Data Center Natural Disaster Preparedness: Part IV:

In the wake of the recent natural disasters that devastated the Gulf region and the Southwest United States, T5 has written a four-part blog series sharing our perspective on what natural disasters and disaster recovery looks like for data centers. Parts one, two and three of our four-part series can be found here.

September was a month of historic natural disasters across the world. Hurricanes and Earthquakes have headlined our news nearly weekly, and have caused us to re-evaluate our security situations professionally and personally.

As a Southern California native, and living through a few earthquakes myself, the strategy is to be prepared for the unpredictable. Stocking up on supplies, food, and water are the key components to mitigating risk. Within the data center world, where 100% uptime and continuous availability are vital, what questions do you ask your data center operator and provider to be sure earthquakes and natural disasters are on the top of their mind? How can you be certain your business will stay online?

Here are a few items to think about –

• Is the data center Purpose-Built or a Retro-fit?
• What is the facility’s seismic rating (inclusive of all critical infrastructure)?
• What MOPs and SOPs are in place with the Operator’s facility management team should a seismic event and potential crisis occur?
• What refueling contracts and SLAs are in place?
• Are there Fire, Life, and Safety clientele currently within the data center you reside?

Hear some of the attributes that County of LA looked for in selecting their new data center site.

T5 Data Centers is here to help you address some of these concerns as part of your overall IT strategy. Our consultative team of professionals are ready to sit down with you at your earliest convenience. We are here to be your business partner.

Written by Mark Whitener, Senior Director of Business Development, and Chris Klem, Vice President of Business Developement.