| By :
Dirik Hameed
Providers of co-location hosting services take a number of measures to make sure that customers' data remains safe. These range from physically securing the premises, to having redundant systems. Such systems have protection mechanisms for maintaining high levels of data access. They also make sure that the power supplied to the systems is always available and does not fail. One of the most basic steps for securing a colo datacentre is to lock it up and only allow people who have permission to get in. This way, those who do not have a reason to be there stay out. Using various access control technologies, the identity of all those requiring access can be determined. This is attained by using pass codes or security badges to identify people. Closed circuit television cameras are also great for visual verification. Motion detectors are also employed to detect unauthorized entry. Since servers are set up in steel cages, the cages are also locked up with padlocks so that only the person with the keys can access them. Customers who visit the premises for server administration purposes are escorted into the information center. This ensures that they only access servers that belong to them and not any other. Customers require constant access to their information which the hosting provider keeps for them. Redundant systems are set up to ensure that multiple routes are available for communication. When one communication system goes down, another one picks up the job keeping everyone connected. The power supply system is also protected from failure by installing different supply systems. Some providers keep diesel powered generators to provide power when the main supply is not available. In addition, a battery bank is installed to avoid loss of service when a switch over is being performed. This is necessary since the generator does not start up immediately after a power failure. For the few seconds it takes to start, power is supplied by the batteries. Most equipment that consume power produce a certain amount of heat. Air conditioning systems are employed to maintain the correct temperature and humidity. If the air conditioning system were to fail, the equipment would most likely fail due to the unregulated heat. Many air conditioning systems are installed to cover for unexpected failures that may interrupt service provision. To protect the equipment even further, a fire detection system is installed. A fire can wipe out sensitive information and expensive hardware. Different sensors are used to detect any occurrence of fires. When a suppression mechanism is installed, the fire can be put off automatically. The most suitable suppression system in this case does not use water to avoid damaging the equipment. Proper equipment handling is necessary to ensure the integrity of information stored therein. Colocation hosting reduces the administrative overhead for the customer by transferring security responsibilities to the service providers. They get to decide how best to secure the information from access by unauthorized personnel.
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