Collocation Back-up Sites

By Saleh Tousi

One of the biggest fears business owners have in regards to their internet data is what happens in the event of a disaster. An earthquake or a tornado could strike at any time without warning and there would be no way of recovering your data. Fortunately, data centers have thought of this and have many precautions in the event a disaster occurs.

There are three different types of back-up sites used by data centers and colocation facilities. They are: cold backup sites, warm backup sites and hot backup sites. Each backup site has its advantages and disadvantages.

Cold Backup Sites

These sites are simply space in a room that has similar configurations of the original site. Everything in this type of site needs to be delivered and reconfigured. The time involved in this can be tremendous and it could take days or weeks to get up and running again. However, this type of backup site is inexpensive and cost-effective for businesses on a tight budget.

Warm Backup Sites

This type of backup site is already stocked with hardware that closely resembles the hardware in the data center. Here, backups from a different location need to be delivered to the site before you get your service running again.

Hot Backup Sites

This type of site is pretty much exactly the same as the original site. All the systems are configured and it only requires bringing in the latest version of your backups. This type of site can be brought up and running within a matter of hours or minutes depending on how it's set up. However, due to the speed in which it can be back up and running, it's the most expensive option.

Having a good backup system is very important to business. Each business has unique needs and a unique budget. Whatever your needs are there is a backup option that will fit within your budget and provide the optimum level of backup for your business. Also, when you're looking for a colocation facility, talk with them about what backup options they have and how they can work for you.

For more information on colocation services, visit Vancouver Colocation, one of the leading colocation providers for small to medium sized businesses in Western Canada.