restricting access to security domains to users and devices in specific locations, which ensures that the physical location restrictions can be enforced. The economic viability can be addressed by moving elements of the analytics to the data, creating intermediate datasets, which can be consolidated more economically. The Big Data Analytics Service takes full advantage of the ThinkingSafe Secure Deployed Cloud framework, which allows public, private and hybrid clouds to be deployed across multiple distributed locations, with central management, cyber security and information logistics support. The big data workflow is designed in terms of analytic processes, which read data from multiple security domains, and write data to a specific security domain. These processes can be located on any user device or secure cloud appliance or data centre appliance, but are typically located within cloud appliances or data centre appliances. Secure cloud appliances are deployed on customer premises and provide a local cache of information stored within the cloud service, which is replicated automatically to the cloud. This replication normally occurs automatically over the broadband connection, but in situations where the connection has been persistently overloaded this is supplemented by an information logistics process, which manages physical transfer of information to/from the cloud. Data centre appliances can be deployed on customer premises, but they are more typically deployed within commercial data centres, and are deployed extensively throughout our cloud infrastructure. These appliances are designed to provide secure information storage and processing, which can be upgraded to increase the storage or processing capacity. In big data applications that require information to be retained in specific geographic locations these appliances fulfil this critical requirement, whilst ensuring the cyber security, operational resilience and service capacity of the appliances is fully managed and maintained by the service provider. ThinkingSafe 2015 Page 2

3 Big Data Analytics Analytics users are able to configure the Big Data workflow, specifying and configuring the analytics deployed in each location, including the security domains that are available for input and output. Corporate users are able to configure the security domains, and specify which analytics can access the data, optionally including additional access restrictions, so that the analytics users and the analytics they define are not given unrestricted access to business data. This clear distinction between analytics user and business users is essential for effective information security management, particularly within Big Data Analytics problems that are required to process information from multiple organisations, or information that must be maintained within specific legal jurisdictions, or information that is subject to stringent ethical or regulatory controls. This is particularly important for medical data, where there may be genuine benefit in allowing certain analytics to be used to process confidential patient records, but equally genuine concerns about potential infringement of personal privacy. This is also important in a variety of security sensitive applications, where unintended access to personally identifiable information would be highly undesirable, but the result of analytics executed on the data may be mission critical to the sponsoring organisation. ThinkingSafe has extensive experience with complex information landscapes, where a large number of factors influence the preferred deployment, and our consultants are able to advise on special requirements. Pricing Analytics users are charged at 200 per month, which allows them to specify unlimited analytics processes, and includes access to a range of analytic modules that can be deployed and configured in any location. Corporate business users are charge in accordance with our secure file sharing and collaboration service, which allows them to specify access controls on the security domains. The results of the big data analytics can be accessed FREE of charge by ordinary users. Each site requires a management appliance at 50 per month, for 1-10 sites Additional sites are charged at 45 per month per site, for sites Additional sites are charged at 40 per month per site, for 101+ sites Cost of dedicated processing cores 20 per core per month, inclusive of 2GB memory, and 50GB SSD Available in 4, 8, and 16 core options Money Back Guarantee We provide a 30-day money back guarantee to new customers, on all subscription charges, usage charges and support charges, but excluding option charges. Please contact info@thinkingsafe.com or call for further information. ThinkingSafe 2015 Page 3

4 Backup and Disaster Recovery of our Cloud Services Our G-Cloud Services provide secure and resilient data protection for our customers, including storage within multiple UK data centres. Customer data is stored persistently on disk, using RAID storage to provide resilience within each data centre. Encrypted, compressed and deduplicated customer data is stored on persistent storage in multiple data centres. The persistent storage in each data centre utilises hard disk media, which is configured for resilience to at least one media failure. Media failure events are monitored automatically, with appropriate processes to restore resilience following a media failure event. On-boarding process Customers can sign up for our G-Cloud Services using the Service Order Form included within our Terms and Conditions, which can be submitted electronically. Service provisioning occurs automatically following acceptance of the Service Order Form. There is no charge for on-boarding to our public cloud services. Charges may apply for private and hybrid cloud services. Specialist Cloud Services are available for customers who require additional assistance. Further information is available in the FAQ section of this document. Off-boarding process There is no charge for off-boarding from our public, private or hybrid cloud services. Customers may extract all information assets protected electronically. Physical data delivery is available as a chargeable service. Specialist Cloud Services are available for customers who require additional assistance. Further information is available in the FAQ section of this document. Service Level Agreement ThinkingSafe is committed to delivering Customer Satisfaction, with clearly stated terms of business, including charges, guarantees and service credits, which are fair and equitable to both parties. Our secure cloud services provide resilient storage in UK data centres and/or customer premises, for a monthly fee that is based on the number of corporate users and the volume of compressed, de duplicated and encrypted data stored. ThinkingSafe is certified to ISO 9001 for Quality Systems Management and certified to ISO for Information Security Management by UKAS accredited auditors, and is applying for Pan Government Accreditation (PGA) up to security level OFFICIAL SENSITIVE. ThinkingSafe data centres are located in the UK, and operated to Tier-3 standards or above, within scope of our ISO 9001 and ISO certifications. Our Service Level Agreement (SLA) promises 99.9% service availability from our UK data centres, with service credits (equal to 1 day of service) for availability below 99.9%, with 5 credits for availability below 99%, 10 credits for availability below 98%, and 20 credits for availability below 95%. Our Service Level Agreement (SLA) also promises timely response to all helpdesk requests. Emergency support requests will receive acknowledgement within 1 hour, diagnosis within the following 1 hour, and work around within the following 2 hours. ThinkingSafe 2015 Page 4

5 Critical support requests will receive acknowledgement within 2 hours, diagnosis within the following 4 hours, and work around within the following 8 hours. High priority support requests will receive acknowledgement within 4 hours, diagnosis within the following 8 hours, and work around within the following 24 hours. Medium priority support requests will receive acknowledgement within 24 hours, diagnosis within the following 24 hours, and work around within the following 7 days. Low priority support requests will receive acknowledgement within 24 hours, diagnosis within the following 7 days, and work around within the following 28 days. Our standard hours for support are 9am to 5:30pm Monday to Friday, excluding bank holidays. Extended support hours from 6am to 9pm on business days is a cost option. Emergency support is available to all customers 365x7x24, because we understand the challenges people face during an emergency. Cloud service customers receive Support Services free-of-charge during standard hours, subject to a maximum limit based on the monthly service charge, calculated as one 15-minute unit of support for each 50 of monthly service charges, plus one additional unit per month. Support services can include routine monitoring of the cloud services, in addition to response to customer requests. Additional support during standard and extended hours and all emergency support will be charged at 30 per unit, and emergency support performed outside extended hours carries a minimum charge of 960. Further information and legal documentation of our SLA is available in our terms and conditions ThinkingSafe also provides a range of Specialist Cloud Services, which are charged according to our Consultancy Rate Card. Training & documentation Product documentation is available on the company website Specialist Cloud Services are available for customers who require additional assistance. Formal training can be provided under the Implementation Consultancy Service. Ordering and invoicing process Customer may order services using the form included with the terms and conditions published in the G Cloud Catalogue. Further information is available in the FAQ section of this document. Termination terms After the 30-day money back guarantee period has expired, the contract will continue for the contract period stated in the service order form. Further information is available in the FAQ section of this document. Data restoration / service migration There is a clearly documented process to allow customers to restore data and migrate to another service. Further information is available in the FAQ section of this document. ThinkingSafe 2015 Page 5

6 Frequently Asked Questions We are committed to delivering great customer service, and have tried to identify most of the frequently asked questions. However, our service team will be happy to assist you with any additional questions. How to place an order? Our cloud services can be ordered directly using the Service Order Form (SOF), included with our published Terms and Conditions. 1. Enter your organisation & contact details 2. Specify the commencement date 3. Specify the contract duration 4. Select each service required 5. Specify the number of units required 6. Sign & return to How to increase the number of units provisioned? Our cloud services provide burstable and elastic capacity, so the number of units provisioned will be increased automatically as your usage increases. However, you may wish to increase your contracted capacity, in order to benefit from the lower price charged for contracted units. You can do this by updating your SOF with the revised number of units, incrementing the SOF number, adding the words This SOF replaces previous orders to the special instructions section, and sending the signed order to sales. How to purchase additional services? Additional services should be ordered by sending a signed service order form to sales@thinkingsafe.com How to purchase private or hybrid cloud service? Our private and hybrid cloud services can be purchased through the normal process, but we recommend you contact our service team, so we can help you to specify the requirements and document them within the service order form. Invoicing and payment terms Our G-Cloud Services are invoiced monthly in-arrears, on 30 day terms. ThinkingSafe 2015 Page 6

7 How to extend the contract duration of a service? Our cloud services are ordered using the service order form (SOF), which specifies the contract duration. You may wish to extend the contract term, at any time within the call off period of the framework agreement. You can do this by updating your SOF with the revised duration, incrementing the SOF number, adding the words This SOF replaces previous orders to the special instructions section, and sending the signed order to sales. How to reduce or cancel a service? Our cloud services are purchased for the specified contract duration and a contracted number of units, which are purchased at the published price. Additional units will be supplied automatically at a higher price, as specified in the service definition. There is no obligation to continue using additional units, so you can simply reduce your usage and your monthly charges will be reduced accordingly. Reducing the contracted units or cancelling the service completely is only possible in exceptional circumstances, which are documented in our terms and conditions. How to extract data from the service? Our cloud services provide direct access to customer data in the original data format, and will convert the data automatically to its original format, so it can be accessed using any application that is compatible with the original data format. We provide a FREE service, which converts data stored in our compressed, encrypted and deduplicated format to its original format, so it can be accessed using any application that is compatible with the original data format. We also offer a physical data delivery service, which provides the data stored in our compressed, encrypted and deduplicated format to the customer on disk. How is data handled at the end of the service period? Our cloud services hold valuable information assets on behalf of our customers, including version history and storage location information, for the express purpose of ensuring the data remains available to the data owner. We may delete the stored data at any time after the end of the contract period, so the resources can be reallocated to other users, so it is important to ensure all information required by the customer has been extracted prior to the end of the contract. Information may be retained beyond the end of the contract for technical, legal or other reasons. In such circumstances, the customer may purchase our physical data delivery service, which provides the data stored in compressed, encrypted and deduplicated format to the customer on disk. ThinkingSafe 2015 Page 7

8 Secure destruction of stored data may be requested, including physical destruction of storage media, which will be provided as a chargeable service, in accordance with our rate card. Destroyed media will be charged at commercial replacement cost. How is encrypted data recovered, should the encryption keys become lost? Customer data stored within our cloud services is encrypted, and we do not have access to the encryption keys at any time during or after the service contract period. The customer must maintain appropriate records of user passwords, which are used to protect the encryption keys, because the original data cannot be extracted without them. Compliance with RIPA legislation is provided using an encryption key escrow service, and can be invoked by the customer in the event that access to their encryption keys cannot be recovered through other means, but this is a long process that involves verification of legal ownership. How to comply with the data protection principles? Our cloud services are specifically designed to promote Enterprise Data Protection, and provide services that are consistent with the data protection principles. These services allow customers to protect information assets currently held on servers, desktops, laptops, notebooks and tablets throughout the organisation. The services allow every individual information asset to be identified, and record storage location information for each information asset, allowing the organisation to manage the information more effectively. Data owners and authorised users can view version history, of information stored in any protected location, allowing them to monitor information quality more effectively. Information is collected and presented in native form, which allows the services to protect data in any format, including open standards. Information assets are stored in a deduplicated format, which supports re-use of the asset throughout the organisation. How to comply with the Government ICT Strategy? Our cloud services provide a standard mechanism for integrating new and legacy systems within a common Enterprise Data Protection framework, which delivers a common interface to access information assets and offers extensive compliance archives for audit and operational purposes. These cloud services can be delivered through public, private and hybrid deployment models, eliminating the requirement for public sector operated data centres, and reducing the cost of delivering scalable cloud services within high security environments. Our cloud service infrastructure reduces energy consumption of Enterprise Data Protection services, and we are committed to continuing our research into energy efficient computing, and implementing energy saving technologies throughout our infrastructure. ThinkingSafe 2015 Page 8

9 The Enterprise Data Protection software that we develop and own is used by other cloud service providers, allowing public sector buyers to purchase cloud services from multiple vendors, and still benefiting from the extensive features and functionality of this UK owned and developed software product. Our cloud service software is designed and built for efficient and cost effective deployment across a wide range of organisations, supporting multi-tenant operation with segregated responsibilities for data ownership and operational service management, resulting in much shorter implementation projects with much lower risk of failure. Our research partnerships with UK Universities in the areas of energy efficient computing and cyber security provide access to unparalleled consulting experience, and our ownership of the software and core technology allows our products and services to evolve with the changing needs of our public and private sector customers. Our secure file sharing technology allows public sector organisations to share information securely with other organisations within the public and private sector, subject to data protection and security measures, which are appropriate to public sector compliance requirements. Thinking Safe Limited Orchard Building Royal Holloway Egham, Surrey TW20 0EX t f Registered in England. Company number VAT Number GB ThinkingSafe 2015 Page 9