Cloud Hosting Services FAQs

Is cloud storage better than on-premise?

While on-premise (also known as onsite) was the only option in the past, local government cloud storage has become increasingly popular. We recommend our cloud hosting services for several reasons, including:
– Cost Efficiency: Customers will not need to invest in expensive hardware, physical servers, or data centers.
– Reduced Maintenance Costs: Cloud providers manage updates, security, and troubleshooting, which lessens the IT staff’s workload.
– Flexible Scalability: Customers can easily scale up or down according to their needs without requiring major infrastructure changes.
– Advanced Security: Cloud providers offer encryption, DDoS protection, firewalls, and continuous monitoring.
– Routine Updates: Security updates can be carried out automatically without requiring customer interaction.
– Regulatory Compliance: Providers remain current with and adhere to industry standards.

Do I have to request a code update?

Customers with hosted services are scheduled for regular code updates. All mandatory updates occur outside of business hours. Clients may request unscheduled code updates by submitting a case/ticket through our Community portal or contacting Customer Support. Unscheduled updates are performed during normal business hours (8:30am – 4:30pm, excluding holidays).

How long will it take to get the new release?

After an update is released, hosted clients are typically upgraded within six to eight weeks. If a client needs to request an upgrade earlier, we ask them to contact Customer Support.

Do prior releases remain supported?

Prior releases always remain supported. New releases do not remove functionality but enhance existing features or provide federal/state compliance.

What type of hosting environment is utilized?

We use a multi-tenant environment. Data is segregated, with each customer having separate directories and databases to secure and isolate data that only client users can access.

Where are the servers located?

We use the United States East (N. Virginia) AWS region. Our servers are spread across the us-east-1b and us-east-1c availability zones. Customer data remains inside the United States.

Who monitors the hosted environment?

A dedicated DevOps team monitors the hosted environment and takes proactive measures to address issues that may arise.

When is maintenance performed?

Maintenance is conducted monthly after business hours to minimize interference with customers’ workdays.

What is the data ownership policy?

The customer owns their data.

Security

Do you offer multi‐factor authentication (MFA)?

MFA is available for both hosted and on-premise clients.

Is data encrypted between the host and the client?

Yes. Data is encrypted through Remote Method Invocation (RMI) and over a Secure Sockets Layer (SSL).

Is data at rest encrypted?

Personally Identifiable Information (PII) is encrypted at rest, and the encryption keys are client-specific.

What are the backup procedures for the hosted environment?

Snapshots are taken of the underlying instances (and all associated data) with the following retention settings:
– Weekday snapshots retained for a month
– Monthly snapshots retained for a year
– End-of-year snapshots retained indefinitely
For more information about our backup solutions and disaster recovery, visit our Security & Backup page.

Is the service being monitored?

Yes. We utilize a combination of built-in AWS monitoring tools and our remote monitoring and management (RMM) platform to assess our environment proactively.

Who has access to the hosted environment?

Access to our host servers is restricted to a limited number of internal personnel, and each is granted varying levels of permissions based on necessity and their roles.

What are the password requirements?

Passwords are case-sensitive and must be at least eight characters long.

Can anyone else access my MCSJ database?

No. Aside from Edmunds GovTech’s authorized access to the AWS server, only software end users are granted permission to perform their specific job functions within the system. To access the application and data, a unique username and password are required for authentication to your specific instance of data on the AWS server. Additional measures can be implemented to ensure access is limited to certain IP addresses for enhanced security.

Who manages active users?

We require a designated representative from your department, municipality, or district to manage active users and security levels.