Your Questions Answered

 

Questions About MidVision Cloud Images and Support?

 
 
Here we have collected together the most common questions we are asked by customers who are using, or planning to use our images on the AWS or Azure marketplaces.

What am I buying?

When you launch an instance based on one of the  MidVision Cloud images, you’re buying the right to use that instance, ‘standard’ support for the instance and the license for the third party product and MidVision products running on that instance, for as long as it is running.

You only pay for launched (started) instances. Whenever the instance is in the stopped state, you won’t pay anything.

What if I need multiple vCPUs or instances?

There is no restriction on the number of instances you can run. Each will be charged at the appropriate hourly rate for the product and instance type you choose.

Hourly pricing is charged based on the vCPU count of the instance you launch. The price per hour for each instance type is shown when you choose your subscription. You pay for each hour (or part thereof) that the instance is is running.

 

What OS do the instances run on?

All of our instances run on either RHEL 7.3 / 7.4 / 7.5 64-bit or Windows Server 2012 / 2016 64-bit.

Can I install additional software on the instances?

There is no restriction on the instances once you launch them. You can add any additional software that you need and use whatever processes/scripts etc you normally use.

Will running my own scripts invalidate the support?

So long as you are using the third party product or MidVision software rented from us and maintained according to third party product or MidVision standards respectively, we will support you. 

How can I upgrade my instances?

There are a number of options here, as follows:

  • You may apply software or security patches to any of our instances yourself and this will not invalidate the EULA.
  • You can use RapidDeploy to patch your instances. Contact support if you need  assistance in configuring this feature.
  •  You can launch a new MidVision instance at the later patch level and migrate your configuration either manually or using the RapidDeploy tool included in the image.
  • You can ask us to perform the patch or migration, which we offer as a consultancy engagement.
  • RapidDeploy can be updated in situ using the upgrade script. Please see the appropriate MidVision documentation.

How often do you release new versions of the software products?

We aim to provide a new image on the marketplace within 3 months of the corresponding third party product or MidVision product version release. This includes major, minor and patch releases.  

How do I raise a support ticket?

Support issues should be raised on our support site or via telephone (enhanced support only).

You can register for support here.

Please visit the MidVision Cloud Support page to see the historical tickets

What support do you provide?

MidVision Cloud are able to provide you with level 1 and level 2 support for all our images according to our published SLA’s 

Please note that we do not provide infrastructure support for the underlying operating system, storage or networks, which will be provided by your cloud provider (AWS or Azure).

What if I need to raise a PMR?

For our IBM products specifically, MidVision Cloud, via our contract with IBM are also able to raise PMR’s on behalf of our customers for level 3 support requirements where we find a bug or issue that we are unable to resolve ourselves. When you raise a ticket, you can track the progress of the ticket (including the progress of any PMR we raise with IBM on your behalf).

What if the third party vendor discontinues support for a product version?

In this situation, MidVision Cloud will continue to provide level 1 and level 2 support until our discontinuation of the product or your cancellation of your subscription, whichever is later. 

However, please be aware that we may no longer be able to raise a support ticket with the vendor or obtain a fix from the third party for these products.

Does MidVision Cloud have any access to my instances?

No, MidVision Cloud does not have any access whatsoever to your instances. 

Once you launch an instance, you can use RapidDeploy to patch, upgrade and maintain it, although we can provide consultancy or managed services if required.

What does an annual subscription include?

You can choose to rent our images either hourly or annually.  By default the hourly option is selected. If you choose the annual option when subscribing to the AMI or configuring your instance, then you’ll get a discount ranging between 10 and 30%. This can be useful if you know you’ll need the instance running for the whole year.

The annual subscription means you can run the instance continually for a year, including all license and support costs. 

What is the difference between standard and enhanced support

All of our images come with the ‘standard‘ support option by default. 

If you need support for mission critical production environments, then we offer an additional ‘enhanced‘  support option including 24/7 telephone support with 1 hour response times.

Please visit our support SLA’s page for more information

Can I create my own AMI from your AMI?

Yes, you can create your own AMI based on one of our paid for AMI’s in the usual way.

When you create your own AMI in this way, you will continue to be licensed and receive support for the MidVision supplied software product(s) on the new AMI. 

How will the billing work if I create my own AMI based on your paid AMI?

Creating your own an AMI from an instance launched from a marketplace AMI preserves the necessary metadata in the new AMI so that the EC2 infrastructure as well as the licensed software running in any new instances is able to detect and verify that the new instance is being correctly billed.

You will still pay the marketplace price, and the subscription will need to be active in order to launch and run instances from such an AMI.

I don't see my product listed. What can I do?

If you don’t see your product or product combination listed on the marketplace, please contact us. Depending upon your requirements and expected usage, we can normally produce a new image within 2-4 weeks

Do you offer bespoke arrangements for enterprise requirements?

Yes. If you are looking for a larger or longer engagement, we can offer bespoke pricing using AWS private offers. Please contact us to discuss your particular situation.

Can I view the EULA?

Yes. You can access our EULAs here

Any other questions?

Email us at sales@midvision.com.