NEL Business Intelligence (BI) Cloud Hosting and Analytics Services
NEL BI Cloud Hosting Services design, build and offer solution-focused services to support health/social care improvement and population health management, within public/private sector.
•Microsoft Azure-based
•IaaS/PaaS/SaaS options
•Data warehousing, reporting and visualisation tools (SQL/PowerBI/SSRS/SharePoint)
•System-wide offer
•Information Governance, NHS/social care data use of Public Cloud Services compliant.
Features
- Scale one to thousands of virtual machines instances, almost instantly
- Built-in virtual networking and load balancing
- Drive for hybrid consistency with on-premises systems
- Support Microsoft SQL Server and SharePoint Server
- Run Oracle, MySQL, Redis, MongoDB and other DBs
- RLI connected
- Choose your own VM or download a certified pre-configured image
- Per-minute billing
Benefits
- Deploy what you want, almost instantly
- Ensure scalability and consistency using templates
- Run enterprise applications in the cloud with world-class support
- Build security-enhanced, compliant solutions
- Maximise the benefit of existing investments using hybrid connections
- Get true HPC capabilities in the cloud, on demand
- Save money with per-minute billing
Pricing
£250 a server a month
Service documents
Request an accessible format
Framework
G-Cloud 10
Service ID
7 0 8 4 9 0 7 7 4 0 6 4 3 8 2
Contact
NEL Commissioning Support Unit
Business Development
Telephone: 02036881000
Email: nelcsu.businessdevelopment@nhs.net
Service scope
- Service constraints
-
For public cloud services we utilise Microsoft Azure, please refer to current technical limitations (https://docs.microsoft.com/en-gb/azure/).
Licence and Azure, Office 365 resources and billing are not included with this service, and are to be purchased separately. This will seek to maximise existing product and service and licence arrangements. Constraints may apply to the scope of work agreed with the Authority. These will be clearly documented in the Call-Off contract. - System requirements
-
- System requirements will depend on the chosen solutions
- For more information please see https://docs.microsoft.com/en-gb/azure/
User support
- Email or online ticketing support
- Email or online ticketing
- Support response times
- We have SLAs that vary from 4 hours to 1 week depending on the nature of the support request.
- User can manage status and priority of support tickets
- Yes
- Online ticketing support accessibility
- None or don’t know
- Phone support
- Yes
- Phone support availability
- 9 to 5 (UK time), Monday to Friday
- Web chat support
- Yes, at an extra cost
- Web chat support availability
- 9 to 5 (UK time), Monday to Friday
- Web chat support accessibility standard
- None or don’t know
- How the web chat support is accessible
-
NEL Analytics currently provide Web Chat support to customers via Cisco Jabber and\or also using Microsoft Teams to provide communication channels regarding specific services along with direct chat with service desk staff.
Both of these methods have the following access dependencies;
Cisco Jabber - Customers organisation must have an NEL ICT Hosted Cisco Jabber telephone system
MS Teams – This will require the customer having access to an Azure AD Office 365 account – (this can also be provided by NEL CSU ICT at an additional cost).
Future Development – Scoping work has begun to develop an integrated Web Chat system which can be accessed via an internet connection which is expected to be rolled out to all customers who receive BI Service Desk support from NEL. - Web chat accessibility testing
- N/A
- Onsite support
- Yes, at extra cost
- Support levels
-
Microsoft can provide support levels ranging from basic to premier.
For more details please see https://azure.microsoft.com/en-gb/support/plans/ - Support available to third parties
- Yes
Onboarding and offboarding
- Getting started
- To help users start using Microsoft Azure service, we recommend that you look at the detailed description available here https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/resources/ plus comprehensive online documentation for various solutions available across the platform. Additionally, please see: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/
- Service documentation
- Yes
- Documentation formats
-
- HTML
- Other
- Other documentation formats
- Microsoft office documents
- End-of-contract data extraction
- An agreement will be reached with the user as to how users might extract data.
- End-of-contract process
-
Microsoft has a robust off-boarding process at the end of the contract. They contractually commits to specific processes when a customer leaves a cloud service or the subscription expires. This includes deleting customer data from systems under our control. If you terminate a cloud subscription or it expires (except for free trials), Microsoft will store your customer data in a limited-function account for 90 days (the “retention period”) to give you time to extract the data or renew your subscription. During this period, Microsoft provides multiple notices, so you will be amply forewarned of the upcoming deletion of data. After this 90-day retention period, Microsoft will disable the account and delete the customer data, including any cached or backup copies. For in-scope services, that deletion will occur within 90 days after the end of the retention period. (In-scope services are defined in the Data Processing Terms section of our Online Services Terms.)
For more details please see:http://www.microsoftvolumelicensing.com/Downloader.aspx?DocumentId=11745
Using the service
- Web browser interface
- Yes
- Using the web interface
-
Users can manage and deploy services via the Azure Portal.
For more details please see https://azure.microsoft.com/en-gb/ - Web interface accessibility standard
- None or don’t know
- How the web interface is accessible
-
All Azure resources are accessible via the Azure portal (https://portal.azure.com).
For more details please see https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/accessibility/ - Web interface accessibility testing
- N/A
- API
- Yes
- What users can and can't do using the API
-
Users are able to utilise the Azure API Managament service to create their own API's for the solutions they deploy on to the platform. Additionally Microsoft have the Azure Service Management API which provides programmatic access to much of the functionality available through the Management Portal.
For more details please see https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/azure/ee460799.aspx - API automation tools
- Ansible
- API documentation
- Yes
- API documentation formats
-
- HTML
- Command line interface
- Yes
- Command line interface compatibility
-
- Linux or Unix
- Windows
- Other
- Using the command line interface
-
Depending on user permissions, setup and management specifications, users can access a different command line interface.
Azure CLI 2.0 is optimized for managing and administering Azure resources from the command line, and for building automation scripts that work against the Azure Resource Manager.
For more details please see https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/cli/azure/install-azure-cli
Scaling
- Scaling available
- Yes
- Scaling type
-
- Automatic
- Manual
- Independence of resources
- Azure represents a hyper-scale public cloud service. It has many built-in platform features such as data centres spread across multiple regions and high availability technologies that guarantee a specific level of service for the customer.
- Usage notifications
- Yes
- Usage reporting
-
- API
Analytics
- Infrastructure or application metrics
- Yes
- Metrics types
-
- CPU
- Disk
- HTTP request and response status
- Memory
- Network
- Number of active instances
- Reporting types
-
- Regular reports
- Reports on request
Resellers
- Supplier type
- Reseller providing extra features and support
- Organisation whose services are being resold
- Microsoft Azure Services
Staff security
- Staff security clearance
- Other security clearance
- Government security clearance
- Up to Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS)
Asset protection
- Knowledge of data storage and processing locations
- Yes
- Data storage and processing locations
-
- United Kingdom
- European Economic Area (EEA)
- User control over data storage and processing locations
- Yes
- Datacentre security standards
- Complies with a recognised standard (for example CSA CCM version 3.0)
- Penetration testing frequency
- At least once a year
- Penetration testing approach
- Another external penetration testing organisation
- Protecting data at rest
-
- Physical access control, complying with CSA CCM v3.0
- Physical access control, complying with SSAE-16 / ISAE 3402
- Encryption of all physical media
- Scale, obfuscating techniques, or data storage sharding
- Data sanitisation process
- Yes
- Data sanitisation type
-
- Explicit overwriting of storage before reallocation
- Deleted data can’t be directly accessed
- Equipment disposal approach
- Complying with a recognised standard, for example CSA CCM v.30, CAS (Sanitisation) or ISO/IEC 27001
Backup and recovery
- Backup and recovery
- Yes
- What’s backed up
-
- Multiple, flexible options available
- Files
- Virtual machines
- Databases
- Backup controls
- Pre-agreed schedules and Service Desk request and users can also schedule backups through a web interface.
- Datacentre setup
- Multiple datacentres with disaster recovery
- Scheduling backups
- Users contact the support team to schedule backups
- Backup recovery
- Users contact the support team
Data-in-transit protection
- Data protection between buyer and supplier networks
-
- Private network or public sector network
- TLS (version 1.2 or above)
- IPsec or TLS VPN gateway
- Legacy SSL and TLS (under version 1.2)
- Data protection within supplier network
-
- TLS (version 1.2 or above)
- IPsec or TLS VPN gateway
- Other
- Other protection within supplier network
-
ACL Based Network Security Groups are also used.
For more details please see: https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/blog/network-security-groups/
Availability and resilience
- Guaranteed availability
- For more details please see Microsoft's Online Service Terms at http://www.microsoftvolumelicensing.com/Downloader.aspx?DocumentId=13655
- Approach to resilience
- For more details please see https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/cloud-platform/global-datacenters and https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/TrustCenter/
- Outage reporting
-
For more details on reporting service outages please see https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/status/
Additionally, please see https://portal.azure.com/#blade/HubsExtension/ServicesHealthBlade
Identity and authentication
- User authentication
-
- Public key authentication (including by TLS client certificate)
- Identity federation with existing provider (for example Google apps)
- Limited access network (for example PSN)
- Dedicated link (for example VPN)
- Username or password
- Other
- Other user authentication
-
Azure Active Directory is Microsoft’s multi-tenant cloud based directory and identity management service. Azure-AD provides an affordable, easy to use solution to give employees and business partners single sign-on (SSO) access to thousands of cloud SaaS Applications like Office365, Salesforce.com, DropBox, and Concur. For application developers, Azure-AD lets you focus on building your application by making it fast and simple to integrate with a world class identity management solution used by millions of organizations.
Azure-AD also includes a full suite of identity management capabilities including multi-factor authentication, device registration, self-service password management, self-service group management, privileged account management.
See: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/active-directory/active-directory-whatis - Access restrictions in management interfaces and support channels
-
Azure-AD can designate separate administrators to serve different functions. These administrators will have access to features in the Azure portal and, depending on their role, will be able to create or edit users, assign administrative roles to others, reset user passwords, manage user-licenses, and manage domains, among other things. A user who is assigned an admin role will have the same permissions across all of the cloud services that your organization has subscribed to, regardless of whether you assign the role in the Office365 portal, or in the Azure classic-portal, or by using the Azure-AD module for Windows PowerShell.
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/active-directory/active-directory-assign-admin-roles - Access restriction testing frequency
- At least once a year
- Management access authentication
-
- 2-factor authentication
- Public key authentication (including by TLS client certificate)
- Identity federation with existing provider (for example Google Apps)
- Username or password
- Devices users manage the service through
-
- Dedicated device on a segregated network (providers own provision)
- Dedicated device on a government network (for example PSN)
- Dedicated device over multiple services or networks
Audit information for users
- Access to user activity audit information
- Users contact the support team to get audit information
- How long user audit data is stored for
- Between 6 months and 12 months
- Access to supplier activity audit information
- Users contact the support team to get audit information
- How long supplier audit data is stored for
- Between 6 months and 12 months
- How long system logs are stored for
- Between 6 months and 12 months
Standards and certifications
- ISO/IEC 27001 certification
- No
- ISO 28000:2007 certification
- No
- CSA STAR certification
- No
- PCI certification
- Yes
- Who accredited the PCI DSS certification
- Microsoft Azure Services - Coalfire Systems Inc
- PCI DSS accreditation date
- 01/04/2016
- What the PCI DSS doesn’t cover
- For more details on Microsoft Azure Services please see more information about the Service Scope here: http://aka.ms/azure-pci
- Other security certifications
- Yes
- Any other security certifications
- IG Toolkit - Level 2
Security governance
- Named board-level person responsible for service security
- Yes
- Security governance certified
- Yes
- Security governance standards
-
- CSA CCM version 3.0
- ISO/IEC 27001
- Other
- Other security governance standards
- FACT, NHS IG Toolkit level 2, FedRamp, NIST 800-171, EU Model Clauses, Cyber Essentials Plus
- Information security policies and processes
-
An Information Security Management Program has been established to enable Microsoft Azure to maintain and improve its management system for information security. Through establishment of the ISMS, Azure plans for and manages protection of its assets to acceptable security levels based on defined risk management processes. In addition, Azure monitors the ISMS and the effectiveness of controls in maintaining the confidentiality, integrity and availability of assets to continuously improve information security.
The ISMS framework encompasses industry best-practices for information security and privacy. The ISMS has been documented and communicated in a customer-facing Information Security Policy, which can be made available upon request (customers and prospective customers must have a signed NDA or equivalent in place to receive a copy).
Microsoft Azure performs annual ISMS reviews, the results of which are reviewed by management. This involves monitoring ongoing effectiveness and improvement of the ISMS control environment by reviewing security issues, audit results, and monitoring status, and by planning and tracking necessary corrective actions.
Also, please see https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/TrustCenter/Compliance/ISO-IEC-27001
Operational security
- Configuration and change management standard
- Conforms to a recognised standard, for example CSA CCM v3.0 or SSAE-16 / ISAE 3402
- Configuration and change management approach
-
Azure has developed formal standard operating procedures (SOPs) governing the change management process. These SOPs cover both software development and hardware change and release management, and are consistent with established regulatory guidelines including ISO 27001, SOC 1 / SOC 2, NIST 800-53, and others.
Microsoft also uses Operational Security Assurance (OSA), a framework that incorporates the knowledge gained through a variety of capabilities that are unique to Microsoft including the Microsoft Security Development Lifecycle (SDL), the Microsoft Security Response Center program, and deep awareness of the cyber-security threat landscape.
Please see https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/SDL/OperationalSecurityAssurance
Also, please see https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/sdl - Vulnerability management type
- Conforms to a recognised standard, for example CSA CCM v3.0 or SSAE-16 / ISAE 3402
- Vulnerability management approach
-
When providing the Antimalware solution for Virtual Machines, Azure is responsible for ensuring the service is highly available, definitions are updated regularly, that configuration through the Azure Management Portal is effective and that the software detects and protects against known types of malicious software.
MCIO-managed hosts in the scope boundary are scanned to validate anti-virus clients are installed and current signature-definition files exist.
Vulnerability scans are performed on a quarterly basis at a minimum. Microsoft Azure contracts with independent assessors to perform penetration testing of the Microsoft Azure boundary. - Protective monitoring type
- Supplier-defined controls
- Protective monitoring approach
-
Microsoft Azure employs sophisticated software-defined service instrumentation and monitoring that integrates at the component or server level, the datacenter edge, our network backbone, Internet exchange sites, and at the real or simulated user level, providing visibility when a service disruption is occurring and pinpointing its cause.
Proactive monitoring continuously measures the performance of key subsystems of the Microsoft Azure services platform against the established boundaries for acceptable service performance and availability. When a threshold is reached or an irregular event occurs, the monitoring system generates warnings so that operations staff can address the threshold or event. - Incident management type
- Supplier-defined controls
- Incident management approach
-
Microsoft has developed robust processes to facilitate a coordinated response to incidents.
• Identification – System and security alerts may be harvested, correlated, and analysed.
• Containment – The escalation team evaluates the scope and impact of an incident.
• Eradication – The escalation team eradicates any damage caused by the security breach, identifies root cause for why the security issue occurred.
• Recovery – During recovery, software or configuration updates are applied to the system and services are returned to a full working capacity.
• Lessons Learned – Each security incident is analysed to protect against future reoccurrence.
Secure development
- Approach to secure software development best practice
- Conforms to a recognised standard, but self-assessed
Separation between users
- Virtualisation technology used to keep applications and users sharing the same infrastructure apart
- Yes
- Who implements virtualisation
- Supplier
- Virtualisation technologies used
- Hyper-V
- How shared infrastructure is kept separate
- For infrastructure security framework, please see https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/TrustCenter/Security/default.aspx
Energy efficiency
- Energy-efficient datacentres
- Yes
Pricing
- Price
- £250 a server a month
- Discount for educational organisations
- No
- Free trial available
- No