data center

Colocation or Data Center: Which is Right for Your Business?

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One of the most common challenges in IT infrastructure management is maintaining sufficient space and power. As a business grows and ages, it will naturally acquire more data, which will, in turn, require more storage space. Purchasing new IT equipment is usually only a stopgap, as it can quickly outgrow the available office space, power and cooling capabilities. So what’s the solution – colocation or data center? And what, exactly, is the difference between the two?

To learn how to choose a colocation partner that fits your business’ unique needs, download our free colocation guide today.

Let’s begin with a brief definition of each:

Data Center:

Networked computer servers used for the storage or processing of data for daily use as well as backup and disaster recovery. These servers can be hosted in-house or in a remote data center facility.

 

 

 

Colocation:

Colocation facilities provide the space, power and bandwidth to store servers and IT equipment. Many businesses utilize the same facility for storage.

At first glance, the two appear very similar. But there is one key difference: with colocation, businesses provide their own servers and equipment.

Without knowing more, it would seem that data centers are the easier and better choice. But that’s not necessarily the case. There are several benefits to colocation:

  1. Lower cost: Sharing overhead with other businesses lower the total expense, and storing in facilities specifically designated for colocation increases energy efficiency.
  2. Access and ease of use: When IT professionals work on-site at colocation facilities, efficiency increases. Dedicated facility staff is available to help with any issues that arise.
  3. Network accessibility: Colocation facilities allow companies to connect with multiple carriers, regional networks and internet service providers.
  4. Network neutrality: When colocation providers are network neutral, companies can be in control of their own network strategy.
  5. Security: Colocation facilities are secure against any kind of threat – physical or virtual.
  6. Disaster readiness: Colocating allows companies to choose a facility that may be safer from weather threats than business headquarters.
  7. Easier compliance: Colocation facilities will maintain detailed records, making it easy for companies to produce compliance documentation.

Still not sure whether colocation or data center is right for your business? Download our free colocation guide, then get in touch. Vaultas offers both data center storage and colocation throughout Minnesota and Wisconsin. We will help customize a solution to meet your company’s unique needs.

Don’t Forget Data!

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There’s a lot to consider when writing a business continuity plan. The plan needs to establish the process for continuing business operations in the event of a disaster, incident or outage. Business continuity plans don’t focus on IT systems, but the departments that are supported by IT, including sales, customer service, and HR. In addition, it’s essential to plan for the protection and recovery of the company’s data.

Why is it so important to protect data? To put it simply, your data is the lifeblood of your company. Without it, you can’t fulfill orders, communicate with customers, product reports, measure progress, contact employees, market your business and more. Data is essential to both day-to-day operations and long-term objectives, which is why it’s so important to include in business continuity discussions.

A good business continuity plan will cover both data protection (the process of safeguarding information from corruption or loss), and data recovery, (the process of restoring data that has been lost.) And because most data loss occurs due to simple human error, not large-scale incidents or outages, it’s important for each and every business to include data in business continuity plans.

But how should data be incorporated into the plan? Disaster Recovery Journal recently shared a few basic tips, which we’ll summarize here.

 

Backup:

First and most importantly, ensure that your data is backed up, either physically or virtually.

Recovery:

Consider colocating data on the cloud so that it can be recovered in the event of a loss. This limits downtime by allowing employees remote access.

Remote Data Movement:

Copy data to a location outside the primary physical location, or better yet, to the cloud. This will ensure that it remains safe through fire or natural disaster.

Storage System Security:

It’s important that your storage facility is accessible to employees. However, it’s vital to protect it from unauthorized users who may have bad intentions.

Test and Test Again:

Make sure all essential employees know the procedures for backup and recovery, and run drills to ensure that data can be easily recovered in the event of a loss.

 

From data backup and storage to cloud colocation, Vaultas can help your company prepare for disaster. Give Vaultas a call at 888-998-2858, or contact us online. With custom solutions to meet the most demanding IT needs, we’ll work with you to find the best solutions for your business.

What is Server Hosting?

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When you hear the word “hosting,” what comes to mind? For many, hosting is synonymous with web hosting, which is providing a platform for a website or application. This is an important type of hosting, yes – but it’s not the only one. At Vaultas, we provide not only web hosting, but also server hosting, which is the offsite management of a company’s physical or virtual data and digital operations.

There are several different types of server hosting, which we’ll detail below.

Managed physical server:

The customer either provides the server or leases the server for use onsite. The hosting service installs the server and provides maintenance and monitoring, but the customer has control over the operating system, hardware and software. This can be an expensive option because the server requires both onsite management and offsite monitoring.

Dedicated server:

This is similar to a managed server, but the hosting service owns and maintains the server offsite. Customers have fewer choices for operating systems, but less hands-on management is required. It’s in the hosting service’s best financial interest to provide high-quality maintenance to increase reliability and life cycle duration.

Virtual private server:

VPS provides the same benefits as dedicated servers, but involves the coupling of a robust group of servers to host in a virtual environment. This creates a “high availability” server for high-demand environments and applications, often with a lower cost to the customer.

 

There are variations within each of these server groups, and each can be customized to fit the unique needs of your business. With a wide network of partners and 24/7 support, hosting with Vaultas ensures that there will never be any interruptions in your hosting.

To learn more about hosting, cloud storage, data storage or any of our other hybrid IT solutions, visit our website and get in touch for more information and a free quote.

12 Steps to Better Business Continuity for Data Centers

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No matter the reason, IT downtime can be costly for businesses of any size, in any industry – but it’s especially damaging for data centers. That’s why it’s important to establish a business continuity plan in the event of ransomware, severe weather, or any other unexpected outage.

Today, we’re going to discuss 12 important steps that data centers must take when establishing a business continuity plan, as detailed in Mission Critical Magazine.

1. Get the Conversation Started

Discuss business continuity with the companies and IT professionals that rely on your data center, asking what systems are the most critical to maintain during an outage.

2. Conduct a Hardware Risk Analysis

Create a specific list of the hardware that needs to be protected in the event of an outage, including the original cost and current replacement cost. Rank the importance of each piece of equipment based on how important it would be to keep it up and running during an outage.

3. Diagram the Network Structure

Here, you’re trying to determine how to replicate the network by identifying network switches, cables, routers and other components. Make a list of backups as well.

4. Divide Assets into Two Performance Cycles

By splitting assets into “business critical” and “temporary downtime” categories, you’ll be able to focus on the most important aspects of continuity and recovery.

5. Discuss Disaster Recovery Time Limits

Create a list of potential disaster types and assign approximate response times for each step of recovery, based on the specifics of that disaster.

6. Create a Contact List

When disaster strikes, it’s essential to have all necessary contact information available immediately.

7. Back Up Everything

Back up the server, back up applications, back up data. Back up everything.

8. Make a Plan for Temporary Offsite Networks

If main places of business need to be restored, have a plan for working out of temporary, offsite facilities, both in and out of state. Don’t forget to plan for transportation of both personnel and hardware.

9. Redirect Telecommunication

Because it may take time to get those temporary locations set up, create a system to divert calls to a different location. A third-party provider may be a good option here.

10. Virtualize

Add extra agility and resiliency by virtualizing the IT environment. This allows for complete automation at the virtual machine level.

11. Invest in Power Management Software

Power management software can be a powerful tool – it moves data to safer locations without any interruption to users, and can even trigger a recovery platform.

12. Use a Network Monitoring Tool

By monitoring networks and watching for the first signs of an outage or threat, you can significantly minimize downtime and negative effects.

If you need to create a business continuity plan and you’re not sure where to start, get in touch with the hybrid IT experts at Vaultas today. We create custom disaster recovery and business continuity plans, ensuring that your business is prepared for any outage that may occur.