Rapidly developing technology and the changing needs of business have forced companies to make significant alterations to their infrastructure. Data centers can support companies and help them meet IT requirements, should companies decide to hire them.
What are data centers? They are secure facilities where companies can store their power and network. They help save space in the primary headquarters which can prove to be a big advantage.
Nowadays, data centers have become an extension of the businesses rather than being an independent entity. Choosing the correct data center for your needs can help you make significant savings in the near future.
Is Backup Crucial to Your Hosted Desktop?
You need to check what a service offers before you buy it. Knowing the level of security your hosted desktop provider can give you is important for your business data. You should also understand their infrastructure and the uptime guarantee.
Role of Infrastructure
Data centers house servers and storage devices offering virtual and physical security. The data center should be well-equipped with uninterrupted power supplies, which if interrupted should be dealt with by backup power generation capabilities.
Backup Servers
Remember to look for backup servers in the infrastructure of your hosting providers. These servers allow for ‘failover’. In the case of a server failure, you will not be able to access your applications and data on your hosted desktop, and it may take up to hours or days till your service is up and running.
With servers allowing failover, a server that goes down will have minimal impact, as a backup server takes the workload of the failed server. This is why a good hosting provider gives an uptime guarantee of 99.99%.
Backing Up Your Data
Using external hard drives or online backup services for your business data might be a huge risk as there is a risk of the server going down, leaving you with a backup but no server.
A cloud environment has better backup solutions for your data. With monitoring systems in place and a server backup application, a reputable hosting provider also has tested restoration to ensure you can access your data even if the virtual server goes down. Use of a server backup application over a file-sharing service is a major advantage in terms of security.
Knowing the infrastructure of your hosting provider should be followed with checking if they test their backups regularly.
Top Things to Know When Choosing a Data Center
Here is a look at the key things that you need to consider when choosing a data center.
1. Reputation
You must be sure that the data center you are hiring is known for providing good service and not just for excellent branding. You need an efficient data center, not a flashy one. Find out the truth behind the marketing gimmicks to understand how the company really functions. Nowadays, it is really easy to conduct background searches on data centers before you hire them.
Of course, none of them are perfect, but you should go with a data center whose pros outweigh the cons. You can also browse through testimonials to get a fair idea of what other companies have experienced. One reliable option is iConnect, but again, always do your homework first on any company you are thinking of choosing.
2. Emergency Response
One of the main reasons you need a data center is to have incredible emergency response power. It follows that the data center you hire should be able to tackle all types of emergencies. It should continue to run and function in spite of disasters or accidents. A good emergency backup system should have power generators and fire monitoring so that your business does not suffer.
3. Network Services Capacity
The design of the network infrastructure is one of the main attributes that determines the quality of a data center. You need to find out how variables like network reliability and speed are monitored by the data center if you want your own network to be solid. A data center should have adequate fiber capacity for both present and future needs.
Certain telecom companies provide data center colocation services. They are successful because of their large network. You will be able to interconnect with more networks, easily creating a harmonious ecosystem.
4. Flexibility
A business goes through numerous ups and downs just in the course of one day. In fact, being part of business operations means that you have to be ready at all times to tackle different kinds of situations and stick to systems. The data center that you choose to associate with must be flexible in their approach to your business. Your requirements will not remain constant, and the center needs to adapt accordingly. It should also allow you to grow as a company.
5. Reliability and Security
Make sure that the data center you hire is powered by a reliable energy source. The facility should have an integrated system that does not break down easily. Data centers should also be secure from cyber attacks and physical thefts.
Are you ready to make a decision?
