Last week we talked about the benefits that colocation can provide to businesses, detailing the five key reasons as to why companies should use colocation. However, once organisations make the decision to purchase colocation space as a means of operating their IT infrastructure, the next crucial decision is which data centre to use. Clearly, reliability is at the centre of these discussions, so today we’re looking at a few of the features that signify a data centre as reliable.
So, what makes a reliable data centre?
First and foremost, redundant parts on power and cooling are critical to ensuring maximum uptime. Let’s face it, if your equipment isn’t switched on, or is running slowly due to over-heating, all the connectivity in the world won’t help you. Data centres will range from having no power redundancy options, to a full N+N level of redundancy. “N” represents the parts that make a system work, so to have “N+N” means that there is an entire system failover standing by in case the primary fails, whilst “N+1” allows the data centre to remain operational should particular elements fail, although it will not provide for multiple component failure. As such it is crucial throughout the selection process to find out the specification of each prospective data centre, whilst comparing this with the requirements of your organisation.
Similarly, the provision of onsite fuel reserves and refuelling contracts can also protect the data centre from the threat of downtime, and so it’s useful to find out these provisions too.
Aside from resilient power and cooling, connectivity is clearly a big issue which must be considered. Whilst dual connectivity will reduce the threats posed by damage to the data centre’s connections, it can also be beneficial to research the uptime record of your proposed data centre in order to get a better understanding of its reliability.
Finally, you also need to consider the various threats to your prospective data centre. Every data centre has a threat of fire, so Very Early Smoke Detection Apparatus (VESDA) or similar systems should be regarded as a must. Also consider the possibility of flooding and any other force-majeure, which basic research can reveal, as these would also affect the overall reliability of your data centre.
Ultimately, as a colocation customer, a data centre that plans for any eventuality will offer you the most reliable service, however there is an inevitable balance to be made between specification and cost. Despite this, the threat that downtime poses to your organisation’s efficiency means that key features such as redundant parts on power and cooling should not be forsaken in return for cheap colocation within a sub-standard data centre.
For more information visit our Docklands Colocation page.
Next week we’ll be talking about the colocation options available to smaller companies.
The recent spate of DDoS attacks in the news have prompted many to worry about it being done to them, and to ask how they happen. A DDoS attack occurs when an automated attack system, typically consisting of multiple incoming sources, tries to access a website/online presence, therefore taking up all the available resource. These sources usually comprise mostly of a security-compromised computers belonging to consumers, operating across thousands of home Internet lines, sending continuous requests to your servers, rendering them unavailable to legitimate users.
