5 things to consider while choosing the right datacenter

While the benefits of using a datacenter may be obvious, knowing which~datacenter to go for may be less clear. Beyond the apparent homogeneity of datacenters lie differences that can have a huge impact on your business. These can affect your scalability, finances, security, accessibility and even your carbon footprint - an important consideration in today’s environmentally and cost-conscious world - as well your business health. No-one needs reminding just how valuable their data is to their business.

Things to consider when choosing a datacenter:

#1 Data safety

The~safety of your data~is~your number one priority.~Man-made disasters as well as floods,~fires,~storms and even tornados~are real threats to your data. Ask the data~center about their disaster recovery (DR) plan, and the safeguards~they have~in situ to prevent and respond to events~such~as a fire inside server room.~This includes asking the number of backup generators available.

#2 Cooling and power

Servers are delicate creatures and~packing them~like sardines~causes~overheating.~At the same~time~unoccupied space in the rack~causes~hot air penetration back into the cold aisle.~Ask~how the~datacenter’s HVAC units are equipped to keep~the~servers cool - especially~at peak times when they’re busy.~You may also want to know~if they have~introduced~any~eco- friendly techniques~to~reduce electricity and~carbon usage. Servers are said to produce as much carbon dioxide as the airline industry every year.

#3~Access and uptime

In~the current~climate of tightened wallets and~tough~competition,~your~servers and~applications~needs~to be open for business round-the-clock.~Make sure your~datacentre~has~a guaranteed uptime of 99.99%+~with~a Service Level Agreement in place.~You should also ask~whether they offer~remote access~in~the event of a crash.~Such a solution minimises business disruption by enabling staff to access and utilise all the applications and data they need. Check also whether~the support team are available on weekends or holidays.~You never know when you’ll need emergency help.

#4 Digital security

Protecting your data from intrusion by an outside user is a serious concern. Ask what security protocols the datacenter has in place to prevent DDoS attacks. You don’t want hackers and intruders compromising your business's security.

#5 Scalability

Having the power~to upscale your business without the need for a larger server room, equipment or the~resources~to handle~data growth~is a major benefit of data centers.~Make sure your data center has the capacity to meet your needs now and in the future, and ensure the staff are personable - you want them to respond your needs.~Cloud services~[link to Article 2] such as Amazon Web Services (AWS) enable you to upscale and downscale flexibly and to pay only for the server space you need, so why not ask your data center how flexible~they can be.~Your business is changing all the time, and your datacenter needs to~do more than keep up, it needs to support you along the way.

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