There are several items that you need to think about when deciding on a colocation facility, so we've put together a short list of the questions you'll want to ask your prospective colocation providers.
Network Configuration
Does the provider have multiple feeds to BGP to their routing equipment? Do they have multiple routers in a mesh configuration? Do they offer a 100% uptime SLA? N+1 redundancy is a must.
N+1 dictates that multiple components (the network) must have one independent backup component to ensure that your equipment will stay online in the event of a failure.
Redundant Power Feeds
Does your provider have multiple feeds to their equipment. Do they have multiple providers to BGP to? Do they have multiple routers in a mesh configuration? N+1 redundancy is a must.
Datacenter Power
Efficient Cooling
Liebert HVAC systems should be plentiful in the facility. N+1 applies here as well.
Datacenter Security
Does the facility have CATV? Guards? Biometrics? A Man Trap? If none of these are available, find another facility.
Biometric Security
Access to the Facility
24×7 access to the facility is ideal. In the event that a segment of your network suffers a hardware failure, you'll want immediate access to the datacenter.
IP Availability
If you require a significant amount of IPs (a /24 for example (256 IPs)) expect to pay .25-$1.00 per IP address. Anything from a /28 (16 IPs) and up should be included free of charge.
Comfort Level
We can give all the advice in the world, but in the end, you have to be comfortable with your choice. It's like buying a car or a house...you'll have this colocation space for a while. Take your time and choose wisely.
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