Choosing the right data center is a critical decision for hosting your IT infrastructure, and it involves evaluating several key factors to ensure your business needs for performance, reliability, security, and scalability are met.
Selecting a data center requires careful consideration of its physical and operational attributes, as well as the services it provides. Here are the essential factors to evaluate:
1. Location
The geographic location of a data center is crucial. Consider factors like:
- Proximity: How close is the data center to your users or primary business locations? This impacts latency.
- Disaster Risk: Is the location prone to natural disasters like earthquakes, floods, or hurricanes?
- Accessibility: Is it easy for your team or vendors to access the facility if needed?
- Jurisdiction: Data residency laws can vary by location, impacting compliance requirements.
2. Power and Cooling
Reliable power and cooling are fundamental for keeping your equipment running without interruption. Look for data centers that offer:
- Redundant Power: Multiple power feeds, Uninterruptible Power Supplies (UPS), and generators (e.g., N+1, 2N redundancy).
- Efficient Cooling: Robust cooling systems (CRAC/CRAH units, chillers) designed to maintain optimal temperatures and humidity levels.
- Power Density: Can the facility support the power requirements of modern, high-density servers?
3. Security Measures
Robust security measures are essential to protect your valuable data and infrastructure. Evaluate both physical and network security:
- Physical Security: Multi-layered access controls (biometric scanners, keycards, security guards), video surveillance, secure perimeters, and monitoring.
- Network Security: Firewalls, intrusion detection/prevention systems, DDoS mitigation, and regular security audits.
- Compliance: Look for certifications like ISO 27001, SOC 1/SOC 2, or PCI DSS if relevant to your industry.
4. Scalability and Flexibility
Your data center needs to grow with your business. Assess the facility's scalability and flexibility:
- Space and Power: Can they easily accommodate additional racks, power circuits, or caged space as your needs increase?
- Connectivity: Is it easy to upgrade bandwidth or add cross-connects?
- Contract Terms: Are the terms flexible enough to allow for scaling up or down as required?
5. Reliability
Reliability, often measured by uptime, is paramount. A reliable data center minimizes downtime risks. Key aspects include:
- Uptime Guarantees: What Service Level Agreements (SLAs) are offered for uptime (e.g., 99.999%)?
- Redundant Infrastructure: Look for redundancy beyond power and cooling, including network links and internal components.
- Maintenance Procedures: How is maintenance performed? Is it disruptive?
6. Network Connectivity
Excellent network connectivity ensures your applications are accessible and perform well. Consider:
- Carrier Neutrality: Access to multiple network providers offers choice and competitive pricing.
- Bandwidth Availability: Can they provide the necessary bandwidth and easily scale it?
- Diverse Routing: Network paths that avoid single points of failure.
- Peering: Direct connections to major internet exchanges can improve performance.
7. On-site Support and Service Level Agreements (SLAs)
The level of on-site support and the specifics of the Service Level Agreements (SLAs) are vital for operational efficiency and peace of mind.
- Support Availability: Is technical support available 24/7? What are the response times?
- Remote Hands: Can data center staff perform basic tasks on your equipment if you can't be on-site?
- SLA Details: Beyond uptime, do SLAs cover power, cooling, and support response times?
8. Reputation and Viability
Researching the reputation and long-term viability of the data center provider is crucial.
- Market Standing: How long have they been in business? Who are their other clients?
- Financial Stability: Is the company financially stable and likely to remain in business for the long term?
- Reviews and Testimonials: What do existing customers say about their service and reliability?
- Certifications: Relevant industry certifications can indicate adherence to high operational standards.
By carefully evaluating these eight factors, you can make an informed decision and choose a data center that best supports your business objectives now and in the future.
