Overview
BIM manages academic research servers, web hosting (WP Engine), file sharing (SMB/NFS), automated backup and data archiving services from a single platform. All backups are stored with encrypted at-rest and 30-day retention; a geographically separate copy is maintained. The target recovery time (RTO) is 4 hours and the recovery point objective (RPO) is 24 hours.
- Encrypted at-restAES-256 disk and backup encryption
- 7 + 30 day retentionDaily + monthly backup versioning
- 4-hour RTOCritical system restore target
- Geographic backupMirrored copy at a separate location
Our Services
Virtual Server Allocation
CPU/RAM/disk resources and OS-ready VMs for academic research projects.
Web Hosting (WP Engine)
Managed WordPress hosting infrastructure for academic unit websites.
File Sharing (SMB)
Unit shared areas, personal disk sharing, permission-based access.
Automated Backup
Daily + weekly + monthly multi-tier backup schedule (BIM.PR.23).
Restore Service
File/system restore from backup; P1 4 hours, P2 1 business day.
Data Archiving
Long-term cold storage; low-cost archive for completed projects.
Database Hosting
MySQL / MS SQL / PostgreSQL managed database; backup + replication included.
Monitoring
24/7 SNMP monitoring dashboard for server health, uptime and capacity.
Service Level
| Scope | Target |
|---|---|
| Server Uptime | 99.5% |
| Virtual server provisioning time | 3 business days |
| Restore — P1 (critical system) | 4 hours |
| Restore — P2 (user file) | 1 business day |
| Backup period | Daily (00:00–04:00) |
| Backup retention | 7-day + 30-day + 12-month |
| RTO / RPO | 4 hours / 24 hours |
Who Can Access
- Academic staff (project-based server / research data)
- Administrative staff (system-based file sharing)
- Undergraduate / graduate students (limited file sharing)
- Research groups (shared project area)
- Unit secretaries (unit shared drive)
- Web administrators (hosting authority with BIM approval)
How to Apply
Project-Justified Request
Submit a request via destek.hku.edu.tr. Specify the project name, expected resources (CPU/RAM/disk), duration, data sensitivity level (KVKK) and the responsible personnel.
BIM Architecture Review
The BIM architecture team evaluates capacity, security requirements and the backup plan. If necessary, an alternative configuration is proposed or additional information is requested.
Provisioning and Access
After approval, the server/disk is prepared and access credentials (user, IP, VPN if required) are delivered to the responsible personnel. The backup plan is automatically activated under BIM.PR.23.
Frequently Asked Questions
Open a P2 priority ticket at destek.hku.edu.tr. Specify the full path of the lost file, the last known date it was seen, and which backup point (daily/weekly/monthly) you are requesting. It will be restored within 1 business day. For P1 (critical system), the target is 4 hours.
Individual: 20 GB, academic personal: 50 GB, unit shared area: 500 GB (expandable upon request), research project area: project-based allocation. Microsoft 365 OneDrive provides an additional 1 TB.
Standard academic VM: 4 vCPU / 8 GB RAM / 100 GB SSD. High-capacity requests (HPC, GPU) require additional review. If the project duration exceeds 12 months, an annual review is conducted; unused resources are reclaimed.
Yes. All backups are AES-256 encrypted at-rest and TLS 1.2+ encrypted in-transit. Encryption keys are stored in an HSM. An additional access log (BIM.PR.24) is maintained for special categories of personal data under KVKK.
When a project ends or a user departs, data is placed in a 30-day quarantine, after which NIST 800-88-compliant secure erasure is applied. Physical disk destruction involves shredding with a signed record. KVKK data subject erasure requests are processed via BIM.FR.07.
Related Procedures and Instructions
- BIM.PR.04 — Server and System Management
- BIM.PR.06 — Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery
- BIM.PR.07 — Data Center Management
- BIM.PR.23 — Backup and Restore
- BIM.PR.24 — Logging and Log Management
- BIM.PR.21 — Change Management
- KYS.POL.04 — Information Systems Use Policy
All QMS documents are published at kalite.hku.edu.tr.