University of Illinois System

Firewall Service

Service Description

The Firewall Service option is a fully managed solution for AITS-managed servers and for select System Office locations utilizing both IP networking and standards-based technology as the foundation for secure, high performance, data communications. This service manages all phases of a firewall security solution, including architectural validation, implementation, operations, and ongoing configuration management. This service provides layer three access control with no impact on network performance. AITS COE Linux Support will provide consultation to aid in establishing the security policy to protect data assets.

Service implementation and support includes:

  • Consultation regarding service options and security configurations
  • All required activities to complete service installation
  • Fully Managed Service
  • AITS configured and supported firewall installed at the service premise
  • 24/7 centralized monitoring and management via AITS COE Linux Support and the AITS Service Desk

Service components include:

  • All equipment required to provide secure communications

Service options include:

  • Options are limited as each installation is based on a standard design template that conforms to University of Illinois and the state of Illinois Standards and Policies

Hours of Availability

This service is available to customers 24/7, excluding planned outages, maintenance windows and unavoidable events. Maintenance windows are used only when needed for planned changes that have gone through the AITS Change Control Process. In addition to the standard AITS maintenance windows, site-specific and service-specific changes may be coordinated with customers at non-standard times.

Standard maintenance windows are defined as:

  • 6 a.m. to 12 p.m. each Sunday when application usage is at its lowest
  • After 5 p.m. every Tuesday and Thursday, unless business needs to make a change during business hours
  • The second Wednesday of the month from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. for patching Microsoft servers
  • 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. four Sundays a year for routine Windows and Linux maintenance
    Standard business hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except for University of Illinois holidays

Customer Responsibilities

  • Provide a secure physical facility with access control restrictions for the placement of the Firewall Service components if applicable
  • The secure facility requires customer coordinated 24/7 accessibility for authorized AITS staff if applicable
  • Provide a 24/7 point of contact (POC) for AITS to contact for reporting and coordinating outages or emergency maintenance if applicable
  • Submit requests for support by opening a Service Request with the AITS Service Desk at 217-333-3102 (Urbana/Springfield), 312-996-4806 (Chicago) or servicedeskaits@uillinois.edu.
  • Allow AITS to apply regular maintenance during Linux Routine Maintenance events

How Do We Charge?

This service is offered as part of the Information Assurance set of services and the Server Support set of services. Pricing and the base Service Level Agreement for these two sets of services are available.

Major Cost Drivers:

  •  AITS staff time to deal with managing hardware and firewall exceptions