Understanding the Importance of Safety From Fire or Disaster

No company wants to think about the dangers of a fire or other disaster hitting their business. A disaster of any kind can ruin a business’ profits for a long time, or even cause them to go out of business.  Because of the serious nature of such an event, businesses frequently turn to colocation to safeguard their IT infrastructure. Secondary colocation is the practice of establishing a parallel location which houses a copy of business data and/or office space at a site separate from the primary office. In the event of a disaster, the colocation center functions as the primary data source or office space.

The colocation centers in Dallas are a good option for companies wishing to invest in securing their future. The data center performs real-time data backup at all times. In the event that the company’s primary worksite goes down or is rendered unusable, worksite recovery is initiated at the data center and work continues as normal.

Dallas colocation facilities are particularly safe, because of the geographical area that is less prone to natural disasters.  The facilities there are purpose-built, with extreme measures taken during construction to ensure the stability of the colocation provider.

A good colocation center should have robust fire prevention and suppression systems.  Dallas colocation centers have the highest standards in fire prevention, detection and fire-fighting. Like all the other systems in a colocation center, the fire suppression system must be redundant and multi-pronged, to ensure availability and optimal performance at all times.

These features must be included in a robust fire suppression system:

·         A prevention system including redundant cooling systems to prevent overheating of machinery.

·         Fire detection systems including sensors and alarms.

·         Specialized fire suppression systems, like the FM200.  The system should use gas suppression, which stops fires without damaging server equipment.

There are many service providers in Dallas. To be sure that the appropriate colocation center is chosen, companies should compare their own disaster management requirements with the services and facilities provided by the Dallas colocation centers.

Dallas colocation centers provide the following features:

·         A redundant power supply and backup power sources.  Colocation centers get their power supply from the Texas Interconnect, which is an independent power grid.  This ensures that the power supply will not be interrupted, even if there is a disaster on the Western or Eastern grids. In addition, the colocation service providers utilize parallel power supply lines, UPS systems and generators.

·         Network connectivity with multiple neutral carriers, speed and bandwidth options.

·         Parallel cooling systems to maintain the correct temperature for optimal machine performance.

·         Security systems with multiple layers of security, gated access, barriers, gate passes and keys.

·         Quality support staff and technicians.

·         Worksite amenities including dedicated office space, work stations, computers, phone connections, internet access and conference rooms.

·         Close proximity to recreation centers, hotels, restaurants, and modes of transport.

·         Customizable and scalable layouts and options.

If a company identifies a Dallas colocation center which provides all of the features discussed here, they can rest assured that they have found a facility capable of offering them a comprehensive worksite recovery plan, protecting their assets and profits.