The three most important factors when choosing a data center

Assuming that factors such as security, redundancy, access, support, and pricing are acceptable, there are three additional factors that should determine how you select your data center provider. Let’s take a look at the three:

Latency

The latency between two networks is the time it takes for a network packet to travel from one node to another. The latency in computer networks is calculated down to the millisecond. The lower the value, the better the latency. For example, if you live in Los Angeles, the latency to a Los Angeles data center would be far lower than to a data center on the east coast. Latency is important for application response and concurrent operations.

Connectivity

Most data centers will have one or more redundant network connectivity options. However, what you should look for is a data center with multiple transit and bandwidth Tier 1 providers that connect directly to major backbones like Rack Alley. You can then select a specific carrier for your traffic or purchase dedicated links to and from your locations.

Distance                                                                                                    

The distance from your office to the data center is important. There are times when hands-on access is the only way to diagnose and resolve an issue. Often data center personnel will have limited access to your systems. The faster staff can get to the data center from the main office, the sooner you can resolve problems. Although an issue of this nature is rare, it will make a difference for that one time.