CWCS Colocation Hosting Services
CWCS can provide comprehensive colocation hosting services with solutions for every business need and budget. We pride ourselves on offering exceptional quality of service, combined with a range of plans and prices so that you are sure to find the ideal colocation service to suit you.
Bear all these things in mind, and it should be easy to make colocation work for you in partnership with CWCS colocation hosting.
About Colocation
Let's start by clearly defining colocation. In general terms, colocation means moving or placing things together. On the Internet, though. colocation refers to the provision of space for the customer's telecommunications equipment on the service provider's premises. For example, a web site owner could place their site's own computer servers on the premises of the Internet Service Provider (ISP), i.e the organisation which provides colocation hosting services.
So, who exactly is most likely to benefit from colocation hosting? Customers who have full control over all aspects of their website and the way it operates are best suited for dedicated hosting. Unlike colocation, this environment provides an exclusive server or servers devoted solely to your web site. You do not share a server with other customers, as with shared hosting. Those who want to supply the hardware, or want the ability at any time to remove their server, or move it to another location are suited for internal rather than colocation hosting. (This means they host the websites themselves and pay for the internet connectivity and networking needs.) Those customers who meet the above requirements, but aren't able to host their website themselves are most likely to benefit from colocation hosting.
When you are working in a colocation environment, the server actually belongs to the customer. Normally, this means a server will be completely configured and loaded with information, before it is delivered to the colocation provider. Having said that, some organisations who provide colocation services offer programs through which you can buy a server, or even arrange to have one tailor-made through them.
If you are wondering whether whoever is offering your colocation hosting will make sure your machine stays online, the answer is that it depends on the individual provider. Colocation service providers typically offer server monitoring contracts, which means whoever is providing the colocation service takes on responsibility for watching your system and making sure that it is running properly. On the other hand, if you have a custom written application on your server, and it is causing problems with the operation of your server, it will be your responsibility to fix it under the terms of the colocation hosting arrangement.
Then there is the thorny issue of something going wrong with the server hardware. Whose duty is it to fix it? That again depends on the colocation hosting agreement you have with your provider. Most companies who provide a colocation service offer hardware support contracts, and this means they are then responsible for keeping your machines operating mechanically.
But if you supply your own computer, and would like to have spare parts on site, you will typically need to purchase the parts in advance and supply them to your colocation provider. For a computer purchased through the provider, they will normally have spare parts on hand, and/or a relationship with the hardware provider that supplied the hardware. Even though whoever is supplying your colocation hosting fixes your machines, you will still be responsible for the cost of the associated parts. However, even if your colocation deal doesn't include a hardware agreement, then you can still either pay them to diagnose and repair the problem, or send your own technician to their colocation hosting facilities for the same purpose.
You may also be wondering whether there is a limit to the size of your server under most colocation hosting arrangements. The answer is that there are limitations and pricing differences for the colocation costs in relation to the size of your server(s). For example, rack mount servers come in several sizes depending on the manufacturer and the hardware contained within.
Think about what server you want to use for your colocation. You may have heard of 1U and 2U servers. This number represents the actual size of a rack mount server in 'rack units'. 1U is the standard size of a rack mount server. A 2U server takes as much space as two 1U servers. You can also choose from half rack, full rack or single server colocation. Server racks have a finite amount of space available, normally measured using 'rack unit' dimensions.
A 1U server is half the size of a 2U server; so it will take up less space in a rack, leaving room for more servers. As such, 1U servers are generally a less expensive form of colocation than 2U servers. Mid tower and full tower cases have similar limitations. Some providers of colocation hosting will only have facilities for rack mount servers, while others provide areas for tower boxes as well.
(Remember, using a rack mount server, professional video, audio, and computer equipment can be mounted in standardized 19" rack, and rack dimensions are often given in "rack units.)
Choosing a Colocation Hosting provider
Selecting a colocation provider can seem rather a complicated business. When selecting which organisation you would like to provide your colocation hosting service, there are several key areas that you will need to take into consideration before you make your choice.
For example, look at bandwidth the amount of information which can be carried in a given time (usually a second) over a wired or wireless communications link. Ask your colocation host about the tiers of bandwidth available, and what it would cost if you go over your monthly limit.
Before embarking on a programme of colocation, also ask what the price differences are, based on the size of server you want to place at the provider. There are several types and sizes available for colocation hosting deals, and most colocation companies charge differently accordingly.
You should also find out whether the colocation hosting provider offer hardware support contracts. If it does, how quickly is the turn around for a hardware repair, and are parts available or do they need to be shipped? If the colocation hosting company does not offer such contracts, or you don't want to use them, what methods are available to repair a down server? Do they offer services to diagnose and repair issues for a fee, or give a technician of your choice access to the servers?
Ask your colocation host about the size of their connection to the Internet. And it's also worth asking how many connections they have, in case there is a failure on one of them.
You will want to know about the kind of uptime your colocation hosting provider can guarantee for your Internet presence. In case you didn't know, uptime describes the time when a computer is operational, while downtime describes the opposite. Uptime is sometimes measured as a percentile. For example, one goal for uptime is called five 9s - meaning a computer which is operational 99.999 percent of the time.
In terms of server monitoring, ask whoever is laying on your colocation hosting whether they offer server monitoring services, keeping your system is running and operational at all times.
Under your colocation hosting deal, how many IP Addresses will the provider allocate to your servers, and how much will it cost to obtain more, when they are needed? In the most widely installed level of the Internet Protocol (IP) today, an IP address means a 32-bit number that identifies each sender or receiver of information that is sent in packets across the Internet.
Finally, give some thought to the levels of data backup included, if any. Ask the company providing your colocation hosting what extra levels of data backup are available, how regularly, how much these cost.
Colocation
