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Resources
and providers:
A colocation centre ("colo") or carrier
hotel is a type of data center where multiple telecommunications
network or service providers, such as telcos or internet service
providers, site their connections to one another's networks
(points of presence). Most peering points are sited in colocation
centers.
These sites are often used for web hosting. Most colocation
centres have high levels of physical security and multiple
redundant power and air-conditioning systems. A typical Colocation
centre setup would consist of the following hardware and services:
Building:
* Usually build near a GlassFibre ring.
* Guarded 24/7 and secured with closed circuit cameras.
* "Clean" rooms to ensure optimal running conditions
for computer and network hardware.
Power:
* Connected to two or more different power stations/grids.
* Inline power backup using a system of UPS batteries.
* Possibility to connect two different grids of power distribution
to one server.
* Most also have Backup Diesel generators standby to support
power delivery.
Connections:
* Because of the high concentration of servers inside a colocation
centre most carriers will be interested in bringing direct
connections to such buildings.
* In most cases there will be a larger Internet-Exchange hosted
inside a colocation centre, on which customers can connect
for peering.Most colocation centres offer different types
of services to customers ranging from dedicated suites/rooms
or cages to smaller racks or partial racks. Some colocation
centres also offer some degree of SLA's to support a wide
range of computer and network related services, for example
server reboots, hardware replacements, software updates etc.
There are a few key differences between a dedicated server
and colocation servers. Dedicated servers tend to be owned
and rented out, while a colocation server is one that you
own.
A data center is a facility used for housing a large amount
of electronic equipment, typically computers and communications
equipment. As the name implies, a data center is usually maintained
by an organization for the purpose of handling the data necessary
for its operations. A bank for example may have a colocated
data center, where all its customers' account information
is maintained and transactions involving this data are carried
out. Practically every company mid-sized cetner and upwards
has some kind of data center, and large companies often have
dozens of data centers.
As data is a crucial aspect of most organizational operations,
organizations tend to be very protective of their data. A
data center must therefore keep high standards for assuring
the integrity and functionality of its colocated hosted computer
cener environment. This is depicted in its physical and logical
layout.
Prior to and during the dot com crash, thousands of square
feet of general-purpose data centers were built in the hope
of filling them with servers for web hosting and application
service providers. This demand went largely unrealised.
A colocation centre is a type of data center.
This article is licensed under the GNU
Free Documentation License . It uses material from the
Wikipedia article " Colocation
Center and Data
Center " .
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