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Top 3 Factors to Consider when Selecting a Data Center
Today’s consumers have a lot of different choices when it comes to data center selection. Gone are the days when it was just a matter of selecting a space based on location and facilities provided. There are newer options such as Data center as a Service (DCaaS), Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), Platform as a Service(PaaS), cloud computing, and virtual hosting. Without sufficient planning and strategy, the process of selection can be pretty complicated. However, if you stick to the basics and are clear on what you need, you can make the right choice that best serves your needs. Here are the experts’ suggestions on what the key factors are to look out for when selecting a data center:
Network Connectivity: This is by far the top most factor to consider when deciding which option to go for. It is advisable to run a few tests to measure the network latency from the place where the users will be based. This will ensure that you have benchmarks to fall back on once you get operational. Recent statistics revealed that major organizations like Amazon discovered that a mere 0.1 seconds of latency impacted their revenue by 1%. Key factors to consider are the length and route of the fiber and the network architecture that is used to service your networking needs.
Network Connectivity: This is by far the top most factor to consider when deciding which option to go for. It is advisable to run a few tests to measure the network latency from the place where the users will be based. This will ensure that you have benchmarks to fall back on once you get operational. Recent statistics revealed that major organizations like Amazon discovered that a mere 0.1 seconds of latency impacted their revenue by 1%. Key factors to consider are the length and route of the fiber and the network architecture that is used to service your networking needs.- 24X7 Support: There are various options provided by different vendors, ranging from on site presence to call center support. Whatever the option provided, you need to make a random call to test that the support is truly available as promised.
- Disaster Recover and Business Continuity Planning: It is critical that you are aware and in sync with not only your own business continuity plan, but the provider’s business continuity and disaster recovery plan. Key questions to ask are based on the handling of power outages, and single points of failure, and the effects of multi-day outages.
One of the best and most reliable options to consider in the data center decision is to opt for a co-located data center facility. Vendors such as https://lifelinedatacenters.com/ offer flexibility in features and services provided and up-time of up to 99.995% making it an option that is worth considering.
Alex Carroll
Managing Member at Lifeline Data Centers
Alex, co-owner, is responsible for all real estate, construction and mission critical facilities: hardened buildings, power systems, cooling systems, fire suppression, and environmentals. Alex also manages relationships with the telecommunications providers and has an extensive background in IT infrastructure support, database administration and software design and development. Alex architected Lifeline’s proprietary GRCA system and is hands-on every day in the data center.
