7 questions to ask data centre providers

7 QUESTIONS TO ASK DATA CENTRE PROVIDERS

Question #1

Where is the

data centre

located?

Close proximity of the data centre makes it easier to access but it also

reduces downtime when disaster strikes, reduces cost of connectivity

between the office and DC, and lowers latency and

potential data replication issues.

Question #2

Does the

service

provider offer

a wide range

of

capabilities?

Consider the option to go to your provider and ask them to supply new

hardware, manage some ageing technology or maybe support your cloud

initiatives. This will help you achieve and deliver a flexible and dynamic IT

strategy that accommodates the ebb and flow of your business cycles and

responds to changing needs quickly.

Question #3

How flexible

are the

provider’s

contractual

terms?

It is important to check what the provider proposes to do when the original

contract expires or how would their contracts cater for future growth

or new requirements.

Question #4

What are the

provider’s

network

connectivity

options?

Choose a provider that owns and operates its network end-to-end to have full

visibility across the network. This provides greater control to improve network

performance and reduces potential downtime during an outage

Question #5

How does the

colocation

provider

ensure

security and

compliance?

It is critical to check if and how they provide proposes to cater for your bespoke

security requirements and check if the provider can assist with your

organisation’s audit and compliance requirements and what experience

they’ve had in this area.

Question #6

What ad-hoc

support

services are

available?

Your provider should at least provide 24x7 ad-hoc remote hands and feet

services, courier acceptance and storage, access to basic tools along with on-

site security, power and cooling, and facility management.

Ensure that the so-called remote hands service is actually provided by

skilled IT staff and not the security guards or electricians.

Question #7

What are the

historic power

and cooling

performance

of the data

centre?

Question #7

What are the

historic power

and cooling

performance

of the data

centre?

Power and cooling for your servers and networking equipment are mission-

critical components for a data centre. It is very important to keep in mind that it

is NOT the service credits that makes you money but is the uptime.

Read more about the answers on our recent blog post – Learn more