Data Center Services: The Importance of Onsite Support
Colocation providers can vary considerably in the types of onsite data center services they provide to their enterprise customers. Examples run the gamut, including switching out back-up tapes, rebooting servers, installing new hardware, swapping out hard drives, recovering servers and more.
Just as onsite data center services vary, so do the pricing arrangements. It’s up to each enterprise to work with its colocation provider to determine what onsite services will be provided free-of-charge and which will be fee-based. Regardless, onsite services are a must and every colocation customer must make sure their provider is available around the clock to support them.
The Value-Add of Onsite Data Center Services
No question onsite services provide real value by saving enterprises time and money. What better scenario than to have a support team at your disposal 24/7? Enterprise IT staff won’t have to make a trip to the colocation facility when there is an on-site requirement. When maintenance is required, it can be handled through the onsite data center services provided.
The goal with any IT operations is to minimize or eliminate downtime. The degree of availability is a measurement used to gauge the quality of colocation providers. Nobody wants to get up in the middle of the night to reboot a server. By using a colocation provider with onsite data center services, you can protect your company against major losses resulting from downtime.
Premium colocation providers understand what’s important to their customers and they develop business models to provide appropriate services. These data center operators have technical experts employed and onsite 24/7. They provide peace-of-mind to customers by helping with physical server and colocation requirements.
It’s true you can perform many tasks remotely. But what if you need to swap a hot swappable hard drive or recover a server? You simply can’t perform these operations remotely. Onsite services help setup, pre-configure, recover and maintain your servers.
Onsite data center services can also help with, receiving shipped equipment and installing equipment in cabinets. All services performed by your colocation provider will be done according to your instructions. The efficiencies gained in cost and time can’t be under-estimated.
Geographic Freedom
Another major benefit of using a colocation provider with onsite data center services is the freedom to collocate in a city other than your own. If you don’t have to visit the colocation facility to perform service, you can evaluate providers around the country.
You ship your equipment directly to a colocation facility. Then you have the onsite technical staff install and configure your equipment in your cabinet. All this is done without your staff having to be present. The best colocation providers will have technical support experts fully trained and certified to work on your equipment.
CyrusOne’s onsite data center services include a wide range of scheduled tasks, many of which are routine maintenance and performance-related work items conducted on behalf of enterprise clients. These onsite data center services include Communications (status), Hardware Support, Health Check, Installation (upgrade), Data Center Capacity Management, Removal, Replacement, Reporting and Tape Management. Some clients prefer to conduct maintenance and mechanical routines themselves, while others rely exclusively on CyrusOne professionals to conduct these tasks.
