The Essentials of Colocation

With internet traffic at an all time high, online businesses are scrambling for ways to cut operational costs.  For those who thrive from this traffic, most of these efforts have been placed on reducing bandwidth costs, and essentially the price for their hosting plan.  When the shared environment is no longer sufficient and the dedicated server runs out space, many business owners make the move to colocation hosting.

What is Colocation Hosting?

Colocation describes a hosting environment where the webmaster moves their operation to an offsite facility.  They provide a server and other equipment to an outside company who houses it in their data center for a fee.  The company makes sure the client has internet connectivity and secures all of the hardware by doing so.  This is a great option for the flourishing online business that has grown to a point where it can no longer manage an in-house operation.

If colocation hosting sounds like the right move for your business, you should make yourself familiar with the essential components needed to make it a success.

Operating Systems

When it comes to network operating systems there are several to choose from.  Two of the most popular solutions are Linux and Windows NT.  Linux is a viable option for the demanding network setting.  While it is certainly more complex than other systems, it is also more secure.  Linux runs efficiently on almost any type of hardware and is less susceptible to malware infection.  Although it’s not as comprehensive, experienced administrators love the superior functionality as Linux permits access to the kernel’s source code.

NT is extremely popular and distinguishes itself by bringing the traditional Windows interface to the network server environment.  This system is easy to use, allowing administrators to operate the server with a simple point-and-click method.  In addition to the comprehensive interface, NT is the perfect environment for third-party software with database access to systems like MS Access, DB2, Oracle and MSSQL.

Server Hardware

The server hardware you choose for colocation hosting is just as important as the operating system.  Three of the most widely used platforms are Cobalt, Intel and Sun.  Perfect for the webmaster managing multiple sites, Cobalt has become extremely popular in the server hardware arena.  Developed by Sun Microsystems, Cobalt offers great performance out of the box.

Sun has built a reputation on fast and efficient hardware.  It is a bit more stable than Cobalt and highly recommended for high traffic sites.  Intel isn’t too far off with reliable equipment that is typically more affordable to the average administrator.

Networking

After squaring away your OS and hardware, you must then choose an NIC (network interface card).  There are a number of networking cards on the market, but all are not sufficient.  Since this is what will enable an internet connection, we recommend staying away from cheap, off-brand products.  You can save a lot of money in the long run and prevent downtime by investing in a reliable NIC capable of supporting your network activity.

Memory & Hard Drives

The amount of how much memory and hard drive speed your server requires will vary.  For memory, we recommend going with at least 256 of MB.  Hard drives often come in various speeds from 5400 to 15, 000 RPM.  Needless to say, the more memory you purchase, the more web pages you can store; the faster your hard drive, the faster your server can access data.

Regardless of how many times you’ve heard it, the first step is always to determine your individual hosting needs.  Jot down a few essentials and take note when a colocation provider delivers their sales pitch.  Without sticking to your guns, you may invest in aggressively marketed items that serve no benefits to your cause.

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Nov 10, 2008 : Colocation Hosting No responses yet

Advantages and Disadvantages of Colocation

The term colocation (co-location) is increasingly being used in the web hosting industry.  So what’s the big idea?  It’s simple - convenience, less maintenance and more control over your web server’s configurations.  By storing your system in a large, well maintained facility, you can gain access to greater transfer and other features that would ordinarily be far too expensive to manage in the typical office setting.

As it often goes with most things, there is an upside and a downside to colocation hosting.  In this article we will overview this popular service and try to determine if the positives outweigh the negatives.

Advantages

The biggest advantage of colocation is the cost of bandwidth and associated resources.  Most of these facilities maintain redundant systems and multiple backbones to enable incredibly fast internet connections.  This offers a vast amount of potential bandwidth at a price that is generally determined by the actual amount used.  In most cases, the monthly fee for a colocation service is significantly cheaper than a dedicated Tier 1 line.

Unlike the managed environment, you actually own all the hardware and software components in the data center.  If the server becomes insufficient for your company’s growth, you can then visit the colocation facility and make the needed upgrades.  The luxury of installing your own software frees you of the predefined set of applications provided by a conventional web host.  If you feel that your business requires Windows NT instead of the Linux operating system, simply purchase the software and install it on your server.

Another benefit of colocation hosting is that such providers usually offer better protection against power outages.  Redundant backup generators, power sources and internet backbones help companies offer uptime guarantees of 99% and higher.  Colocation providers often keep an inventory of spare components on hand along with a team of professionals capable of making timely replacements.

Disadvantages

The biggest drawback to colocation is perhaps that a center that’s both reliable and convenient is hard to find.  If you have a staff of your own to manage the systems, you want to find a facility that is relatively close to your business to reduce travel time when upgrades need to be made.  Colocation centers are often located in bigger cities in the vicinity of major network hubs.  This is a factor that somewhat limits geographic options.

The most obvious disadvantage is that colocation is more expensive that managed hosting.  This is attributed to the cost of purchasing or leasing software and hardware components along with the actual space you’re renting.  Additional fees may also apply when your staff needs to perform maintenance.

Is Colocation the Move for You?

Even a small business that experiences a high volume of traffic can survive with managed hosting.  With the right company, this solution can be affordable and reliable.  A larger corporation might find it more cost-efficient to move their in-house operation to an offsite data center, preferably with an experienced IT staff and a well designed facility.  For a number of mid-level businesses, colocation is a solution that compromises between leasing a dedicated server and owning a costly data facility.

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Nov 03, 2008 : Colocation Hosting No responses yet

Questions to Ask a Colocation Provider

Colocation is an alternative hosting solution for the webmaster that has outgrown the dedicated server environment.  Instead of managing the server’s hardware and software components, they outsource the entire operation to the offsite data facility of another company.

If you’re interested in colocation, there are a few questions that must be asked when looking for a provider.

How Much Will it Cost?

This probably goes without saying, but you should definitely keep your eyes on the price of service.  Of course you don’t want to overpay, but as the saying goes, “you get what you pay for”.  Because of this, we suggest that you focus your search on quality instead of a service that is merely cheap.  The cheap route is quite tempting but downtime is very unappealing and will certainly damage credibility among your visitors.

How is the Support?

As with any type of hosting, the availability of support is crucial in the colocation environment.  This matter is one that needs to be taken seriously and should weigh heavy on your final decision.  Most reputable companies offer 24/7 support via phone and email while some extend their assistance to live chat sessions and support tickets.  Problems can arise when attempting to connect or setting up the server so a fast turn-around time is essential.

Do You Practice Redundancy?

Redundancy covers several aspects of colocation from the host’s connectivity to climate control in the data facility.  Efficient systems must be put in place to ensure the connectivity of your website in the midst of hardware failures, ventilation systems to compensate for the heat generated by network equipment, frequent backups to protect your data in case of a disaster and backup generators to restore the operation in the event of a power failure.  A reliable colocation host will implement various systems to make sure your site remains operating even if something goes wrong.

Is There a Money Back Guarantee?

The level of competition in the web hosting industry has resulted in numerous perks and guarantees.  Many will at least offer a 30-day money back guarantee to demonstrate confidence in their quality of service.  If you can find a reliable company that offers such a guarantee, we suggest giving it some consideration.  This will come in handy if you are dissatisfied with the service and decide to change hosts.

How Long For the Server Setup?

Here is another factor that will undoubtedly vary in regard to the urgency of your business.  With that said, we recommend avoiding any host that requires you to wait more than a week to get your server up and running.  If the company takes forever getting you connected online, they will more than likely provide a similar service when it comes to support.

Conclusion

A lot goes into colocation hosting including the fact that you are responsible for providing all the software and hardware components along with other necessities such as the NIC and hard drive.  If your financial situation is somewhat precarious, we suggest going with a dedicated server.  However, if you are 100% sure that colocation hosting is the best option, take every precaution when evaluating providers to ensure that your business will continue to function in the face of technical adversity.

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Oct 22, 2008 : Colocation Hosting No responses yet

Calculating the Cost of Colocation

Similar to the dedicated server environment, colocation is a solution for those who require more control over server administration. This service involves an offsite company that houses your server and enables it to make an internet connection. Some will offer servers for a fee or even build a custom machine just for you. This type of hosting distinguishes itself from the dedicated environment as all of the network equipment is owned by you opposed to the web hosting company.

Dedicated hosting gets costly but a colocation setup is typically more expensive. Before making upgrades to your hosting environment, you might want to consider what’s involved to determine if it’s the right move. The cost of a colocation service can be associated with two categories: connection fees and rental fees.

Connection Fees: Conventional hosts generally measure the total amount of gigabytes transferred on a monthly basis. With colocation hosting, the amount of bandwidth used per month is usually divided by the total number of seconds in that particular month to determine a figure. An increasingly used method is known as the “95 percentile”, a system in which bandwidth is measured every five minutes. At the end of each month, the user is billed at the highest remaining percent while the top 5% of bandwidth measurements are discarded.

Rental Fees: These costs are associated with the service of storing your servers and other network equipment at the provider’s data facility. Prices range from 1U’s to full racks, which describes the measurements of the servers being stored. Most servers today come in one 1U or 2U sizes. Larger servers or those with multiple hard drives range from 3U to 4U.

Along with the primary fees come all the components that make up of the cost of your base service. Some of these fees are based on the following:

The Facility - When it comes to the facility that houses your equipment, price shouldn’t be the only issue. You want to make sure the company’s data center is physically protected against theft and natural disasters with redundant systems to ensure the functionality of your business. It is also important to know where the center is located as most providers give you physical access to your equipment.

Bandwidth - This is one resource you never want to run out of. Higher bandwidth will probably cost you a little more but it could be well worth it. Different internet connections make for different types of bandwidth. You should certainly confer with the web host to determine what’s suitable for your business.

Support Options - One of the most critical aspects of any kind of web hosting, your colocation plan should come with solid support. You need to know that the individuals maintaining your equipment are both knowledgeable and supportive.

Cross-connection fees - This is a rare feature that you might encounter. Cross-connection fees are applied when you physically house your server with one provider and allow another host to provide the internet connection.

Uptime guarantees - Any reliable colocation provider should openly publish their uptime guarantee. This ensures the overall performance of your operation and is essentially something that can make or break your business.

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Oct 07, 2008 : Dedicated Servers No responses yet

The Most Popular Myths Pertaining to Colocation

For most small and medium sized businesses, colocation hosting is unchartered waters, a vast ocean filled with uncertainty.  Along with the fact that this solution offers a totally different environment, the vast amount of misconceptions also attribute to a clouded decision making process.  In this article we will detail some of the most widely spread colocation myths and debunk them accordingly.

Colocation is just another name for managed hosting: This is far from the truth.  In a conventional managed arrangement, your site’s programming language resides on someone else’s server which is also owned by the web hosting company.  In the colocation environment, you own the hardware and software components and physically locate them on the grounds of another company.  Instead of sharing server space with hundreds to thousands of users, your website has it’s own server and associated components.  This setup prevents you from competing for critical resources such as bandwidth, storage and CPU.

Colocation makes it difficult to manage your systems: The overall convenience of colocation all depends on the host you choose and where their data center is located.  When upgrades and maintenance needs to be handled, members of your IT staff can make the trip and take care of them.  For most daily operations, an offsite data center isn’t any more convenient than having your equipment stored in-house.  However, a colocation facility is likely to provide more space with better organization and security than the small area you designated as a server room.

Colocation isn’t as secure as onsite hosting: While this depends on the security implementations of one’s in-house environment, colocation hosting tends to be much more secure.  These data centers house your equipment separately from the hardware of other clients, keeping it secure in monitored cages.  The facilities are equipped with a wide range of security technologies from firewalls and intrusion detection systems to solid physical security.  They often provide a level of security that most small businesses can’t afford. 

Colocation is not reliable: Here is another off-based misconception.  Most colocation centers employ redundant backups, internet connections and power sources.  Some of them run at minimal capacities so competition for resources isn’t an issue.  A reputable company will keep trained IT professionals on-site day in and day out to handle outages and other technical problems that arise.

Colocation is less flexible than managed hosting: Although some offer servers and associated components, for the most part, all you are leasing with colocation is physical space for your equipment and internet connectivity.  All the hardware and software is owned by your company, giving you complete control of what runs on your servers and how powerful they can actually be.  In a managed environment, server speed and available software is only as efficient as what the company offers. 

Colocation provides limited support: Contrary to some beliefs, most colocation services provide their clients with exceptional support in the way of physical and network security, data recovery, cooling and power systems and much more.  Best of all, they typically offer customer service in the form of email and phone support where professionals can be reached to address all of your concerns.  In regard to assistance with your systems, colocation support is only limited by what you’re willing to pay.

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Sep 26, 2008 : Colocation Hosting No responses yet