Specify Cloud
The Specify Cloud hosting service provides access to Specify 7 databases including linked media file attachments, through any web browser with no Specify or MariaDB software to install or database server computer to maintain. With Specify Cloud, we pre-install Specify 7 on a fast, high-availability, internet server to create a secure, managed platform for hosting and serving your collection data.
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If you’d like pricing details or to discuss an evaluation period, please see our Specify Membership and Technical Support Services prices or get in touch at membership@specifysoftware.org. We’d love to help you turn over the sysadmin headaches and focus on what you do best.
Pricing
Why use Specify Cloud?
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Focus on Your Core Mission
Running your own servers, configuring updates, monitoring backups and security—even just troubleshooting finicky dependencies—can easily consume weeks of your IT staff’s time. By moving to SCC’s Specify Cloud managed service, your team can spend more time on collection curation, digitization workflows, or other research priorities instead of routine sysadmin tasks. -
Always Up-to-Date and Secure
Our managed Specify 7 instances receive automatic updates as soon as new releases are available. That means you’ll always be on the latest patch (with bug fixes, performance improvements and security hardening) without having to schedule maintenance windows, test builds or wrestle with database migrations. -
Rapid, Expert Support
Hosted members get quicker access to our help desk and engineering staff—often resolving issues directly in a matter of hours, not days. Because we know the ins and outs of Specify, we can debug complex UI customizations, data‐model migrations or integration issues far faster than over remote screen shares and large email exchanges. -
Global, Low-Latency Hosting
We operate cloud regions in the U.S., Canada, Switzerland, Brazil, Israel, and more. Whether your team is in North America, Europe, or elsewhere, your users will experience fast performance, and you can comply with your institution’s or legal authority’s requirements. -
Built-In Data Protection
Backups of both your database and file attachments (images, documents, reports) are included. In the event of accidental data loss, ransomware or other disasters, we can restore your entire Specify 7 environment quickly—no expensive third-party backup tools or scripts required. -
Flexible Add-Ons for IT Power Users
Want to keep your own data warehouse or reporting cluster? We offer direct SQL access. Need a centralized media repository? Our digital asset storage starts at 5 GB and scales with your needs. And if you still run Specify 6 on workstations, we’ll set up secure remote connectivity so everything talks to the same database.
Security
Designated SCC and hosted institution staff shall be given access to the hosted institution’s database instance on the Specify Cloud for normal technical support and adjustments. SCC staff will not have credentials for Specify database access, unless they are explicitly granted by the hosted institution. SCC will provide the hosted institution with account credentials to access database instances and servers via SSH.
Availability
Hosted production instances will be available on a 24x7 basis except for pre-scheduled and announced Specify platform software update and maintenance. The SCC targets 99.85% monthly average server availability (uptime).
Monitoring
To verify the Specify application and database are available to the hosted institution, the SCC will automatically monitor database server operating status and availability at 5 minute intervals. If a Specify Cloud server does not return to online status within 30 minutes during the period of 8 AM to 10 PM U.S. Central Time, the SCC will attempt to determine and remedy the cause of the server outage.
Designated hosted institution personnel will also be notified of server availability disruption within 10 minutes of the disruption, through the updown.io service. The hosted institution will provide the SCC with a list of designated personnel and their emails to be notified.
If the SCC can not remedy the server failure and return it to operation within 30 minutes, the server’s unavailability status will be communicated to the hosted institution via email. When the outage is resolved, the server is back online, and the Specify platform is accessible for use, the hosted institution will be notified of the return to operation via email.
Automatic Backups
Backups of Specify Cloud hosted databases and digital asset data and documents will be created, managed, and stored on AWS.
Daily, SCC staff will perform and compress SQL database dumps at a time outside of local working hours to minimize impact on the user experience and platform performance.
Retention. A typical backup copy retention policy for Specify databases is for daily database and linked file assets to be backed up in full, nightly, and retained until the last day of each week when the weekly backup will be designated.
(Daily backups can be maintained for longer periods, e.g. a month, as required by the hosted institution, contingent on storage space constraints.) Weekly backups are retained for one month and then at the end of the month the last weekly backup is designated as the full monthly backup.
Rolling monthly backups are retained for one year, and at the end of the year, a yearly backup is made. Yearly backups will be retained indefinitely. This retention policy represents a typical schedule for Specify databases but is flexible and modifiable as required by the hosted institution.
Recovery. If the SCC is notified of the need for a collection database or file recovery from backups, we will restore the last valid copy of the database and files and restore normal operations within 24 hours. The restoration process itself usually is accomplished in under 1 hour. In the event of a disaster recovery, the amount of lost data would be those entered into the database since the previous backup, typically within the prior 24 hours.
SCC will deliver copies of backups of Specify databases and their associated digital asset files to the collection contact upon request.