Colocation - significance of Redundancy
With Colocation services, Instead of trying to run a costly in-house operation, you outsource your infrastructure by housing the equipment in another location. However, if the facility isn’t inadequately equipped, your business could suffer from damaged hardware, excessive downtime and eventually the loss of customers. Colocation can be an extremely beneficial service but only when the facility is built on redundancy.
What is Redundancy?
In the world of data centers, redundancy is based on the N+1 formula. This simply means that a particular system has the capacity it needs plus one additional unit. For example, if the power system contains two UPSs, both should be running at a maximum capacity of 50%, so if one fails, the other can then take over without overloading. Before investing in a colocation solution, you need to make sure the provider has redundancy covered at three critical points.
Redundant Power
Data center redundancy is crucial, especially when it comes to power systems. Not only will a power outage take down your server hardware, but also your climate controls, fire suppression systems and internet connection. One failure could essentially take down the entire operation. Because this could be such a disaster, you need a host that ensures redundancy in the form of UPS systems and backup generators. Keep in mind that a colocation provider’s generator must have enough capacity to support the entire load of the facility.
Redundant Cooling
A busy colocation facility must be designed to specifically support the hardware of its customers. Servers generate a significant amount of heat and without an efficient cooling system in place, the entire facility can overheat within a matter of minutes. A colocation facility must have redundant cooling systems that stay running around the clock. We recommend finding a provider that utilizes CRAC (computer room air conditioning) units to pump chilled water throughout the server room and prevent the hardware from overheating.
Redundant Internet Connections
In order to get the best out of colocation, you need a provider that offers redundant connectivity. This goes for service as well as network hardware such as routers and switches. Redundant service simply means that multiple internet backbones are available to maintain reliability and performance. Additionally, the level of connectivity should be able to ensure low latency and packet loss so even if a major backbone does fails, the connection remains stables and most importantly, keeps you online.
Find the Right Home for Your Hardware
The best way to determine if a colocation facility is designed to support your infrastructure is to ask questions and get as much information possible. While each system is unique in its own right, there are specifics you need to know about power, cooling and connectivity systems. How many units are there? What is the load on each individual unit? Are these systems redundant? Outsourcing your infrastructure to someone else’s data center is a big move so you must be very selective when choosing a provider. In the end, it is their IT setup that will determine how successful you will be.
Courtesy ZNetIndia.com
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