The Data Center in EMG provides a physically secure environment for servers that store and manage Gallaudet University’s most critical data, such as student records and financial information. ITS limits access to the Data Center to technicians and managers who need direct physical contact with the servers to perform their jobs and who agree to abide by ITS rules for the Data Center. The servers under direct ITS management are maintained and backed up by ITS; some units, such Academic Technology, also have servers in the Data Center that AT manages.

The following general rules and principles govern use of the Data Center:

• The Data Center’s primary function is to provide a physically secure and protected environment for servers that provide mission critical services or that require extraordinary security. The ITS Data Center manager generally determines whether a server needs to be in the Data Center. Units that disagree with the manager’s decision may appeal to the ITS Director.


• The Data Center must have sufficient data ports and electrical outlets to handle new servers that units wish to place in the Data Center and that ITS agrees are mission critical.


• ITS staff must have full administrative access to the servers.


• Servers in the Data Center must be current with hardware and software support contracts.


• Licenses must be kept current and a copy given to the ITS manager responsible for license management.


• ITS will provide assistance with hardware and base Windows operating systems.ITS does not support third party applications, unless there is an agreement in advance between the Data Center Manager and the department.


• Server data backup may be provided for the servers after consultation with the Data Center Manager. There may be additional charges for backing up the data, if ITS incurs significant expenses.


• The budget unit head responsible for server placed in the Data Center must sign a form agreeing that he or she has read these rules and agrees to follow them.