Data center colocation: definition
Data center colocation is a hosting model in which several companies share the same physical infrastructure of a common data center and keep their dedicated equipment. The solution offers tangible benefits with professional facilities and scalable power and cooling capacities, without the need for massive investment to build their own data center. It also facilitates maintenance. Colocation is a strategic alternative to the growing challenges of cybersecurity, performance, and regulatory compliance, such as the GDPR.
What is data center colocation?
Key principles and how it works
Data center colocation is based on a two-headed approach aimed at sharing infrastructure costs while preserving technical independence. Companies install their servers, network equipment, and storage systems in rented space within specialized facilities. Specialized providers such as UltraEdge have understood the importance of the sector and the new demands associated with the exponential growth of businesses' digital needs, providing them with colocation data centers across Europe. UltraEdge provides colocation data centers across Europe. UltraEdge provides continuous power supply, an advanced cooling system with liquid cooling, advanced Internet connectivity, and physical security, including access controls.
This approach allows organizations to deploy their equipment in optimized environments without bearing the operating costs of a full data center. Companies retain 100% ownership and control of their IT systems, while the data center operator manages the critical infrastructure. Colocation effectively eliminates the issues of preventive maintenance, electrical redundancy, and thermal management for internal IT teams.
Differences between colocation, cloud, and dedicated hosting
Unlike cloud computing, ownership of equipment is a key advantage in the development of colocation. By choosing colocation, the company retains full ownership of the servers and is responsible for configuration, maintenance, and updates.
The public cloud offers virtualized resources billed on a pay-as-you-go basis, without ownership of physical equipment.
Dedicated hosting is an intermediate solution where the provider supplies dedicated servers to a single customer but retains ownership of the equipment. This option offers less technical flexibility than colocation, as hardware modifications are entirely dependent on the provider. Colocation allows companies to choose their equipment brands, specific configurations, and renewal cycles according to their exact needs.
Colocation vs. housing: what are the differences?
Housing, often mistakenly used as a synonym for colocation, refers to the hosting of customer equipment on the premises of the IT service provider. Colocation represents a much broader scope, including managed services, technical support, and operational assistance. This is a significant distinction that reflects the evolution of the hosting market toward offerings that integrate more services.
Housing is limited to dedicated space, power supply, and standard connectivity. By integrating advanced, high-value services for end customers—such as continuous monitoring and alerting, advanced backup management, specific technical support, and supervision tools—housing is now similar to IT outsourcing. This meets customer expectations in terms of maximum availability and performance.
How to choose a colocation data center: key criteria?
The digital revolution has led to an increase in the number of data centers, which are becoming an important asset in the IT ecosystem. As demand for hosting services grows, increasingly secure, connected, and energy-efficient data centers have emerged to better support businesses in developing their activities. This offers a variety of colocation services, requiring the identification of criteria that will enable the sector to efficiently choose their colocation partner.
1. Localisation and accessibility
The closer the server, the better the customer experience. In this context, the proximity of data centers optimizes application and service latency while simplifying any on-site interventions. UltraEdge's ultra-dense network of data centers provides access to very short response times, enabling efficient management of the most critical services. Location is an additional asset for achieving optimal compliance with host country regulations, particularly in sectors such as finance and healthcare.
Furthermore, physical accessibility to the site means that technical interventions can be carried out very quickly.
2. Physical and digital security
The physical security of data centers is based in particular on biometric access control systems, continuous video surveillance, and perimeter intrusion alerts. Compliance with standards and certifications such as ISO 27001 ensures compliance with sovereign security standards in France. Tier 3 or 4 data centers have advanced aspiration fire detection systems and/or extinguishing devices using inert gas.
Isolating client networks and segmenting access via ultra-advanced encryption optimizes digital security. The implementation of dedicated firewalls and intrusion detection systems provides effective protection against multiple external threats. Finally, traceability of physical and logical access facilitates a comprehensive audit of each and every intervention on hosted equipment.
3. Infrastructure redundancy and reliability
Electrical redundancy is essential for maintaining service continuity. Tier 3 data centers and above are required to have two completely independent power sources, UPS systems designed to absorb peak loads, and generators with a capacity of more than three days. This distributed architecture makes it easier to avoid service interruptions during maintenance or other events.
Climate redundancy helps maintain optimal operating conditions for IT equipment. Implementing redundant cooling systems with free cooling minimizes energy consumption and maintains a consistent, adequate temperature. Real-time monitoring of climate criteria such as humidity and rack temperature ensures proactive detection of anomalies and intervention.
4. Flexibility and scalability
Colocation data centers offer significant gains in terms of flexibility. They enable you to keep pace with growing IT needs. The modularity of hosting contracts allows you to adjust the space allocated, the electrical power required, and the bandwidth for any project. This high level of adaptability avoids any risks associated with oversizing your needs and ensures continuous, long-term optimization of resources.
Integrating new technologies without infrastructure constraints is a key factor in achieving ultra-high scalability. UltraEdge data centers anticipate high power densities and accommodate very high-performance servers and equipment boosted by AI. Inter-operator fiber connectivity simplifies advanced architecture integration in a hybrid mix, such as multicloud.
Is it easy to migrate between data centers?
Migrating between data centers is a technical project with strategic implications, and its complexity requires careful planning. Although equipment portability can speed up the transition process, reconfiguring network connections and synchronizing data can take several weeks.
Virtualization using dedicated tools and hybrid cloud architecture are essential for migration. Replicating data in real time to the new site limits service interruptions. However, it will be necessary to carry out very thorough testing of the most critical applications and proceed in stages to maintain optimal continuity.
Rack colocation: what it involves
Data center rack colocation: definition
Data center rack colocation consists of hosting equipment in standardized 19-inch cabinets, the standard unit of measurement for IT teams. Each rack offers multiple rack units (U) - typically forty-two or forty-seven U - to install all the necessary equipment: switches, storage equipment, and servers according to the required density. This standardization offers a triple advantage: it facilitates installation, simplifies maintenance, and boosts the scalability of hosted infrastructures.
Each colocation rack has a specific power distribution system that integrates the expected KW volume. Thermal management is carried out in both hot and cold confined aisles, maximizing energy efficiency. Advanced structured cabling systems facilitate the methodical organization of all network connections and ensure complete traceability of the various links.
Shared rack or private rack?
As its name suggests, a shared rack is pooled among several customers, who share an identical cabinet. This is a cost-effective solution for limited space requirements. This approach allows companies to host a few servers or specific network equipment. Billing is generally based on rack units used, allowing for optimal flexibility for step-by-step deployments.
A private rack provides complete control of the cabinet and includes all associated equipment. It is an ideal solution for critical applications and/or when standards and compliance requirements are particularly strict. In addition, customization of the layout and integration of monitoring systems are obvious advantages of this configuration. Physical isolation increases security and is often seen in sectors such as FinTech, healthcare, and public entities.
Data center cage or dedicated room
Colocation cage provides a fully secure space covering several square meters. A partitioning system is implemented, for example with removable partitions. This is an “in-between” solution between the rack and the dedicated room. Ideal for companies that already have significant needs requiring several cabinets and an increased need for flexibility! Biometric access control and constant video surveillance maximize the security of the equipment hosted.
Finally, the dedicated room is, in a way, the colocation must-have, with a private IT environment and its own access controls.The highly advanced configuration is relevant for large groups or large technology SMEs that require specific devices such as mainframes or high-capacity storage. The layout of the space for high-capacity storage is relevant for large groups or large technology SMEs that require specific devices such as mainframes or high-capacity storage.
How to anticipate costs, management, and maintenance
Pricing models: per U, per rack, or customized
Pricing per rack unit (U) is a customizable model that starts at a few dozen euros and can exceed €300 per U depending on the location and scope of the services subscribed to. This ultimately facilitates a granular approach to costs. Billing takes into account space, power supply, and network connectivity.
Next, rack pricing allows for budget forecasting tailored to the stable and substantial needs of businesses. A flat-rate approach is included, starting at several hundred euros per month or more, depending on projected electricity costs. Financial management is greatly simplified; the contract also includes exclusive clauses and services with advanced monitoring and extended technical support, via a dedicated contact within the data center.
Support, SLAs, and assistance services
It is essential to clearly define service level agreements (SLAs) in order to define the hosting provider's availability and performance commitments. Our SLAs at UltraEdge guarantee 99.9% power availability, or a maximum of one and a half hours of downtime per year. Some of our data centers go even further with 99.99% SLAs and ensure maximum redundancy.
Continuous technical support 24/24 and 7 /7 enables comprehensive infrastructure monitoring and rapid response in case of an incident. Specialized technicians can intervene directly on site for preventive maintenance or urgent alerts. Proactive alerting anticipates failures while optimizing service availability.
Remote monitoring and management: what tools are available?
Advanced monitoring tools include IoT sensors, which monitor factors such as rack temperature, humidity levels, power consumption, and network parameters. Dashboards directly accessible from workstations allow IT teams to view infrastructure status in real time. Fully automated alerts are sent by email or SMS, enabling maximum responsiveness.
Finally, remote resource management allows servers to be restarted, maintenance operations to be carried out, and equipment in the network to be configured. Not to mention the ability to add or manage user access without the need for intervention. Administration solutions, such as Out of Band Management (OOBM), enable seamless connectivity, even if the main network fails. This is ideal for reducing intervention costs and boosting responsiveness!
Optimize IT spending
Rising hardware and IT maintenance costs are prompting companies to pull out of IT infrastructure management. Colocation now allows them to optimize capital expenditure (CAPEX) by switching to a more controlled operational expenditure (OPEX) model. Accurately analyzing power requirements and allocated space allows IT expenditure for colocation in data centers to be optimized. Accurate sizing anticipates potential additional costs associated with excessive allocations and preserves scalability. Establishing multi-year contracts—for example, over a period of three years—ensures lower rates and provides stability for budget planning.
The advantage of pooling inter-site colocation services reduces unit management costs. Establishing a framework contract with a volume commitment allows you to benefit from substantial discounts regardless of the additional services subscribed to. Another strength is that outsourcing maintenance allows you to allocate internal IT resources to more high-stakes tasks.
What are the responsibilities of the hosted customer and the data center?
The various responsibilities are based on the concept of shared network infrastructure. The data center guarantees the viability of the physical infrastructure, including service continuity, power supply, global connectivity, and facility security. Each hosted customer remains responsible for their equipment, including installation, hardware configuration, application maintenance, and pre-configured software security.
Effective coordination between teams facilitates the implementation of technical fixes on the customer's various equipment. The data center can also provide turnkey services to carry out simple instructions without requiring customer involvement. This means that every minor incident is quickly resolved without the need for IT technicians to go on site.
Pros and cons of colocation
Colocation offers significant advantages and savings compared to building a proprietary hosting system. This allows companies to focus on their core business. Pooling operating costs reduces energy expenses and optimizes maintenance costs, while providing significant security guarantees and helping to reduce the carbon footprint.
There are a few drawbacks to consider. It is important to choose your hosting provider carefully beforehand, as this results in increased dependence on the service provider. This can reduce flexibility when it comes to making significant changes to the infrastructure. Companies must also be willing to delegate specific environmental aspects, such as energy management for facilities or physical security systems.
Focus on colocation with UltraEdge
UltraEdge offers
The modularity of UltraEdge colocation solutions adapts to the needs of businesses of all sizes. Hosting offers allow you to allocate, for example, a volume of rack units or dedicated spaces such as server rooms. In addition, resources can be adjusted according to the variations inherent in each IT project.
UltraEdge's managed services include 24/7 monitoring with detailed access control management and dedicated IT support. Our approach effectively simplifies the management of hosted infrastructure, with maximum availability. Our HDS-Ready certifications testify to our services' efficiency.
Typical use cases: backup, Edge computing, AI.
Outsourced backup solutions are one of the most common use cases for data center colocation. Companies benefit from backup equipment in a highly secure environment at a reasonable distance from their main site. This physical separation ensures business continuity in the event of a major disaster.
Edge computing requires distributed infrastructure, as close as possible to end users with the rise of AI and IoT. To this end, UltraEdge colocation deploys Edge data centers in strategic areas, with cutting edge technical expertise and shared resources. The latest applications, such as IoT and AI, benefit from a high-powered environment. Flexibility also allows resources to be scaled according to processing needs.