Co-located Explained
| With computers advancing every day, it can become hard to expand and grow with them. One major concern for users that utilize dedicated servers, are upgrades. Dedicated servers are nothing more then leased computers for the use of anyone who will pay the monthly fee. While this is an extremely good idea, and many users will never need anything more then this, a few will. This is where co-location will come into play. Co-location can be summed up as a remote desktop housed within a datacenter. The actual definition for co-location is as followed “Providing network connections such as Internet leased lines to several servers housed together in a server room.” While this is the exact same thing as a dedicated server, there is a small deference and that is the server is actually owned by the user. This is very useful in many cases. Some companies require massive computers in order for their services and sites to work correctly. Most dedicated server providers only offer set server specs when offering dedicated servers. So if a user requires something more advanced, faster, or more reliable then the current service provider offers, they would utilize co-location. There are two different costs involved with co-location, instead of a set fee monthly for a dedicated server provided by a host. Rental Fees In order for a company to house a custom server, they must charge a rental fee. The height is normally quoted as 1U, 2U and so on. Rental fees can vary depending on what size U the server is. U’s are Unites but are referred to as U. This can vary from 1U all the way up to 7U. U refers to the amount a space a server will take up on a rack. Each “U” is around 4.5 cms or 1.75 inches. A full rack can contain 40U to 42U. Rack mount server cases come in 7 different sizes. These types of cases are normally what are used when building a server for co-location. Few users prefer to use normal computer cases, which in that case the price will vary depending on the size of the case and how many U’s it takes up. Connection Fees The next thing that a co-located server will need to work is a connection. This is where a connection fee comes into play. Connection costs will vary form provider to provider. There are many different ways a provider can offer a connection for a co-located server. Most providers will refer to a connection as a pipe; this refers to how large of a connection a server can have. It can range from 1mpbs up to 1,000mbps. Let’s go over the most commonly used ways to provide connections for a co-located server. Fixed Pipe Un-metered A fixed pipe can be explained as the type of connection the server has 1mpbs up to 1,000mbps. If a server has a 1mbps un-metered pipe to the Internet, then the server will have 1mbps “megabits per second” and no cap on how much bandwidth can be used. Of course the larger the pipe or connection speed to the server, the more expensive it will become. Fixed Pipe Metered A fixed pipe that is metered is the same as an un-metered connection. The option of pipe size is still there, 1mbps up to 1,000mbps. But the connection is not un-metered, it is metered. Meaning a set amount of bandwidth will be allocated to the co-located server or servers per month. Once the server reaches its allocated amount for the month, it will ether go offline or be charged a per gigabyte fee for over usage. This can be very expensive, so pay attention to the amount of bandwidth used and needed. Over estimating, in most cases, is the best route to take, as long as it’s not in excess. Burst-able Bandwidth Burst-able bandwidth is normally an add-on to an existing package for co-location. Burst-able bandwidth refers to a connection that can burst or speed up at any given time. This is normally utilized by companies that have large amounts of users access a site at a certain time. This is normally utilized on a 100mbps connection and can be set to burst at any amount needed, from 1mpbs and up. Burst-able bandwidth is expensive and has to be paid for in advanced, so knowledge of how much is needed is required. With co-location a user is intrusting a company to provide service and support to their server, so there are a few things to keep in mind when choosing a provider. Facility It is important to know where a server will be located demographically. This is useful for users that provide services for a specific location or area. The closer a server is to a target area, the faster it will respond and the fewer hops the connection goes through. Hops refer to the amount of providers or routes the information is sent before it reaches the user. The longer the route, the slow it will become. Location isn’t the only thing to consider when choosing the right facility, also keep in mind different aspects of the facility. Physical Infrastructure The physical infrastructure of a co-location provider can be looked at in many different ways. There are a few key things to consider while researching physical infrastructures of a company. Keep in mind that natural disasters can and do happen. So companies that can provide quality back-ups are a good thing to keep in mind. There are different methods of backing up certain aspects of a facility. The main two are data and power. If a data center looses power, a backup generator will kick in and provide many hours of power until power can be provided for the data center again. Data is also an important aspect of back-up systems. If at any time a hard drive may fail, having a backup of that information to restore once a new hard drive is online is a must. Security & Access Knowing what type of security a data center has is must. If a data center does not have proper security, then a server is not safe. It’s the same principle as keeping hackers out of systems only allowing secure and authorized technicians access to a server is a must. In most cases a data center will utilize finger print identification and/or access cards to restrict access to a server or server room. Support Support is important with any type of hosting. If a company doesn’t provide proper support; especially for dedicated or co-located servers, then how can we be sure our equipment will be stay online and running properly? There are many different ways a company can provide support for its users. The most important in the case of co-located servers, is a phone number, a way to verbally communicate with a provider. If at any time there is a server outage for any reason, verbal communication is the quickest and most reliable way to communicate with a company and resolve the issue at hand. Who would know a co-located server better then the owner? This article was originally written by Mike Bowden and can be found at: http://www.webmasterstop.com/articles/co-location.shtml | |
| Co-located Explained can be found in the following categories: Co-Located Server Paid web hosting |