Hosting vs. Primary Colocation

As businesses grow, so do their needs for larger IT systems.  Many companies start with a shared hosting solution, in which they put their data in the hands of a hosting company.  The problem with shared hosting solutions lies in the inflexibility of the system.  The hosting company controls all hardware, internal server configuration and even installed software. For businesses that desire additional control over their data systems, there are several options. These companies can build their own internal data centers, usually at a very high cost.  These costs are often out of reach for most small and medium-sized businesses.  To gain a measure of control over their data servers, while keeping costs low, many companies are turning to colocation centers.

Primary Colocation Defined

Primary colocation occurs when a company installs all of their server and data equipment at a separate data center facility.  The colocation center leases space to the business for a fee. In exchange for this fee, the facility provides everything needed for successful server deployment. Power supply, network connectivity, cooling systems, fire suppression, and security are all taken care of by the colocation center.

These types of infrastructure systems are very expensive. A colocation facility may afford the most state-of-the-art systems through the economy of scale. Because all of these costs are spread among the colocation clients, they can provide the best systems for very reasonable prices.

Power supplies come into the facility from multiple sources. If one power supply fails, the redundant supply kicks in.  Even in the event of major power outage, the colocation center will keep operating through use of UPS systems and diesel-powered generators.

Network connections are similarly backed up with redundant systems. The best providers will offer carrier-neutral connections. These network connections can be blended so that if an ISP goes down, the network still remains online through the other carriers.

Cooling systems maintain optimum conditions for a high performance computing (HPC) environment via the use of air conditioning, humidity control, hot and cold aisle containment and elevated floors. Fire is prevented through the use of these cooling systems.  If a fire should occur, advanced early-warning smoke detectors can sense smoke before it is even visible. High-tech fire suppression can be deployed, using clean agent gases which put out the fire without risking damage to electronics.

Security is maintained both physically and virtually throughout the colocation center. Access to all areas of the building is restricted to authorized personnel. Biometrics, ID cards, man traps and other physical security measures are employed to protect servers. All data changes are logged and the entire colocation center is under video surveillance so footage can be immediately reviewed in case of attempted intrusion.

As mentioned before, the costs of establishing all of these infrastructure systems onsite for a company are very large.  By contracting through a primary colocation center instead, small and medium-sized businesses can save money while enjoying all of the benefits a private data center would provide.