Server Colocation: Do You Know What It Is?
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by: billroche
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If you want to run a high bandwidth web site, but you dont want to go to the expense of setting up a network or maintaining a secondary power source and atmospheric controls, then server colocation is an economical way to meet your needs. You buy and program a server, then ship it to a server colocation facility, which plugs it into the facilitys established network.
What is involved in server colocation?
The company runs a network that provides bandwidth, IP addresses, and everything else servers need to connect to the Internet. The company also provides a reliable power supply and a safe environment that is kept at the ideal temperature and cleanliness level for server equipment. Businesses ship their servers to the server colocation facility, where the facility techs connect them to the network.
Will the colocation company perform upgrades or physical maintenance to my server?
No, maintaining and updating the server is your sole responsibility. If your server is damaged because something happens to the facility (a profoundly rare event), the colocation company will take care of your equipment. Otherwise, it will not handle or interfere with your server. Its easy to perform software upgrades from a remote location, but if you want to upgrade the server, you will have to send a tech to the facility or have the server unhooked from the network and sent back to you.
What can server colocation offer that keeping my server at the office cant offer?
A state of the art network is costly to set up and maintain. Although that can be cost effective for a large company, small and mid sized companies are likely to find it more convenient to use a providers network. Bandwidth is also likely to be less expensive through a colocation company because such companies have the benefit of dealing in bulk.
On top of that, facilities for colocation have environmental controls and power source backups that most office buildings lack. This is important for keeping your server running at top capacity. Even small delays can lose you customers.
You may also want an extra level of security for your data. Its useful to keep your data at a second location in case something happens to the first location. For example, if you live in an earthquake zone or a tornado corridor, moving your server out of dangers way is good business sense. It also provides protection for your files in case your area loses power or your building catches fire.
I dont know anything about buying and setting up a server. Is server colocation a good option for me?
If server hardware is outside your area of expertise and you prefer not to hire a professional to handle it, then you may need an even higher level of service called a dedicated server. In this service, a company gives you remote access to one of their own servers, and you merely load it with the files you want. The server is the other companys property, and it upgrades and maintains the server itself.
However, if you are interested in learning to set up a server or are planning to hire someone to manage the server for you, then you might find that server colocation gives you better control of the server and is more cost effective. Related articles Colocation .
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