Get public cloud support
Know your support options while working in the public cloud with the B.C. government.
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Get support from the Public Cloud Accelerator team
We’re here to answer questions and provide support as you onboard to the public cloud. Support is available only during regular business hours and we do our best to address urgent needs as quickly as possible. You can also browse our technical documentation and resources for answers.
We aim to respond to the questions and requests related to the use of our products and tools within 2 business days during regular business hours with the exception of statutory holidays. Lead time varies depending on the type of the request and the completeness of information provided.
Here are the examples of average lead time for some of the requests:
- Platform Product Registry: Project provisioning requests – 2 business days
- Billing questions – 2 business days
- Rocket.Chat #aws-how-to questions – 2 business days
Our support options
- Billing issues. If you have questions about the billing process or think there is an error in an invoice we sent you. We will determine if it is an issue we can resolve or if we need to contact your public cloud service provider
- Onboarding support for new teams. If you need support during the onboarding process to start working with a public cloud service provider
- Provisioning new projects sets or team members. To request a new project set with a public cloud service provider, or add new team members to an existing project set
- Security and privacy assessments. If you would like us to complete security and privacy assessments for a service provided by a public cloud service provider, to then be added to our service catalogue
- Security and privacy guardrails. If you are experiencing an issue working with a public cloud service provider, because of a B.C. government-imposed guardrail
We don’t provide support for troubleshooting application issues or issues with the public cloud service providers. For these and other issues related to working in the public cloud, your team can request support from your public cloud service provider.
Detailed information about the support available from our team is outlined in our shared responsibility model.
Hours of service
Our regular business hours are weekdays from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm Pacific Time, excluding statutory holidays. We respond to inquiries, address issues and maintain B.C. government public cloud landing zones during these hours.
Contact us
Have a question or concern about hosting or working in the public cloud? You can reach us a number of ways, including to our email: Cloud.Pathfinder@gov.bc.ca.
Rocket.Chat
Join us on Rocket.Chat to ask questions and submit administrative requests while working in the public cloud. Use your IDIR to log in.
AWS Rocket.Chat channels
For product teams working in the B.C. government AWS landing zone (previously known as the SEA). Learn about AWS features and services, and how to perform tasks in the B.C. government AWS landing zone. Use this channel to post your questions or help another product team by answering their questions.
Get notified about updates in AWS. We post information about upcoming or ongoing maintenance activities, incidents, outages and changes.
#aws-tenant-requests (you will be added to this chat after being onboarded)
For product teams working in the B.C. government AWS landing zone (previously known as the SEA). Submit administrative requests to the Public Cloud Accelerator team, for example to add a new user to a project set.
Stack Overflow
The Government of B.C. Stack Overflow group is a private space for B.C. public service developers and other technical roles. It’s a community-based group for developers, supported by developers within the government, who are working on projects across the B.C. public service.
You can ask and answer questions and support your colleagues in the B.C. government developer community.
Community updates
Every six weeks, the Public Cloud Accelerator team hosts a community-wide meeting, where we share team updates, general announcements about the service, and information about new features and releases.
We also schedule time for questions, so bring any questions you have to the meeting and we’ll do our best to answer them.
Subscribe to our notification service to get a calendar invite to the recurring Public Cloud Accelerator community update meetings and to receive Public Cloud Accelerator email updates.
Request support from your cloud service provider
Amazon Web Services (AWS)
The AWS Enterprise On-Ramp support plan is available for ministry production accounts in OCIO’s Landing Zone in AWS. This means you can access 24/7 support and expert guidance from the AWS support team.
If you use a third-party vendor’s landing zone in AWS, you will not be able to leverage the B.C. government’s AWS Enterprise On-Ramp support plan for the applications hosted in the vendor’s landing zone.
Project teams working in the AWS landing zone can currently access AWS Enterprise On-Ramp support services for free. Cost recovery may be introduced in the future. If this happens, we will communicate this in advance and you’ll have the option to opt out of this service.
Available services
- Help with troubleshooting technical issues with using any of AWS services in your production applications
- Expert guidance on how to grow and optimize your production application in the cloud
- An AWS Cloud Support Engineer to assist you 24/7
- Quicker responses to open cases under the AWS Enterprise On-Ramp plan
How to receive support
- Log into the BC Gov’s organization in AWS with your IDIR. Only users with Admin and Developer roles will be able to open support cases
- Click on Login to Console
- Click on Support
- Review information about how to open a support case in AWS Customer Portal
External training
AWS free training via SkillBuilder
If you are new to AWS Cloud or want to refine your knowledge of AWS services, we encourage you to use AWS Skillbuilder, an online repository with 500+ free training sessions to boost your AWS knowledge.
When choosing a sign in method, you can create an ID via AWS Builder ID or an Amazon account. If you choose an Amazon account, you can use an existing account, or register for a new one. The IDIR login will not work with AWS Skillbuilder.
AWS workshops
AWS Workshops are created by the teams on Amazon Web Services (AWS). The workshops are hands-on events designed to teach or introduce practical skills, techniques, or concepts that can help you solve business problems. You can pick a workshop based on your AWS knowledge level.
Azure training via MS learn
You can access free Azure training through Microsoft Learn, where you can search for the specific Azure skills your team needs. Additionally, registered Services Hub users have access to free learning resources at Services Hub, where progress can be tracked by both learners and managers, and courses can be assigned.
If you’re interested in Azure certifications, discounted options are available through the Enterprise Skills Initiative.
Azure workshops
The Unified Enterprise plan offers Azure Workshops. The Customer Success Account Manager (CSAM) oversees the workshops with approval from B.C. government program sponsors. These workshops help you build skills, learn best practices, and manage Azure better. If your team wants a custom workshop, contact the OCIO Public Cloud team at cloud.pathfinder@gov.bc.ca.
Subscribe
You can subscribe (IDIR protected) to receive notifications about important changes and maintenance activities that may impact your application’s performance or availability.