Zero downtime data center? Your clients are expecting it!

Do you run a zero downtime data center?

That’s probably what your clients have grown to expect.  In the last few years, your clients, your organization’s staff and your vendors have come to expect that your internal computer systems should be up and running all the time, just like Amazon or Google.  Since your company’s budget is smaller than Amazon, or Google, what are the measures you can take to affordably improve your data center uptime?

First, understand what it costs you when you experience data center downtime (an outage).  There are many of downtime cost calculators on the web.  Here are two examples:

• Downtime cost calculator 1
• Downtime cost calculator 2

Most organizations stand to lose revenue, credibility, and event clients in the event of an extended data center downtime event.  Prioritize the cost of downtime per business process to understand where to prioritize your efforts.

If your cost of downtime is high, you can build or upgrade your own data center. If your goal is 99.995% uptime (translated:  36 minutes of downtime per year or less), you’ll need to build features like:

• Redundant power feeds from the power company
• Redundant generators
• Redundant battery backup and power conditioning
• Redundant cooling
• Redundant telecom paths
• Hardened data center facilities, built to withstand the regional risks like F5 tornadoes and earthquakes

As an alternative, you can consider moving your computer room to outsource data center facilities.  Many of these outsource data centers offer all of the features listed above.  This data center strategy lets you select and purchase uptime levels based on your requirements.

Additional data center outsourcing benefits include:

• Reducing or eliminating data center capital costs – outsource data centers allow you to convert capital costs of building to monthly operating expenses.
• Reducing the data center power costs – selecting an outsource colocation facility with low power rates and an incremental pricing model can significantly reduce long-term costs of power.
• Outsourcing your compliance – data centers that specialize in compliance can help you reduce the burden of proof with regulatory compliance.

How close do you need to be to a zero downtime data center operation?

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.