Enterprise-Grade Data Center
and Colocation Services

The overall structure of the data center should be built for tomorrow, not only today – and designed with data resiliency and scalability in mind. Buildings can be designed to withstand hurricanes, earthquakes (built down to bedrock) and EF4 tornadoes.

Keeping your equipment safe is a top priority for a colo service provider. Best practices include fire detection systems with dual interlock, pre-action fire suppression, floor-to-deck fire barriers, suite compartmentalization and maintenance corridors, and monitoring of critical infrastructure.

Data center operators should leverage building management systems to give them a bird’s-eye view into the health of the facility: HVAC, power loads, voltage levels, backup power systems including UPS and generators, and more. These programs give operators real-time alerts in the event of a system failure.

Colo providers staff their onsite Network Operations Centers (NOCs) with experienced technicians, available 24×7, to monitor the facility and IT infrastructure and resolve any incidents and customer concerns quickly and efficiently.

You’ll find secure options such as cabinets, cages, and private suites that can be customized to meet your exact requirements.

The spaces have high-density power and high-density cooling, so you can operate a lot of IT equipment in a small space.

A raised floor allows for vast amounts of cables, and other utilities to be run underneath.

Main power: High-density power is provided to each cabinet, cage or suite at a specified power-to-space ratio. This power is fed from autonomous power plants (sometimes multiple sources), which provide utility power to the facility. To maintain uptime, equipment should include multiple redundant power distribution units (PDUs), uninterruptible power supplies (UPSs) and backup generators.

Uninterruptible Power Supplies (UPS): A device that provides immediate emergency power when a main power source spikes or drops, preventing interruptions to the data center IT systems. They are a first line of defense against lack of availability, damaged equipment and data loss. For high availability needs, look for redundant UPS systems with a minimum of 2N the amount of power needed.

Backup Generators: Backup generators should provide enough power for a set amount of continuous run-time at full load, with extra fuel stored on site.

IT equipment generates a lot of heat, so redundant cooling systems such computer room air conditioner (CRAC) and computer room air handler (CRAH) units will need to compensate for high heat loads and humidity. Generator backup helps to ensure cooling at all times.

Many data center operators use high-efficiency green cooling technologies.

Some colocation providers offer 10G and faster fiber-based connections for higher bandwidth. Multiple diverse fiber optic feeds enter the facility and dark fiber may be available for your use. Other connectivity types include copper and software-defined network for additional flexibility. This shifts the responsibility of managing networking equipment from the customer to the provider.

Carrier-neutral colocation centers will have meet-me rooms (MMR) or exchanges to provide you with high-bandwidth, low-latency connectivity from a variety of carriers. In contrast, some colo centers are owned by a single telecommunication carrier.

Top colo providers use extensive physical security technologies, policies and incident response procedures to prevent unauthorized access, theft or damage to your equipment and private data.

Service organization controls are key certifications for any data center facility to help you demonstrate compliance. A colocation provider with compliance and security expertise can help you meet regulatory standards for your industry. What are SOC 1, SOC 2 and SOC 3?

The American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) has established an auditing standard to help organizations identify strong service providers. The Statement on Standards for Attestation Engagements (SSAE) Service Organization Controls (SOC) Type II reports provide valuable third-party verification of controls – including security and privacy controls – within a service organization, such as a colocation data center provider.