Data Centers and Internet Hosting Services

Data centers usually provide physical facilities, installation and maintenance, environment management equipment (electrical/mechanical/temperature), power management, generators, uninterrupted power supply (UPS), electrical supply, fiber access, security, network services, monitoring, and management. The main factors that affect the enterprise in its decision to use outsourced data centers as part of its remote access plans are the following:

• National presence of the provider with multiple data center facilities

• Solid management structure and practices

• Extensive network management and support expertise

• Financial stability and experience in supporting businesses of all sizes while demonstrating fiscal competence

• Absolute commitment to quality and customer satisfaction

The benefits to the enterprise for this type of solution include the following:

• Improved response with real-time, load balancing Tools dynamically balance the load between the Internet centers and the servers within those centers. Even when a user is in the middle of a session, this technology automatically routes a request to another server when a server experiences either planned or unplanned downtime. The result is improved response and enhanced performance.

• True site mirroring for enhanced reliability and performance For customers desiring geographic redundancy, multiple servers are geographically distributed across server sites. This redundancy translates into a highly reliable, fault tolerant environment that ensures that visitors to the web site experience no disruptions during their session.

• Robust web interface Each customer is provided secure, encrypted, access to the control center through the public Internet or through a provider-based VPN IP network.

• Complete flexibility for unique solutions Customers can run and manage their own applications on a provider's managed hardware. The private application segment also allows customers to connect to their premises for interoperability with legacy systems.

• Database support Additional services for database support is available for varied database management systems.

Unlike legacy LEC/IXC solutions (see Figure 3-4), the main difference of the data center is the existence of an Internet (POP), which is equipped with highly sophisticated hardware. Sprint, for example, offers the following hosting packages for potential customers: enterprise hosting, standard commerce hosting, enterprise commerce hosting, and custom hosting. One possible solution for custom hosting is when Company Y requests hosting services from Sprint (see Figure 3-6).

Figure 3-6. The Web-Hosting Architecture for a Company Y Requesting Service from the Data Center of Sprint in Two Different Geographical Locations

Figure 3-6 shows the extensive use of Cisco equipment, including Gigabit Switch Routers (GSRs) and Cisco 6509s, Content Engines, and Cisco fiber- optic switches in the data center and customer environment. Beyond data-center equipment, the outsourcing company has the freedom to deploy and install any other equipment necessary for its normal operations. The parts of the data center not shown in this figure include private branch exchanges (PBXs), and highly sophisticated UPSs.

Part of every enterprise agreement is the network services agreement and service-level agreement (SLA). In the case of Sprint, they are as follows :

• Direct connections to Sprint's OC-48 Internet backbone with a range of LAN and WAN connectivity options Sprint is also deploying dense wavelength division multiplexing (DWDM) equipment that provides Sprint with virtual fiber by splitting light waves into separate, distinct channels. Sprint deployed 40-channel DWDM equipment that is scalable to 96 channels or 240 Gbps. In 2001, Sprint began deployment of 80-channel DWDM systems with each channel capable of supporting an OC-48 or OC-192 signal.

• Industry leading SLA guarantees A quote from one of the Sprint SLAs is as follows:

  Leading service level agreementsWith geographically redundant web servers, you're guaranteed 100% web site availability. Sites without geographic redundancy are guaranteed to be available 99.5% of the time. This guarantee applies to Sprint-provided and managed hardware and software. Sprint will credit up to 50% of the monthly recurring charge should the site become unavailable.

(Taken from www.sprintesolutions.com/solutions/infrastructure/managed_hosting/about.html#Leading.)

Because Company Y is using an outsourced data center model, some caveats must be addressed in the early design stage. The considerations include concerns about commitment of the other party and the level of control. Company Y depends on the outsourcer to obtain, integrate, and support the technology from their premises; to link with the company's operations; and to recruit, train and supervise staff in their support centers. Also, it must consider the management of its most precious asset, its customer data, to an outside firm.