You need more space for your servers and equipment, and a colocation data center is exactly what you want. The perfect center for your business depends on your unique needs and objectives, but if you are choosing a data center in Seattle, there are special considerations to keep in mind. As you search for the perfect data center, here are several key traits to be on the look out for:
1. Power lines protected from squirrels
Squirrels can chew on overhead power lines anywhere, but in Seattle and its suburbs like Edmunds and surrounding areas like Bellevue, there seems to be an abundance of these fluffy tailed creatures. When squirrels attack power lines, they usually die, but they also cut off power to thousands of businesses or residences around them.
Keep this in mind as you look for the perfectly positioned Seattle data center. A power outage at the data center can bring down your website and hurt your business. To ensure the data center always has power, look for a center that has backup generators.
Ideally, the data center will never have to use its generators, and to increase the chances that it doesn't, look for a center served by underground rather than overhead powerlines. If overhead power lines do lead to the center, see if the power company has built any squirrel deterrents around the lines.
2. Earthquake proof building standards
Seismic activity in and around Seattle is relatively high compared to many areas of the country, and you also need to keep that in mind as you look for the perfect location. Even a small seismic shift can affect the equipment in a colocation data center.
Look at seismic activity maps to assess if the potential location you are considering is safe. If you are worried about seismic activity, talk with the center manager or operator about the building's structure as well as the facility's plan for post-earthquake disaster mitigation.
3. Well sealed structures away from flooding areas
Contrary to popular stereotypes, Seattle is not as rainy as you may think. In fact, it ranks 44th of major cities in terms of average rainfall, and it is one of the least rainy places on the northwest coast. However, it gains this reputation because it is constantly drizzling, and you need to plan around the drizzling wetness.
To this end, you need a colocation center that is appropriately sealed and waterproof. In addition to that, as Seattle is right on the coast and has several rivers, you also need to look for a colocation center that has flood resistance or flood mitigation plans in place.
4. Easily accessible location
Seattle consists of nearly 6,000 square miles of land. Because of that, your office could be miles away from your colocation center. Before choosing a center that is hard to reach due to its location, consider how often you want or need to reach the colocation center.
If your internal IT team is the one handling trips to the colocation center, you want a facility that is relatively close to you and serviced by easily accessible roads. You don't want a remote center at the end of a road that is likely to wash out every time there is a flood.
On the other hand, if you are going to subcontract colocation center employees to manage any of your server or data, you don't necessarily be worried about the proximity of the place to your office. Instead, you just need to be assured about how often the support staff is on site or about how easy it is for them to reach the facility.
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11 March 2015
Working from home has opened many doors for me and forced me to learn new things that I previously had no interest in before. Over the ten years that I have been working from home, I have learned a whole lot about internet service providers. I learned what to look for in a good provider, how to maximize the speed of the service that I receive and how to get the best possible price for the service I need to do my job. My site is loaded with tips and advice to help other people get the most from their internet service provider.