a very simplistic definition of cloud computing and what to look out
for when sourcing foe the services from Techrepublic
10 things to look for in a data center
January 31, 2011, 8:15 AM PST
Takeaway: Going
to
the cloud might make a lot of sense for your organization — but
only
if you choose a secure, reliable data center that can handle your
needs. Erik Eckel runs through 10 essential criteria for data
center
evaluation.
Everyone’s going to the
cloud. The cloud’s all the rage. Almost no IT discussion is
complete
without mentioning “the cloud.” But when it comes down to it, the
cloud
is nothing more than systems hosting information in a data center
somewhere “out there.”
Organizations have discovered the benefits of offloading
infrastructure
development, automatic failover engineering, and multiple
coordinated
power feeds, not to mention backups, OS maintenance, and physical
security, to third-party data centers. That’s why “going to the
cloud”
ultimately makes sense.
Unfortunately, not every data center is ready for prime time. Some
have
sprung up as part of a cloud-based land grab. Review these 10
factors
to ensure that your organization’s data center is up to the task.
Note: This article is also available as a PDF download.
1: Data capacity
Data centers are typically engineered to support mind-boggling data
transmission capacities. Some feature multiple OCx and SONET
connections that can manage Amazon.com-like Web site demands. Other
less sophisticated entities might try getting by using redundant
T-3s.
Don’t find out the hard way that your data center provider failed to
adequately forecast capacity and can’t quickly scale.
2: Redundant power
Many data centers have online electrical backups. UPSes, in other
words. If your organization maintains business-critical systems that
simply can’t go down, be sure that the data center has a second
electrical backbone connection. Only N+1 power grid connectivity, to
a
secondary electrical source, can help protect against catastrophe.
3: Backup Internet
Just as any quality data center will maintain redundant power
sources,
so too must it maintain secondary and tertiary Internet
connectivity.
Buried cables get cut. Overhead cables fall when trucks strike
poles.
Vendors experience network-wide outages. Only by making sure that
multiple tier-1 Internet provider circuits feed a facility via fully
meshed backbones can IT managers rest assured they’ve done what they
can to eliminate potential downtime.
4: Automatic hardware failover
Redundant power, Internet, and even heating and cooling systems are
great, but if they’re not configured as hot online spares, downtime
can
still occur. It’s critical that data centers employ redundant online
switches, routers, UPSes, and HVAC equipment that automatically fail
over when trouble arises.
5: Access control
The importance of physical security can’t be understated. Commerce
could be significantly affected if just one unstable individual were
able to drive a large vehicle into a busy and sensitive data center.
That’s why it’s important that a data center’s physical perimeter be
properly protected. In addition to physical access controls (keys,
scanner cards, biometric devices, etc.), care must be taken to
ensure
that, should someone gain access to a data center, individually
leased
sections remain secure (thanks to additional physical access
controls,
locks, cages, rooms, etc.).
6: 24×7x365 support
Data centers must be staffed and monitored by properly trained
technicians and engineers at all times. It’s an unfortunate
byproduct
of today’s pressurized business environment but a fact nevertheless.
Systems can’t fail. Constant monitoring and maintenance is a must.
Certainly, many data centers will run leaner shifts during off
hours,
but telephone support and onsite assistance must be always
available.
Further, data center services must include customer reporting tools
that assist clients in understanding a center’s network status.
7: Independent power
Data centers must have redundant electrical grid connections. That’s
a
given. And facilities must also maintain their own independent power
supply. Most turn to onsite diesel generators, which need to be
periodically tested to ensure that they can fulfill a data center’s
electrical requirements in case of a natural disaster or episode
that
disrupts the site’s other electrical sources.
8: In-house break/fix service
One of the benefits of delegating services to the cloud is
eliminating
the need to maintain physical and virtualized servers. OS
maintenance,
security patching, and hardware support all become the
responsibility
of the data center. Even if an organization chooses to co-locate its
own servers within a data center, the data center should provide
in-house staff capable of maintaining software and responding to
hardware crises.
9: Written SLAs
Any data center contract should come complete with a specifically
worded service level agreement (SLA). The SLA should guarantee
specific
uptime, service response, bandwidth, and physical access
protections,
among other elements. Ensure, too, that the SLA or terms of service
state what happens if a data center fails to provide uptime as
stated,
maintenance or service as scheduled, or crisis response within
stated
timeframes.
10: Financial stability
All the promises in the world, and even an incredibly compelling
price,
mean nothing if the data center fails. Before moving large amounts
of
data and equipment into a facility, do some homework on the company
that owns the site. Confirm that it’s free and clear of lawsuits,
has
adequate operating capital, and isn’t
in financial straits. The last thing you want to do is have to
repeat
the process because a center fails financially or must cut costs
(and
subsequently service and capacity) to stay afloat.
On 1/13/2011 1:03 PM, dennis munyotu wrote:
May somebody please explain for me about cloud
computing in a brief andclear way??? thanx
_______________________________________________
Skunkworks mailing list
Skunkworks@lists.my.co.ke
http://lists.my.co.ke/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/skunkworks
------------
Skunkworks Rules
http://my.co.ke/phpbb/viewtopic.php?f=24&t=94
------------
Other services @ http://my.co.ke