• Increased time dedicated to revenue-generating endeavors instead of dealing with the management of the data center infrastructure (generators, UPS’s, cooling, network redundancies, personnel)
• Scalable network capacity, such as adding additional cabinets on demand without much logistics
• Meeting your specific compliance criteria needs, particularly with data-sensitive industries such as healthcare and financial firms
• Reliance on the data center provider to manage the entire colocated infrastructure up to the application layer

Based on these benefits, you must engage your IT department and other stakeholders to identify your goals and needs. Fully-equipping yourself with the right knowledge will streamline the entire process. Understanding the topics cover below, will give you an idea of what to consider and what to look out for while preparing for your colo provider search.

Capacity & Scalability

You should ask yourself “What are my current network, power and space demands? Will this remain consistent, or will it fluctuate?”. Most colocation providers have great flexibility in all of these factors. While flexibility is great, discussing your growth plan with your colocation provider can be very helpful. Moving your equipment into a data center blind to what they are capable of can limit your company’s growth.

Providing your growth plan gives a more realistic idea of how a data center can best support your needs. After all, moving into a space to only move out a few months later is just a waste of time and resources. Knowing that the chosen data center has both the capacity and scalability will only help you in the long run.

Location

Location, location, location… you all heard it before. Where your data center resides is a crucial factor when shopping for a colocation provider. While remote amenities like remote hands and KVM are nice, staying close to the data center has its own benefits. Factors like latency and uptime are typically better the closer you are to the facility.

Although, if your facility is in an area prone to natural disasters, it might be best to find another location. Sure, the structure itself can withstand a hurricane but let’s say the power goes out with your office in proximity of the data center. Now that your office and servers are down, operations seized, and the clock ticking, you now start to worry about the financial hit you’re going to take. When you choose a provider that is on a different power grid, you mitigate the risk of having your servers go down. 

One last thing to consider is accessibility for your IT team. With your data center close by, you will eliminate travel costs and expenditures when you need to have your system upgraded. Regardless if you want to stay close or far away, each has its benefits and it’s important to know the following when you look for a colocation provider:

• Is the facility located in an area prone to natural disasters?
• Do they offer remote amenities such as KVM or remote hands?
•  Is the data center easily accessible?

How Much Power do you Need?

You’ll want to ensure your colocation facility has the power capacity to handle not only your needs for today but also for the future. After all, you would not want to move into a facility that cannot support your daily business needs. Regardless of your situation, you want to know and understand your power density per rack, especially for high-data processing applications.

Why this is Important

Let’s say you want to create an AI model for your next project. However, due to the complex calculations that this model has to perform, it then becomes a high-processing application.

This poses you with the challenge of optimizing the data center’s infrastructure to meet the AI model’s processing requirements. More specifically, you need to address the issue of the power density per rack. Or rather, the amount of electrical power that the hardware within a single rack consumes. 

Since the AI model requires powerful GPUs and specialized equipment to speed up computations, it results in generating a lot of heat and requires a lot of electrical power. Now, if the power density per rack is too high, it can lead to overheating and hardware failures, as well as reduce the lifespan of your equipment.

To help mitigate these issues, the engineers at the data center will need to redesign your rack space to provide your equipment with proper airflow and cooling. With your new setup, you can run your AI model without damaging your equipment.

Careful considerations like this example are pivotal to maintaining a healthy environment for your hardware. It will not only increase its lifespan, but it will prevent bottlenecks and help ensure that you continue your business operations without any worry.

Power Requirement Formula

This begs the question “How do I know how much power I need?”. Knowing how much power you need and how much power your provider can give are equally important. Luckily, it is pretty simple to find out how much power you need. You can use this formula to calculate your power requirement:

• watts = volts x amps

An important note is that due to legal reasons, data centers in Washington are required to only use 80% power. For example, if you have 20 amps you can only use 16 due to Washington’s fire code regulations.

What about Security & Support?

You should always be able to fully trust your colocation facility with safeguarding your enterprise. Not only does this include the physical security and confidentiality of the actual premises, but it may also include being able to support your organization in the way of providing services that enable further security within your own infrastructure via the provider’s managed services.

When you reach out to a data center be sure to ask “Does your organization have a team of experts who can handle all aspects of network security and supporting your infrastructure?” Knowing that they have a team of experts at the ready provides you access to inside knowledge on how you can scale and grow your business without having to go through the process of trial and error. Additionally, investing in a third-party colocation provider with its own managed security services is a great cost-effective option when you cannot afford to have a team of 24x7x365 experts on your own payroll.

Disaster Recovery & Backup Protocols

Just as much as proactive security is a concern, so should disaster recovery & backup methods. A common saying amongst Network Security Specialists is “It’s not if you get attacked, it’s when you get attacked.” This is a necessary factor that you should address with any provider prior to signing with them. This is because the average cost of a single outage is $5,600 per minute.

Financial losses aside, these issues could result in PR nightmares or loss of reputation, or even valued client business. A worthwhile company will work with you to establish customized DRaaS solutions or backup plans for your peace of mind.

Ultimately, when you start to search for your Seattle colocation provider, be sure that you understand how location, capacity, and scalability factor into your business continuity. Also, understanding the basics of how power works and what your organization needs to function are important when finding your ideal colocation provider. With this knowledge, you should have no trouble finding a data center that will help your company reach its next level.

The post Seattle Colocation Provider What you Should Consider appeared first on Wowrack Blog.

What are the 12 Benefits of a Dedicated Server Solution?

1. Enhanced Performance with a Dedicated Server Solution

When it comes to performance, a dedicated server takes the lead. By having all the server resources exclusively at your disposal, you ensure high-performance levels and lightning-fast loading times for your website or applications. Say goodbye to sluggishness and hello to seamless user experiences.

2. Increased Reliability

With a dedicated server solution, you never have to worry about other users’ activities impacting your website’s performance or availability. By having exclusive access to the server, you can rely on its robust infrastructure and enjoy uninterrupted operations.

3. Enhanced Security with a Dedicated Server Solution

Security is paramount in the online realm, and dedicated servers provide a higher level of protection compared to shared hosting. With a dedicated server, you have the power to implement stringent security measures, customize firewall settings, and have complete control over your server’s security configuration. Safeguard your valuable data and protect your customers’ privacy with peace of mind.

4. Customization and Flexibility

One size does not fit all in the digital landscape. Thankfully, dedicated servers offer extensive customization options. Tailor your server to meet your exact hardware specifications, operating system preferences, and software configurations. Enjoy the flexibility to optimize your server environment according to your specific requirements.

5. Scalability

Businesses evolve, and your server should be able to keep up with the changing demands. Dedicated servers provide seamless scalability, allowing you to effortlessly upgrade or downgrade server resources as your business grows. Add more CPU, RAM, storage, or bandwidth whenever necessary, ensuring your server aligns with your expanding needs.

6. Improved Website Performance

A slow-loading website can lead to frustrated users and high bounce rates. With a dedicated server, you can bid farewell to these concerns. By efficiently handling high traffic volumes and large data transfers, a dedicated server ensures optimal website performance, resulting in superior user experiences and increased customer engagement.

7. Better Control and Administrative Access

Take the reins of your digital infrastructure with a dedicated server. Benefit from full root/administrator access, granting you complete control over server settings, software installations, and application configurations. Shape your server environment precisely to your liking and streamline your operations.

8. Dedicated IP Address

Establishing a reputable online presence is crucial for businesses. Dedicated servers come with a dedicated IP address, providing a multitude of advantages. From running SSL certificates to facilitating seamless email server setups, a dedicated IP address bolsters your online credibility and enhances your digital communication channels.

9. Enhanced Data Privacy

Data privacy is a top concern for businesses, especially those handling sensitive customer information. With a dedicated server, you are the sole user, ensuring your data remains private and isolated from others. Safeguard your critical data and maintain compliance with data protection regulations confidently.

10. Resource Optimization with a Dedicated Server Solution

Efficient resource utilization is a key factor in maximizing server performance. Dedicated servers allow you to allocate server resources according to your needs, ensuring optimal resource utilization and maximizing your server’s performance potential. No more wasted resources or bottlenecks holding you back.

11. Improved SEO Ranking

A dedicated server can be a game-changer for your SEO efforts. Fast loading times, server reliability, and dedicated IP addresses all contribute to better search engine rankings. Boost your online visibility, attract more organic traffic, and surpass your competitors in the search engine results pages.

12. Better Compliance and Regulatory Requirements

In certain industries regarding data storage and security are stringent. A dedicated server empowers you to implement the necessary measures to meet these standards effectively. Stay ahead of legal obligations, build trust with your customers, and safeguard your business reputation.

Choosing the best server solution is paramount for businesses and individuals seeking high performance and security for their hosting needs. With these mentioned pros, dedicated servers unlock your true potential in the digital landscape. Embrace the power of a dedicated server and thrive in today’s competitive online world.

The post The Best Server Solution for Enhanced Performance and Reliability appeared first on Wowrack Blog.

Server colocation ensures that your server will not go down despite the number of customers you will have. With the use of collocation, issues of maintaining your server will now be a thing of the past. You will be able to monitor the connection from the main system and your network will be steady. Although it involves a lot to have a successful colocation, you will need to have the colocation packages required to achieve desired results.

In the event of disasters, heavy storms and earthquakes, your server will still be steady, stable and function perfectly well. The location of the server during server colocation is the only reason why they will not be shaken by anything adverse. This is the perfect reason to have clients on your site, as it can never go down, hence you will make a lot of money if it is a business site.

Companies that are offering server colocation services have the necessary tools and equipment needed for the completion of the work. Furthermore, they also employ qualified personnel who will ensure that colocation is implemented perfectly and successfully. The equipment provided are special to regulate the temperatures. The temperature regulating gear is crucial in terms of preventing overheating of the computers. They will also make sure that the network access is good and secured, as well as making your business to prosper.

Your internet site will be constantly monitored to be certain you do not encounter any problems. The physical security will also always be in place for you after the colocation to ensure that your internet is fast and stable. When you are through with the colocation, it will be simple and easy to manage the small problems with the assistance of a project manager.

The internet site will never be offline or need reloading if you have colocated the servers. Many natural problems might affect your server but with colocation, the problems will be history. The majority of companies that provide server colocation services have power back-up generators in case of a black-out. With this added benefit, you will always be online thus making more than any other person without such a service in place.

Colocation ensures that you have access to multiple monitoring tools that will assist you in managing your site. The tools are extremely crucial for detecting if the internet is down and react immediately to restore it.

As a business gradually grows and expands, it may find that it needs to move into a larger facility. Storing data in-house can result in a company having to shut down its servers and, thus, its business for relocation. For a business this can be devastating if it relies heavily on its IT infrastructure. With colocation in place, that business can relocate while leaving its servers running the entire time.

The post Colocation Basics & Benefits appeared first on Wowrack Blog.

Data center colocation provides your business with peace of mind that can’t be attained without a significant investment in data center infrastructure. With this in mind, let’s examine these 12 benefits of using a colocation data center.

1) Location

In real estate, you’ll often hear agents say that the most important thing is “Location, location, location.” When you choose a colo provider, location will be of the utmost importance.

If you are running your main production servers from a colo site, you’ll want to ensure that you have the lowest ping time possible. This is achieved by selecting a data center that is physically close to your main headquarters. Luckily, colo data centers are strategically placed in geographic areas that will provide your business with low ping times and robust bandwidth.

2) Buy Exactly What You Need for your Colocation

One of the big advantages of a colo hosting plan is that you can buy exactly what you need. If you only require a 10Mbps circuit for your servers, you can select this option when buying your plan.

If your business requires a faster uplink, your colo provider can certainly provide a bigger pipe for more bandwidth. Colo hosting plans let you buy exactly what you need and if you need more space, bandwidth or power, getting more resources is just a phone call or email away.

3) Remote Hands for Colocation

One of the biggest concerns about data center colocation is what to do when you need to perform a physical upgrade or a physical hardware swap. With Remote Hands, Certified NOC engineers are available to perform any task that your business might require in terms of a hard reset of a server, a memory upgrade, a hard drive upgrade, etc.

4) Rack and Stack Services

If you are starting your first data center colocation project, many businesses may not be aware that they can get “Rack and Stack” services as part of their agreement.

This simply means that you can preconfigure your network security devices with your pre-assigned ranges of public IPs. Next, you’ll provide the power and network cabling along with explicit instructions on how to plug in the devices.

This allows your servers to be up and running in no time. Your IT employees aren’t even required to visit the data center for the initial install.

5) 99.99% Network Availability

Most data centers have redundant dark fibers running into the facilities that are owned and operated by a wide array of telecommunications carriers.

This strategy should help businesses feel confident about selecting a data center colo partner because if one network backbone fails, the colocation data center provider can instantly failover onto another provider without any noticeable downtime.

6) Industry Recognized Certifications

When you select a data center colocation plan, your business can rest assured knowing that the facility you select has industry recognized certifications such as SOC, SSAE, and ISO. These certifications are earned through strict adherence to internationally recognized standards that ensure the integrity and physical security of your data.

7) Colocation Corporate Compliance

Many organizations must meet PCI, HIPAA and other complex corporate compliance standards. When you start researching data center colocation, you’ll find that many data centers have these corporate compliance measures baked into their everyday practices.

This gives your business peace of mind about the internal processes used by the colo facility that you choose.

8) Colocation Physical Security

How would you feel if someone walked right into your datacenter, unracked your servers and walked right out with your data in hand?

You might feel a little sick to your stomach just playing this scenario out in your mind. With a data center colocation plan, you can rest assured that uniformed security is always monitoring all physical ingress and egress points of entry.

Every data center visitor must present a non-expired state-issued ID before gaining access to the facility. Once a person has gained access, their every move is monitored using CCTV cameras.

9) Environmentally Friendly Colocation

Did you know that data centers are more environmentally friendly than ever? Many data centers are strategically placed near utility companies that have implemented wind, solar, hydroelectricity, and other renewable energy sources.

Other data centers have the advantage of being able to use free cooling methods. This reduces the carbon footprint of your colo data center while simultaneously passing on the cost savings to your company.

10) Budget Compatible

Getting data center space for your business is probably less expensive than you think. Go ahead and do the math. How much would it cost your organization to build out raised floor space, bring in premium bandwidth, install racks and cages alongside an enterprise HVAC unit?

11) Expandable, On-Demand

Data center space is offered on an economy of scale model. When you buy more space, the data center is able to offer you a better deal. Best of all, you can build as you go and continue to add more rack space as your workloads continue to grow.

Your workloads do not need to be in the same racks in order to operate properly. Your business just needs to have the networking know-how in order to make your workloads work in synchronicity.

12) Perfect for Disaster Recovery

If you aren’t comfortable using a server colocation plan for your organization’s production workloads, you might want to start your colocation journey by using a colo data center as a disaster recovery solution.

This allows you to “Flip the switch” when your business is faced with a service impacting outage.

Once you become comfortable using a colocation data center for your disaster recovery plan, you can begin to think about implementing colo for your production workloads.

This is a great alternative to cloud solutions and best of all, you control everything from the server hardware to the replication software that you use to create your colo hosted disaster recovery plan. Contact us today to learn more about what Wowrack can do for you!

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