| To make the best decision on how to meet your | | | | advantage to that is there are dozens of companies |
| company's network infrastructure needs you must | | | | that have end points in that building so say you wanted |
| understand what is the difference between a data | | | | something from Georgia Tech's servers, just a couple |
| center and a collocation arrangement. What can each | | | | of hops in the colo facility and you are on the |
| do for you .... and what they can't. | | | | gatech.edu network and you never even touched the |
| In some respects they are all the same. Collocation | | | | public internet to get there. |
| simply means to co-locate your network equipment at | | | | But at the same time if you rent colo space from an |
| another location. CLEC's (FD, XO, Megapath) collocate | | | | ISP then you have the power and cooling advantages |
| equipment all the time in a CO or POP from the ILEC | | | | but you aren't plugged directly into their network. |
| (Bellsouth, Verizon, Quest). They are just collocating | | | | Instead what they did was sell you the T1 or DS3 or |
| different gear but the end result is the same. | | | | whatever and all you paid for was the port cost no |
| For that matter at one time MediaOne in Atlanta (long | | | | loop costs because there really wasn't any loop (at |
| before they were gobbled up by AT&T then | | | | least not in the sense of what is out on the poles). |
| Comcast) allowed anyone to collocate equipment at | | | | Also there is a difference in how each company sells |
| certain hub sites. I don't know the details of how, what, | | | | their space. Some places let you purchase rack space |
| where and why but I know it was done. Theoretically | | | | 1U at a time. Some lets you hosts tower based |
| the same could be done at Bellsouth or similar if you | | | | servers while some do not. Some force you to buy a |
| know the right person, or are willing to pay the right | | | | portion (or all) of a rack (say 1/4 or 1/2 of a rack) but it |
| amount, which may have been the case with | | | | will be dedicated to whatever you can stuff in there |
| MediaOne. | | | | and it will usually be locked. XO on the other hand only |
| For Data Center vs collo, they are mostly one and the | | | | sold cages. What you get is basically a small "room" |
| same. Let's put it this way, a collo facility is a data | | | | where you bring in your own racks and populate then |
| center but the reverse may or may not be true. The | | | | how ever you want. This is the best option usually for |
| only difference between the two would come in play | | | | those that have existing racks and infrastructure and |
| on the rules of the data center. Some data centers | | | | just want to have them in a data center. |
| (take NAC, the site where DSLR is hosted) may not | | | | Remember....collocation is not about staffing - it's about |
| allow equipment to be collocated (I don't know if they | | | | location of your equipment. Instead of running data |
| do or not, it's just an example) but they will let you buy | | | | circuits and enhanced power supplies to your location, |
| all the pre-existing dedicated servers you want and | | | | you'll put your servers in a data center where they |
| basically achieve the same thing. But assuming NAC | | | | have lots of high speed circuits and robust |
| does allow you to collo equipment does not mean they | | | | environmental controls, and big power backup |
| aren't a data center. | | | | generators. They do have staff at those data centers, |
| Basically a data center is any hardened (we hope) | | | | that sometimes will do things for you if contracted at |
| facility that houses various types of equipment for the | | | | extra cost. |
| purpose of allowing remote users access to it for any | | | | The other side of Collo is bandwidth. If say you were a |
| number of reasons or methods. A CO or POP could | | | | "bigger" company ..... the build out cost of running a DS3 |
| even be called data centers, in fact they are likely | | | | or more to your location might be cost prohibitive. This |
| much more hardened than a typical data center. But | | | | is more directly the point if you need peering |
| just like a CO or POP can serve specialized needs a | | | | redundancies. |
| collo can as well. Basically what I mean by that is that | | | | The biggest difference is if you "rent" bandwidth |
| a CO usually wouldn't host your server but will host | | | | instead of your own pipe. Most bill on the 95%. Its not |
| your DSLAM if you were a CLEC, a collo on the | | | | like an all you can eat DSL line or cable. You pay by |
| same token will host your server but may not have | | | | the MB .... plus the rack space you use and power. The |
| any pre-existing dedicated servers to sell you. | | | | plus side, the world could end but more than likely your |
| As for how you obtain the bandwidth you need ..... that | | | | servers will be fine. COLO's are built like Fort Knox. If |
| really depends on where you put your servers and | | | | the world ended however no one is going to care that |
| that also means you may or may not be billed on 95th | | | | your servers are up. |
| percentile as well. If you buy rack space from a carrier | | | | If you need assistance in finding a collocation solution .... |
| hotel such as 55/56 Marietta here in Atlanta you would | | | | or any bandwidth solution for your network |
| be on 95th percentile because you are being plugged | | | | infrastructure needs .... |
| into the network infrastructure of the building. The | | | | |