General Questions

What is Media3?

Media3 is a cloud-based hosting service. Cornell IT has contracted with Media3 to provide managed web-hosting for university customers.

Which Hosting Service is Best for My Needs?

Guidance on how to choose the right web hosting service is available in the Hosting Comparison Chart in Box.

How Do I Request a New VM or New Instance/Vhost on an Existing VM?

Please see the instructions to request a new Media3 VM.

How Do I Request Support from Media3?

You can get online support via ticket and chat by visiting the Media3's website, or by phone call to Media3.

Why Not Use Media3’s Shared Hosting? It Seems a Lot Cheaper.

Media3’s Shared Hosting is cheaper, however Media3’s Cloud Hosting is the best solution for Cornell Stack customers who want a one-to-one correlation of support and services. 

How are VM Starts and Stops Handled?

• You can start or stop your VM using the Media3 Dashboard. 
• You can also request that Media3 start or stop your VM via chat or email to the Media3 support team.
• You can schedule a start or stop via a ticket, or scheduled via control panel (up to 7 days in advance).

Will There Be Planned Stack Maintenance?

Yes. Media3 prefers to do this on a per customer basis. CIT can provide a list of scheduled dates to avoid, such as Graduation, Alumni Weekend, etc. Media3 will send out notices when stack maintenance is planned and will give advanced notice (reminders). Stack maintenance will be scheduled during off-hours.

I Received a Robocall from a Company Calling Itself Media3

If you've received an automated marketing call from a company calling itself Media3, promoting telephone and Internet service, and are wondering if it's the same company, it's not. There is no connection between the Media3 that provides managed web hosting for Cornell and the company making these calls. 

Moving Your Website to Media3

Can I Consolidate the VMs I Have?

VM consolidation is possible. Media3 will work with you to ensure your data and sites are moved to the appropriate places.

What Is the Process for DNS Modifications and Site Launch?

When you are ready to launch your website, or officially move your site to Media3, you will need to coordinate the DNS change for your website url. Customers can add Media3 technicians (that have CU Netids) to their list of Netadmins to make DNS changes on their behalf. Site owners can also send the DNS request to Hostmaster with the appropriate changes. (Media3 can help craft the message to Hostmaster for you).

Who Is Responsible for Moving to a New Stack or ColdFusion Version?

Media3 copies all code over to the new VM and will contact you when the code is ready for testing.

Authentication & Access Questions

Do I Use My NetID and Password to Log in to the VM or WebDAV?

You will need to use Media3 created accounts to log in to the VM, and also for WebDAV, SFTP, SSH, and SCP.

How Much Access Do I Get to the Media3 VM?

You will get full access to the VM, if desired, which includes administrative accounts, SSH, and many others. Media3 will provide a dashboard for easy administration.

What Should I Use for Single Sign On (SSO) to My Website?

The IT Security Office recommends that you use Shibboleth instead of CUWebLogin for all new SSO integrations. If you have any questions, please contact Identity Management at idmgmt@cornell.edu.

Compatibility & Database Questions

Which Versions of ColdFusion and LAMP Will Be Used?

ColdFusion and LAMP installs will be latest versions, unless otherwise specified by the application owner.

Can I Use WebDAV to Upload My Files?

WebDAV is available. Other options include SFTP and SCP.

My Application Uses an Oracle Database. What Happens with That Database?

• Oracle databases can stay on campus if other services applications are using it, or can be moved to Media3 still using your campus license.
• Oracle databases can also be migrated to MySQL where it makes sense to do so.
• Media3 will work with customers to determine the best solution for the Oracle databases.

How Do I Connect to My On-Campus Database?

• Oracle databases, hosted and managed by CIT Database Group and in a specific range of IP addresses, are automatically accessible using the VPN tunnel setup between Media3 and campus. (This is NOT the VPN on your desktop.)
• Other databases, such as MySQL, SQLServer, MariaDB, etc., that will remain on campus, will need firewall changes or access permissions granted to allow connections from the Media3 service. Customers should email systems support if your database is housed in the CIT Serverfarm. Otherwise contact your database administrator for connection details.
• Databases in Amazon Web Services (AWS) will be handled by the proxy service provided by the cloud.

May I Arrange for Database Setup?

Yes. You can request database setup via the Media3 dashboard or via a ticket (chat/email/phone).

For Oracle, customers have the option to use our Oracle service here and connect back, or: • BYOL (Bring Your Own License) cost of the VM only per original RFP. This incurs the cost of the Media3 VM only per original RFP. This would be the same Enterprise license that Cornell currently holds with Oracle. • Go with Media3 License, Standard Edition 2 (v 11g or 12c): $325 per database per month.

Billing & License Questions

How Will Billing Work?

You will be billed monthly directly from Media3 either by invoice or PCard. You may choose quarterly or annual billing if you prefer. The cost will be per server or per virtual machine (VM).

How Do I Pay an Invoice?

Contact your Business Service Center (BSC) or Financial Transaction Center (FTC). Your BSC or FTC can pay the invoice by PCard or process a Purchase Order.

How Do I Pay by PCard?

When paying via PCard, you should receive an invoice from Media3. Submit the invoice to your PCard holder. They will contact Media3 to pay the invoice.

What Cost Increase Should I Plan for?

Media3 has agreed to no more than a 3% price increase per year for Cornell customers. The transition from the subsidized model to the future costing model, including the Media3 annual increase, is to be determined by the CIT Services Steering Committee.

What Is the Contract Term (Timeline) for Media3?

The contract with Media3 is for two years. There is an option to renew for three additional one-year intervals. The total term is potentially a five-year contract.

How Is ColdFusion Licensing Handled?

ColdFusion licensing costs are included in your total VM cost.

Additional Features Questions

Are VM Monitoring Options Available via Media3?

Yes. Media3 offers monitoring for VMs. Please explain your monitoring needs to Media3 during the onboarding process. CIT recommends that customers also setup their own website monitoring using free monitoring services, for example uptime robot or pingdom.

Is Server Scanning Available?

Yes. Server layer scans are available on a quarterly schedule. Media3 will scan the OS/infrastructure layer on a quarterly basis. You can also request additional security scans from the IT Security Office.

Are Website or Web Application Vulnerability Scans Available?

Yes. You can request vulnerability scans from the IT Security Office.

Are there HA and DR options for Media3?

Media3 offers High Availability (HA) configurations and Disaster Recovery (DR) options at an additional cost to you.

Can I Host Confidential Data on Media3?

Yes. If you need to host confidential data as defined by Cornell Policy 5.10, you can purchase an additional security tier from Media3.

Is Website Hosting Consultation Available?

Yes. You can contact CIT's Custom Web Development team.