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Emergency planning and recovery management - benefits of colocation facilities

Posted On : May-16-2012 | seen (1104) times | Article Word Count : 451 |

Natural disasters pose a serious threat to a company’s stability.So much so, that many companies now invest a large sum of money in disaster recovery management.
Natural disasters pose a serious threat to a company’s stability.So much so, that many companies now invest a large sum of money in disaster recovery management. This influx of money has led to the increase in the number and quality of colocation facilities in the market.

Colocation facilities house equipment and data vital to a business’ existence. At the onset of a disaster, a company can recover all of its data or entirely relocate all of its employees to a colocation facility. This data, as well as the equipment stored within the facility, allow the firm to continue running as if nothing occurred. Colocation pricing is the single largest factor when evaluating facilities.

Colocation pricing factors include location, climate control units, power systems and security.

Factors to consider when selecting a colocation facility

a. Security Systems

A colocation facility must provide a secure environment, both physically and logically. Physical security measures include cameras and armed personnel in the facility. Also, biometric identification devices such as voice recognition,fingerprint and retina scanning units are installed at sensitive locations. Biometric identification systems are highly accurate because they rely on human genetic material. Cabinets and custom built cages arelockableto prevent unauthorized access to servers. Network security involves the use of multiple layers of firewalls to prevent hacker intrusions. Data encryption is further employed to maintain the integrity of the data at all times.

b. Location

Colocation pricing rates depend upon the location of the facility. The colocation facility must be located in an area that has a low probability of natural disasters. A colocation facility should also be within the vicinity of hotels, hospitals and public transportation. It should be easy for employees of a company to commute to the facility. Most facilities have agreements with local hotels and restaurants,providing a company’s employees reduced rates.

c. Power Management

When comparing facilities, an important colocation pricing factor is the facility’s ability to provide uninterrupted power. Backup generators and UPS units are installed to cater to national power outages. Multiple levels of redundancy ensure that the facility can handle surges and spikes in the commercial grid system.

d. Climate Control Units

Colocation facilities provide support for High Performance Computing environments. Such environments produce high power densities. In order to handle such conditions, facilities utilize custom cooling solutions that include chilled water. Other features include hot aisle containment units and rear door heat exchangers.

A colocation facility ensures that a firm can manage its operations, even if its main facilities have been destroyed. Colocation pricing rates are generally quite high. Hence, it is imperative for firms to compare and contrast between various facilities.

Article Source : http://www.articleseen.com/Article_Emergency planning and recovery management - benefits of colocation facilities_188808.aspx

Author Resource :
John Coffee Hays discusses colocation opportunities in the Texas Area. He believes Colocation pricing should be considered by any company that wants to keep data safe. He helps educate readers about the benefits of colocation and data centers for companies of all sizes. The data center he admires most is discussed in greater detail at http://www.datafoundry.com/colocation-pricing

Keywords : Colocation pricing, colocation,

Category : Business : Business

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