Member Article

What to look for in a datacentre provider

In the latest in a series of posts explaining more about data centres, Garry Sheriff, managing director, takes a look at what to look for in a provider.

So your business is struggling to manage growing data management requirements effectively, and you are considering switching from in-house, on-premise ICT in favour of a data centre model that provides a safe, secure environment with uninterrupted access. When looking to put your systems and data in what are today’s digital fortresses, what should you look for in a provider?

Not every data centre relationship is a happy one, and this is often due to lack of understanding on the client’s part about what is involved. Today’s data centres offer a flexible service range, from server or rack hosting, to co-location, where the client’s servers are managed by its own staff, or a full service model where the client uses the data centre hardware to run some or all of its business applications, supported by the provider’s own team of specialists.

There are a few of the key issues to address when interviewing potential providers:

Consider the longevity and track record of the provider. Are they a young business with a small team or do they have a large number of high calibre, industry-certified experts in a cross-section of technical disciplines?

Are their data centres UK owned and managed or will your data be entrusted to an overseas base, managed by people you have never met?

Communications are crucial - is the data centre carrier-neutral, giving you direct, fast access to national and international telecoms operators, networks and European internet exchanges? Ask about capacity – beware of providers cutting costs by avoiding investment in communications. Our data centres are connected by a 10Gbps+ link to give our clients access to super-fast, always available communications.

If your equipment is housed in the data centre can you access it when you need to, what are the security arrangements? Check out whether there are biometric security, visitor logs and CCTV in place, ideally plus escorted access and individual security locks on all racks.

Ask about the power usage equivalent (PUE) rating. Data centres are heavy energy users, and the PUE rating measures how efficiently energy is used to power and cool both IT equipment and the building infrastructure. The optimum PUE score is 1.0, meaning no energy loss whatsoever. Realistically that score is not yet possible, but with manufacturers constantly developing smarter technology, data centres such as our new £4m operation in Chester le Street can boast a PUE rating of just 1.2, against a global average of 1.7.

What are the power arrangements, and what would happen in the event of a power failure? Your provider should be able to demonstrate resilient power, cooling and connectivity arrangements, which should be backed up with on-site technical staff to ensure 99.999999% systems availability. A dedicated on-site substation with backup diesel generators with fuel tanks, dual PDU on separate UPS provided onto each rack, and N+1 UPS and cooling systems add up to an ideal scenario.

Ask what data centre infrastructure management (DCIM) systems are in place? Providers should be using specialist software giving them the ability to monitor, measure and control their operations in order to optimise performance. Can your provider offer you a flexible choice of service level agreements, and what length of contract do you need to sign up for in order to get the best deal?

One of the most crucial queries is what business continuity (BC) and disaster recovery (DR) plans are in place to cover the data centre itself, should it suffer an interruption. Anyone selling BC and DR services should have ISO27001 certification in place, as a mark of their expertise and commitment to quality. Considering placing your systems and data in the hands of experts is not a decision to be taken lightly, and these are just a few of the many questions that any data centre provider should be happy to answer.

If you want to see what a state of the art data centre looks like, and find out how it could give your business a competitive edge, come and talk to the North East’s leading experts in data centre services, for complete peace of mind that you are making the right decision.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by ITPS Ltd .