As events like Hurricane Sandy demonstrate with catastrophic clarity, nothing is certain. In our increasingly digital and cloud-based world, that uncertainty is significant financial and professional liability, particularly in industries where information is king and time-sensitive operational realities are an unavoidable part of doing business.

The law firm of Barrett Daffin Frappier Turner & Engel, LLP (BDFTE) and default processing support specialist NDeX understand that the mortgage default servicing industry is especially vulnerable to these issues, and that natural and man-made disasters will always be a worst-case scenario reality. Together with a heightened regulatory environment, these issues will continue to become increasingly prominent features on the professional landscape in the years ahead. As a result, it is clearer than ever before that advanced business continuity and disaster recovery (BC/DR) capabilities are not just a priority—they are a necessity.

With that in mind, NDeX and BDFTE are controlling their own destiny, proactively ensuring that they and their professional partners will never be in a similar situation. The two firms have collaborated to create an extraordinary next-generation data center in Carrollton, Texas that combines cutting-edge technical sophistication with custom-designed procedural power and operational flexibility to provide the best BC/DR protection in the industry. It is a remarkable facility in more ways than one.

A model facilityAware that the repercussions of a sustained interruption in service or a breach in security could be financially and professionally ruinous, NDeX and BDFTE have long made the design and implementation of an effective and comprehensive disaster preparedness and business continuity plan a top priority. But in the event of a natural disaster or other emergency circumstance, even the best plan will fail without the cutting-edge technical architecture, innovative and impenetrable security apparatus, and comprehensive logistical support of a world-class data center. The Carrollton data center provides those resources, designed to preserve and protect vital information and maintain business continuity and operational integrity in the face of even the most disruptive disaster.

From its strategically selected location (at a site that is geographically favorable, geologically stable, and experiences a statistically low incidence of natural disasters) to its eye-popping technical features (such as next-generation secure telecommunications network and fire suppression systems), every aspect of the Carrollton data center is designed to provide maximum security and operational uptime.

The facility’s cloud services, redundancies, replication of data and backup capabilities are second to none. Tier 1 applications are backed up to the center within minutes, making it possible to have virtually seamless and nearly real-time backup at all times. While some firms aspire to achieve Recovery Point

Objectives (RPOs) within hours, Carrollton is capable of doing it within minutes. The Carrollton data center has N+1 redundancy, ensuring that the failure of any one cooling component cannot compromise the integrity of cooling systems. AB power configuration (providing two discrete power sources into each piece of equipment) enables equipment to remain up and running if one power supply goes down. The facility is backed up by a separate 125 kVA uninterruptible power supply (UPS) units that eliminate issues related to brownouts and power spikes, maintain operation until generators can be deployed in the event of a service interruption, and optimize the power threshold for data center equipment. Additionally, the facility is located at an intersection between two different sections of the regional power grid, making it possible to efficiently route power through a different substation at

A Vault in the CloudNDeX and BDFTE create an extraordinary data center that incorporates next-generation BC/DR protections

Data Centers

another power facility in an emergency. Secure and encrypted telecommunications flow into and out of the facility via multiple portals, and through diversified Carrier Offices (COs). If one goes down, information can be immediately rerouted through another line.

From a security standpoint, Carrollton’s capabilities are impressive: 21 security cameras (with full pan/tilt/zoom capabilities) monitor the perimeter of the complex, as well as each individual aisle of the data center, and the electrical room. The cameras facilitate audible communication to various parts of the facility, making rapid communication possible in the event of an emergency. They also record on motion, storing up to six months of recording data at a time (well beyond the standard 90-day industry requirement) and maintaining even longer-term retention of specific recorded incidents. Sophisticated software monitors virtually every aspect of the facility, tracking a range of equipment and functionality that includes the computer room filters and cooling systems, the generators, all electrical gear, and even the temperature in every individual server cabinet. The data center and electrical room are equipped with a next-generation gas fire suppression system that mitigates a critical component in the combustion cycle and snuffs out potential flare ups nearly instantaneously. Finally, two-factor authentication—a security badge and a personal identification number (PIN)—is required for access to sensitive areas, and administrators receive real-time text message alerts every time an individual badge enters into the facility or into the data center.

Real-world protectionFor the firms’ clients and professional partners, that high level of sophistication, protection and utility translates to the best real-world security in the industry. Not a checklist or a by-the-numbers effort, but a bold commitment to functional and verifiable security that represents a dynamic combination of technology and safety features. The Carrollton data center is not just state-of-the-art, it is state-of-the-industry: designed specifically with the unavoidable deadlines, intense financial pressures and complex logistical challenges of the mortgage default servicing industry in mind. In stark

contrast with outside BC/DR providers, Carrollton has been thoughtfully designed by firms that operate in the mortgage processing and mortgage default servicing space every day, and features facilities and services that were designed with our partners and clients top-of-mind.

The assurance that comes with ironclad protection from natural disasters and service interruptions also extends to compliance: the Carrollton data center provides a level of verifiable and demonstrable security that not only far exceeds the standard regulatory mandates of the industry, but also satisfies the internal business continuity and security standards of even the most demanding and security conscious firms. The best electrical, systems and security specialists worked alongside BC/DR experts to ensure that security and performance at Carrollton would serve as a model for the industry. Just as critical, however, is the fact that those facilities and resources were designed with an eye to the realities of compliance and the costs and repercussions of a failure. Where some data centers end with a compliance checklist, NDeX and BDFTE use them as a jumping off point.

An eye to the futureBusiness interruption can impact a firm’s bottom line, reduce functionality, sacrifice credibility and, in the worst-case scenario, compromise the very viability of the operation. Statistics compiled by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the United

States Small Business Administration (SBA) indicate that the vast majority of businesses impacted by a natural disaster either go out of business immediately, or fail within a year or two after the incident.

But while the (potentially devastating) costs of a security breach or natural disaster are relatively well understood, the true operational benefits of guaranteed security and verifiable business continuity are still just beginning to be appreciated. In some respects, the events of recent years and the subsequent regulatory pressures have created a set of circumstances where mortgage default servicing is ahead of the curve when it comes to appreciating the importance of high quality BC/DR. Today—and for decades to come—secure and sophisticated data center resources will be the beating heart of the industry, occupying a uniquely important position on the professional landscape. For many regulators, servicers and vendors, facilities like NDeX and BDFTE’s Carrollton data center are the future. In Carrollton, Texas, however, it appears that the future has already arrived.