MaximumASP Data Center
MaximumASP’s modular Tier-1 data center was specifically designed to be a world class web hosting facility totally dedicated to uncompromised performance and security.
Overview
The MaximumASP data center has been engineered using the latest design methodologies including zoned cooling, hot aisle / cold aisle enforcement, zoned fire suppression that utilizes clean agents, and fully redundant power supply sources. These data center modular design characteristics allow MaximumASP to grow the underlying infrastructure as customer needs grow, ultimately providing a fully populated data center floor of nearly 22,000 square feet. Our combination of data center design and management best practices demonstrate our commitment to providing our customers with a data center that is truly world class.
Test Lab
- The test lab is a 500 square foot pre-production version of the data center floor, allowing customers to “mock-up” server and application deployments prior to putting them into full-scale production.
- Test lab is actively used by hardware manufacturers to execute proof of concept testing of new equipment and configurations.
Provisioning
- Altiris rapid deployment ramps up servers that are ready for use in minutes, not days.
- MaximumASP maintains a fully equipped break/fix station and spare parts for on-site repairs and replacement.
- No waiting for additional hardware, MaximumASP can deploy, manage, and monitor new equipment the same day it is ordered.
- Our rapid deployment system combined with our ready stock of new Dell servers allows applications to scale across multiple servers as demand ramps up.
Data Center Floor
- Latest data center design best practices implemented provide a state of the art facility, not a re-architected existing facility.
- Each data center unit is a separate fully managed environment including heat, humidity, power metering and fire detection and suppression.
- Modular design allows MaximumASP to tailor each unit’s capacity to the type of equipment being deployed within it.
- Under floor cable management keeps room neat and provides for effective cooling distribution and wire management.
- Initial OS deployment and ongoing patch management is provided through the Altiris Server Management Suite.
Core Network
- Intelligent routing from the servers to the Internet ensures that users receive the fastest response times by selecting the best path and providers for sending data.
- Multiple providers and multiple network paths, provide both rapid bandwidth scaling and connection redundancy.
- Network level firewalls and intrusion protection systems are on the MaximumASP network by default.
- Homogeneous switching and routing from Foundry and Juniper ensures compatibility throughout the MaximumASP network.
- Advanced use of multiple VLAN’s truly isolate servers from other customer servers.
- Multi server, hardware – level load balancing is available adding additional redundancy for customers with critical highavailability needs.
- Design of core routing and switching layers allows for hitless upgrades as additional hardware is added.
Network Operations Center
- MaximumASP provides baseline server monitoring using IpMonitor, Nagios, and Altiris. These monitors provide information on server and service availability.
- All weather and security feeds are delivered to our primary status screens in the NOC area providing a comprehensive look at the internal and external environments surrounding the data center.
- The NOC area is powered by the same UPS and generator equipment used to power the production data center and the test lab, providing an “always-on” and fully secured zone in the event of an emergency.
- Alerts can be customized and sent directly via e-mail, cell phone or pager.
- MaximumASP also integrates remote monitoring solutions from APC to provide real-time data on environmental conditions within the data center.
- All data is sent to our on-site NOC and displayed on our primary status screens.
Physical Security
- The data center floor utilizes the latest VESDA smoke detection and FE-25 clean agent fire suppression for uninterrupted operation of non-affected equipment in the event of a fire.
- All off-site data storage is maintained in a specialty built Fire King DS-Series data safe, utilizing electronic and mechanical locking mechanisms.
- Biometric and employee specific pass codes are required to pass through all security checkpoints.
- All internal and external entry points utilize reinforced steel doors and door frames, safety glass, and walls. These access points are video recorded and archived for one year.
- Facility is wired with glass break sensors and visual and audible alarms to alert staff in the event of an external glass break.
Cooling
- Current cooling system is flexible in design, easily allowing cooling for up to 22,000 square feet of data center floor without any disruption to the existing system.
- Chilled water systems maximize efficiency while reducing operation costs; this translates into lower monthly costs for customers.
- Redundancy in internal systems, fluid control systems, and exterior heat removal systems.
Power
- Data center facility is supplied by a dedicated transformer set from the local utility provider that is fed from a substation with the lowest failure rate in the city.
- Power conditioning and delivery has built in redundancy from end-to-end; from utility and generator power to redundant Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) systems.
- Static transfer switching and maintenance bypass switching allow for UPS servicing without power interruption.
- Diesel generator is rated at 2 megawatts and is test fired monthly to ensure readiness if needed.
