Selecting the right colocation facility is a critical decision that can significantly impact your business’s reliability and resilience.
To ensure you make an informed choice, we’ve compiled five key points that demand careful consideration during the selection process.
Let’s dive into the essentials of choosing the perfect colocation partner.
1. Resilience and Reliability: Look Beyond Claims
Don’t be swayed by bold claims of resilience and reliability from colocation providers. Instead, seek expert engineering-based reviews of potential sites to validate their claims.
Remember, Uptime Tier III certification only determines the opportunity for concurrent maintenance, not overall site reliability. Engaging a specialist engineering consultant can be invaluable in understanding these intricacies.
2. Check Critical Infrastructure History and Condition
This is no different from buying a car – would you buy one without a service history or a check on the mileage? Make sure to inquire about the maintenance history and age/condition of the critical infrastructure.
Avoid colocation facilities with critical infrastructure older than 15 years or batteries exceeding 7 years, as they may pose potential risks.
Additionally, examine service records and incident logs to verify Uptime and Availability claims. This is again something of a specialist area, so seek expertise from in-house staff or specialist consultants for thorough analysis and informed decision-making.
3. Is There an Active Risk Register?
If you are putting your business-critical systems in a 3rd party colocation site, you are effectively buying an insurance policy.
A trustworthy colocation provider will have an active Risk Register that addresses potential risks your critical systems and services may face – has the provider considered all the risks your critical systems and services may face?
This ongoing assessment and mitigation process are crucial in safeguarding your valuable assets. A provider that neglects this aspect may not offer the level of protection your business requires.
4. What SLA’s are They Prepared to Support, and How are These Worded?
Thoroughly review Service Level Agreements (SLAs), particularly in terms of compliance with ASHRAE TC9.9 environmental recommendations and power availability measurement. How and where are these measured and being reported?
Expert knowledge is essential in navigating these complex areas, ensuring your colocation partner meets your business’s unique requirements.
5. Power Considerations and Green Initiatives
While energy efficiency and ESG issues are vital concerns, prioritise the primary reason for using a data centre – maintaining highly available 24×365 services.
Assess the location and type of power available to align with your business requirements and corporate standards.
The adoption of Energy Efficiency best practices, such as the EU Code of Conduct on Data Centre Energy efficiency or the ISO/IEC 30134 series of standardised KPIs and ISO 50000 can be valuable indicators of a provider’s commitment to sustainability.
Conclusion
When it comes to choosing a colocation facility, informed decision-making is key. By focusing on resilience, critical infrastructure conditions, risk assessment, SLAs, and power considerations, you can find the ideal colocation partner that aligns with your business needs. Stay vigilant in your selection process, seek industry guidance from experts like Future-tech, and remember that energy efficiency should complement, not compromise service availability.