The Carelink Linux Hosting Service operates to the same principles as our Windows based hosting service, providing a secure and fully managed platform from which to deploy your Web applications and sites to multiple NHS or NHS associated organisations. 
Carelink Linux Hosting provides high resiliency, cost effective connections for users to your application from both NHSnet and the Internet, using our Code of Connect. Using one of the Carelink hosting services means you do not need to establish your own Code of Connect or invest in the required management of the hardware, the connection or the security.
Note that under the terms of the NHS Code of Connect, outbound connections to the NHSnet are blocked at the firewall.
This option provides cost-effective hosting for less demanding applications on a shared server. The service includes full management of your application, FTP access may be provided where clients need to upload data or updates.
We take care of the infrastructure and the OS, you manage you application, uploading updates, data etc via http, https or ftp. More extensive application/system access can be arranged by discussion with us.
We can also provide help with your application design, security and performance if requires, including remote access and RSA hard token services.
The Carelink Platform
Carelink Hosting services are provided by a multi-homed server design addressable from both the NHSnet and the Internet. The standard server hardware is based on the HP Proliant DL360 and has the following installed software components:
Operating System
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux ES
Web Service
Server-side Scripting
Database
- 1 Gb disk space
- 2 Gb data transfer per month
- Option to use SSL to secure network transmissions
Other setups can be accommodated on dedicated servers.
Server Management
Monitoring is provided by Big Brother, with email alerts and SMS to the Unix On-Call engineer. The hardware is additionally monitored by Compaq Insight Manager via SNMP traps.
Customer Site Management
Customers are able to manage their sites either via FTP or Web based tools.
The FTP root for each site contains three folders:
- The “data” directory holds any databases or other persistent data
- The “docs” is the Web root for Web site
- The “logs” directory contains any logs generated by the site
Customers have read/write access to these folders to be able to upload content directly to the live Web site and to manage their own Web logs.
Database management is usually via a Web based tool such as PHPmyAdmin.
Carelink also offers a comprehensive managed service option.
Support
Carelink provides 24x7 support for server hardware, operating system and server applications (Apache, mySQL etc). Carelink Linux Hosting does not provide formal support for site content, but we will advise and help on a best endeavours basis. Carelink can, however, offer full application and site development, help desk outsourcing and technical consulting if required.
Customer requests and incidents are received by email to the Carelink Support team (support@carelink.co.uk).
Where incidents or requests relate to the Linux hosting service, they are forwarded to our expert Unix team for their attention (carelink-unix@ioko.com). The issue will continue to remain under the ownership of the Carelink Engineer who picked up the original mail.
Site Setup
It usually takes just a couple of days from your order to have a site installed on our shared platform and less than 2 weeks if you need your own server. There is often a requirement to obtain NHSIA Code of Connect approval for new application architectures. We work closely with the NHSIA and endeavour to initiate this early in the process in order to minimise the risk of any delay occurring.
You can develop your applications in-house and deploy them simply to our hosting environment. In most cases multiple applications can be run within the same package, subject to the space limitations (extendable with our additional storage options) and a maximum processor usage of 6% per package.