subject: The Case For Using A Colocation Service For Your Server [print this page] Colocation refers to storing your dedicated server in a rack along with other servers, all of whom share a bandwidth allowance. You simply take your server to a colocation facility where it is installed into the rack and then the facility provides the bandwidth, IP address and power to it. You can access and use the server from your office just as you would with regular web hosting, but in this case you own the server hardware. This is a benefit in itself, but there are many other advantages to using a co location service which are described below.
Firstly, the fact that you own the server hardware yourself in colocation is great because it means that you can upgrade it any time. If you feel that your machinery, and hence your website, is running slowly or needs more memory you can simply purchase and install an upgrade, something that is not possible when hosting your website on another server. In the case of web hosting, you may still be able to upgrade but will usually be charged an extra monthly rental fee for this extra memory, which will work out more expensive overall than buying new hardware yourself.
As well as the hardware, you also own all of the software on your server. In web hosting one server is generally shared between multiple users and the software owned by the web hosting company, which increases your reliance on the web host. As a colocation user with your own server you have full control over which software you would like to install on your server and when.
Arguably the biggest advantage of using a colocation service is the saving that you make on bandwidth. For the same price that you would pay for a relatively slow, basic DSL line, you can place your server in a colocation facility providing much higher bandwidth speed. You may even find that you pay less for this service than you would for your own line. With regular web hosting you will usually also have to pay a fee for going over your bandwidth limit and this can be very costly, so colocation is definitely the best choice in terms of a cost effective bandwidth allowance.
Also very importantly, a colocation service is home to the servers of many different companies and if there was a power outage, they would have a lot of very unhappy customers. A co location facility will therefore go to great lengths to ensure that they have backup power generators or another power source in case the regular one fails. If you host your website from your office and do not have a backup power source, a power outage will mean that your website goes down which could be very costly in terms of potential customers that you will miss out on.
In addition to protection again power shortages, a colocation service will also have enhanced security measures in place to protect again fire damage, flood damage and theft for example. Colocation is the best choice for peace of mind when it comes to knowing that your web server is safe and secure at all times, no matter what happens in your office.
The majority of colocation services will also offer technical maintenance, either included in the cost of storage or billed separately. If you do not have a particularly great knowledge of IT yourself and do not want to go to the expense of employing staff who do, then this can be a great, cost effective solution to ensure that in case of technical problems you always have assistance readily available. Many colocation facilities will at least include some basic but helpful services in their prices, for example a full system reboot or a KVMoIP session per month if needed.
These are just some of the many benefits of colocation, or colo as it is called for short. If you do a little online research you will find that there are multiple other advantages and very few, if any, disadvantages to using a co location service to safeguard and store your web server. It is one of the best possible options to reduce risk and increase peace of mind when it comes to ensuring that your website is fully functional and up to speed at all times.
