When to Explore Data Center Co-Location
Back when computers were new, they were often located just off the main lobby, in a windowed area. Company management looked upon these first systems as trophies, and the windowed area was akin to the trophy case.
Fast forward a few decades and data centers are more bunker-like than trophy cases.
So we were surprised when a financial services client asked about building a data center in their new corporate headquarters. Their data center needs are modest, under 2500 square feet.
We asked why they were not considering co-location (co-lo). In a co-lo, all the bricks and mortar infrastructure is managed by the service provider, typically with a high degree of redundancy “built in.”
There’s even an ANSI standard (ANSI/TIA-942) for data centers. Here’s a grossly simplified view:
Tier Level |
Description |
Estimated Annual Downtime due to Site |
Site Availability |
Tier 1: Basic |
|
28.8 hours |
99.671% |
Tier 2: Some redundant components |
|
22 hours |
99.741% |
Tier 3: Concurrently maintainable |
|
1.6 hours |
99.982% |
Tier 4: Fault tolerant |
|
.4 hours |
99.9955 |
1 “Components” refer to the mechanical and electrical devices necessary for data center operation. This includes: Power Distribution Units (PDU), Air Conditioning Chillers and Distribution (CRAC) units, Uninterruptible Power Supplies (UPS), Power Switching, Generators, Environmental Monitoring, and Fire Suppression.
Most co-los are greater than a Tier 2, while cost considerations often drive smaller data centers to a sub Tier 2 redundancy.
When looking at retrofitting an existing office building compared to co-lo, some of the factors for consideration include:
Factor |
Office Building |
Co-Lo |
Power Feed |
Often Single |
Generally dual |
UPS & Battery |
Need to be installed |
Included |
Generator |
Needs to be installed; cannot use life-safety generator |
Included |
Cooling |
Use building cooling systems (ensure 24x7 operation) |
Included |
Communication paths |
Often single |
Generally dual + |
Fire detection |
Sprinkler |
Often aspirating or laser |
Operations |
Often on-site during normal hours. |
24x7 on-site |
The very first thing a business should consider are their business resiliency requirements. Some businesses have manual processes allowing them to go without computer processing for an extended period. Others, as often found in financial services and health care, require higher availability.
When faced with a build or buy decision, the economics of the increased resiliency and power/cooling demands afforded by a co-location provider should be considered in light of the business requirements.
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