The trend in the IT industry is such that cloud hosting is becoming popular and is gaining acceptance in business circles. Cloud hosting refers to the setting up and operation of websites and web applications on multiple virtual servers in a data centre. Colocation is an option because of that cloud hosting providers will require a data centre and collocation can be an option. Therefore, in this article we shall look at the procedure of installing a colocation environment for cloud hosting.
Cloud hosting arrangement needs a larger bandwidth than the normal hosting because of the way it is. Hence, a collocation environment that is being prepared for cloud hosting should have very high internet connectivity. This is necessitated by the constant traffic on the cloud host as well as the prospects of scalability which is not limited to any user and may be requested by several users at a go. The cloud host therefore should be operated in a co-location environment that has multiple internet connectivity.
Similar to all other data centres, a colocation environment for cloud hosting is supposed to have sufficient security. The security here should cover both physical access to the data centre as well as online security software. Colocation centers come across severe safety risks like sabotage by competition, data theft and terrorist attacks. To make sure there is security, physical barriers like fences and access barriers requiring codes, biometrics and keys should be set up. Putting up measures to take care of problems caused by natural forces like floods and fires should also considered.
Another important consideration for a colocation centre used by cloud hosts is power. Power should be there all the time, because a cloud host can never be off- line. To make sure there is nothing to worry about when there is power failure you should have backups for your power source. Remember power failures can be result from numerous causes such as storms but business has to continue. The power should also be regulated to deal with fluctuations so consider installing good voltage regulators.
The other thing is that you need to employ and maintain high standard and trained technicians for your collocation facility. There should be technicians all the time on the site depending on the kind of service agreed upon in the colocation hosting arrangement. Putting in mind that there are servers to maintain and update, these technicians will offer assistance for your cloud hosting. Even if you have superior servers, excellent bandwidth and reliable power and have poor human resources, you will fail.
Finally you need to select a suitable business location. Colocation is quite sensitive in terms of location since the clients you offer your services to will need physical access to the data centre. Physical access is required since your clients are responsible for hardware maintenance and upgrades. According to who your target customers are, your colocation data centre should be well placed. To sum it up make sure you have a secure and easily accessible place for your data centre that customers will be comfortable to go to with quality equipment.