Providing a State-of-the-Art, Secure Hosting Environment
All AIS Network data centers are designed to provide our clients with an attractive alternative to creating, deploying and staffing their own data center.
Our facilities deliver a secure hosting environment with consistent environmental support, including built-in redundancy for failover protection during common and extreme conditions.
Full Redundancy
Available on all infrastructure and network backbone support systems:
- N+1 design-Uninterruptible Power Supplies (UPS) ensure “always on” power
- Standby generator power in the event of a commercial power failure
- Redundant power supplies and dual management cards in each switch
- Redundant cooling systems
- Redundant security systems
- Nine-way redundant direct connections to the Internet backbone
- Redundant Cisco routers
- Redundant Ethernet switches
Temperature & Humidity Controls
Redundant water supplies and systems with 24x7x365 environmental monitoring ensure temperature control within the facilities at all times, including:
- Cooling units that maintain uniform 72F-degree temperature, as well as 50% relative humidity levels
- Redundant Liebert water chillers feature 150 BTUs per square foot–chilled water units with sufficient capacity to carry AC load in the event of a single unit failure (all water required for HVAC is routed in a sheet metal gutter with a drain for containment and disposal of water in the event of a leak)
- All compressors monitored and alarmed
- Moisture sensor alarm system located inside water containment system to notify of any leakage
- Off-site media storage facility is also environmentally controlled and monitored
Security
Security of client data and systems is especially critical in a managed hosting services environment. Every AIS Network data center is designed with security of these critical assets as a primary objective. Featuring redundant backbone grade firewalls, including intrusion detection and continuous virus protection, AIS Network offers predictable and reliable security of our clients’ critical systems via consistent 24x7x365 monitoring of all critical areas. Key features include:
- Automated alarm systems at all facility entrances and exits
- 24x7x365 on-site security guard service
- Fully trained experienced staff has undergone a thorough background check before hiring
- CCTV used throughout the facility for real-time tape recording of activity, video surveillance of every aisle, and 360-degree monitoring and recording of the outside perimeter
- Surveillance tapes are maintained for 60 days in an on-site video library
- Sophisticated, computerized access control system with biometric access screening (i.e., a biometric scan of an authorized client handprint is required to gain entry)
- Strictly enforced security policies require an escort to gain access to data center areas
- Facility access is limited to authorized AIS Network and vendor support personnel
- AIS Network-specific tools and processes to prevent unauthorized access to hosted servers
Disaster Resilient Design
Every AIS Network facility is designed to withstand disaster conditions pertinent to its location, ensuring that our client’s systems and equipment are available 24x7x365-even under extreme conditions. Clients can expect:
- State-of-the-art fire detection and suppression systems. All our facilities are equipped with a dual fire detection system that uses two methods to detect smoke-virtually eliminating false alarms.
- Multi-zone, pre-action, dry pipe suppression systems, which enable fire suppression to be contained to the affected area without disrupting conditions elsewhere. Our facilities are divided into sectors such that the triggering of fire suppression systems in one hosting area will not trigger fire suppression systems in all other areas.
- Central fire alarm system notification with a direct alarm to the local fire department.
Connectivity
Every data center is equipped to provide clients’ systems with IP connectivity to the AIS Network fiber network, offering high availability, scalability and reliability. Features include:
- LAN architecture has built-in redundancy via router and switch configuration of the LAN design;
- Ethernet connectivity featuring 100 Mbps port speed;
- Redundant facility, core and border routers; and
- Redundant distribution and access units.
Power Systems
Managed hosting support systems must be predictably available, and system availability is only as predictable as the availability of power to those systems. AIS Network facilities are designed for redundancy and high availability of power to our clients’ critical server systems, guaranteeing the availability of power during scheduled maintenance activities and extreme power outages, including the following:
- Dual power availability to each rack unit from independent power distribution units (PDUs), removing PDU loss as a single point of failure. By default, each full rack in a facility is provisioned with eight (8) outlets connecting to one (1) 110V, 20A circuit.
- Redundant N+1 design of Uninterruptible Power Supplies (UPS): Power comes into two separate transformers that feed two separate switch gears. There is a separate UPS for each gear, and each UPS has an automatic static bypass switch incorporated within. In the event that the battery side of the UPS fails, the static switch comes into play, bypasses the battery function and goes directly to either the AC or generator power source.
- Backup generators. Our data centers employ three diesel fuel-powered Cummings generators. When commercial power is lost, the UPS takes the load and starts the generators. All three generators come online, and two take the load.
- Redundant, stand-by generator kicks in following a power feed failure from commercial power. Each data center has enough diesel fuel to run an entire AIS Network data center on generator power for a minimum of 48 hours
System Monitoring & Management
The AIS Network provides hosting clients with support and monitoring from multiple, physically redundant facilities. Each data center is also equipped with sophisticated equipment and technical talent to provide 24x7x365 system monitoring and management of all our clients’ mission-critical systems. Our data center provides:
- 24x7x365 on-site and centralized monitoring and support
- A single point of contact for all AIS Network facility server, network, and application issues
- Automatic AIS Network alerts generated by the network monitoring system
- Customized reports on service availability and other operational metrics
- Client notification based on Service Level Agreement (SLA)/Service Quality Guarantee (SQG) with an explanation of the problem and regular status reports on the estimated repair time
- Joint resolution between the client and AIS Network staff in determining root cause, which helps prevent future problems and maintains high availability of our clients’ Web-hosted applications