Ask anybody today that has been designing and managing a modern data center for a number of years and they
will tell you that the careful planning and overall layout of a server colocation facility is critical and
can seriously hinder its overall reliability and usefulness if not done correctly at the initial design
stages.
They are perfectly right about that statement.
Avantex Hosting has been in the server colocation business since 1994. Designing and managing a modern
data center is what we do well.
We love this industry and we are fanatic about it,
and this shows in our server colocation rooms as well as our dedicated server rooms.
A lot of attention has been given right down to the last detail.
We are proud of our data centers and for many reasons. We wouldn't want it any other way. A data center is like
a hospital: it never closes and it's always open for business. There are so many things that can go wrong if
not planned correctly, and the margin for error is very slim.
Above all, proper air circulation and cooling of modern servers is extremely important.
Whether you are colocating one server rack or over a hundred isn't the issue. It's actually how many servers are the people
around you colocating? In many of today's data centers, you don’t usually select your rack neighbors... Should
another rack tenant choose to place 40 high capacity servers in the two racks in front of yours, there is little
a datacenter operator can do without a raised floor environment to keep your equipment running cool at all times,
and this is exactly what we mean by attention to detail.
To help reduce such potential issues, all our server collocation facilities feature raised floor cooling
and temperature control systems. Another important aspect that you should carefully consider is security.
Some data centers today choose to provide cabling, power distribution and fiber connectivity throughout their
facility in easily accessible overhead racks.
In all of Avantex's colocation centers, distribution of most of these elements are handled safely and securely
beneath the raised floor infrastructure.
What's more, all our data centers and colo racks are always manned at all times by security guards 24/7. It's
impossible to even enter a specific colo area without a mandatory security card and the proper clearance. And
once inside, it's impossible to get out as well without all the necessary pass cards.
What's more, all our colocation facilities are protected by closed-circuit TV cameras that are recorded and
archived on high-capacity video tapes 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Many colo centers today are remotely managed or simply don't staff adequate network service personnel.
Beside the obvious benefit of having these additional resources at the facility for your use, it is very practical to
have adequate trained personnel and certified network engineers available should you ever be unable to physically
get to your collocation center.
Also, never underestimate the importance of adequate fire protection. Some data centers and collocation
facilities feature dry pipe and triple interlock fire suppression systems. The actual description of Dry Pipe is
somewhat misleading.
Should a fire ever occur, those dry-pipes fill with water and proceed to dump all of that onto
your hosting racks, servers and switches.
Worse, all of the data center equipment that is intended to support your racks such as
UPSs and other specialized power equipment can also
be affected in a very negative way
as well.
Avantex only uses dual CO2 and FM200 systems to protect our colo facilities and our customers.
