Colocation is basically a service supplied by a data center company to IT companies to locate their network, server and storage systems inside the facilities of the data center company. This service usually includes interconnectivity to a variety of telecommunications and other service providers.
With todays busy internet traffic, online businesses are looking at ways to cut down costs, which is mostly consumed by bandwidth expenses.
Large businesses have the money and the space to build and expand their own data centers and hire more staff. Small to medium-sized businesses (SMBs) generally choose to place their IT infrastructure in another companys facility.
The following are the major components needed to make your companys forage into cyber business a success.
Operating systems (OS)
There are several network operating systems to choose from. However, the two most popular ones are Linux and Windows NT.
Linux is a practical option well suited to the demanding network setting. It might be more complex than the others, but it is more secure and efficient. Less susceptible to malware infection, Linux runs on almost any type of hardware.
It might not be as comprehensive as the others, but experienced IT administrators liked its superior functionality. Linux systems permit access to its kernel source code.
Windows NT is popular and brings with it the familiar Windows interface to the network server environment. It is easy to use and allows its simple point-and-click method in server operations.
It is also a perfect environment for 3rd party software with database access to systems like MS Access, DB2, Oracle and MSSQL.
Hardware
For colocation hosting, the hardware to be used is as important as the operating system. The most widely-used platforms now are Cobalt, Intel, and Sun.
Cobalt is perfect for managing multiple sites and is popular in the field of server hardware. Sun is not far behind in reputation regarding fast and efficient hardware. This is also true for Intel which is typically more affordable for average administrators.
Network card / hardware / memory
Because NIC (network interface card) is what enables an internet connection, be sure to avoid cheap products sporting unknown brands. You will reap long-term savings by investing reliable NIC that can support your network activities in the long haul.
Different servers need different memory and hard drive speed. Choose reliable, top-of-the-line hardware (or those approximating its standards) that your company can afford.
This is to preclude frequent changeover since newer, faster models are always on the horizon. Of course, the more memory you can buy, the more web pages you can store. The faster is your hard drive, the faster your server can access data.
These are some of the major components needed in setting up your IT business by way of colocation.
Colocation wave of the future
As a business setup, colocation is now favored by most of todays companies and organizations for its security, reliability and redundancy all for a minimum cost and complexity.
Also, with colocation, there are reduced traffic back-haul costs and your company enjoys the benefits of freed-up internal networks for other uses. Moreover, there is greater bandwidth capacity and considerable improvement in access speeds to websites if network traffic is outsourced to a colocation service.