Data Centers and their Tiers
Today, we would like to speak with you about those things that appear to be misapprehended but are highly relevant: different levels of data centers from Tier I up to Tier IV+. Having been part of our fair share of experiences in a variety of infrastructures, we will be able to tell you that not all data centers are created equal. So let’s get to the topic and see what is differentiating them from one another. As is often the case with catchy terms and industry slang in IT, things are never quite as they appear. There’s always something under the surface, and getting some clarity on what it all means can make all the difference when determining where your key infrastructure lives.
Understanding the definitions
Let’s try to get a handle on what these tiers really mean. Only let’s lose the corporate doublespeak and speak plainly.
Tiers in the data center world classify facilities by their infrastructure performance, with a special focus on uptime and redundancy. This tier system was created to help businesses understand what they can expect for capabilities out of a data center. Well, here’s the thing: not all tiers are created equal, and sometimes the promise does not quite live up to reality.
Tier I and II
That would be Tier I data centers. Think of these as cozy starter homes in the world of data centers. They are really nonredundant, basic infrastructure that will keep your servers running most of the time. In other words, yes, they’ll keep them running most of the time, but when maintenance or something else unexpected happens, you can expect some down time. And we all know that’s a dirty word in our always-on digital age.
Tier II ups the ante by providing redundancy in power and cooling but with less risk of outage. But let’s be honest-it still isn’t really ideal for mission-critical operations.
Tier III
For many businesses, Tier III is the sweet spot-a balance between cost and reliability. Data centers provide multiple independent distribution paths for power and cooling, though only one path is active at a time. The big plus, maintenance can be performed without shutting everything down.
This is where things get murky. Not all Tier III facilities are created equal, and a few may cut corners in ways that do not immediately present themselves. The important thing is to look deeper and not simply take the tier rating at face value.
As for the reference you can look at our Tier III Data Center at Cyprus, Limassol – Kermia 1.
Tier IV
Tier IV data centers are the penthouse suites-fault tolerant with redundancy for every component. They guarantee 99.995% uptime, which is only a couple of minutes of downtime per year. What’s not to love?
Well, perfection does come at a price. These facilities are dramatically more expensive, and not every company really needs that much reliability. Plus, even Tier IV is not immune to the unexpected: natural disasters, human error, and other unforeseen events can still cause problems. As a reference example of what Tier IV might looks like you can look at IPTP Networks Data Center – Matrix 4 located in Amsterdam.
Beyond Tier IV
You might hear about Tier IV+ or even Tier V data centers. But the honest truth is this: the Uptime Institute doesn’t officially recognize any rank higher than Tier IV. In other words, all tears beyond by standard classification are still just Tier IV, though by different industry standards other than the one of the Uptime Institute may differ from company to company.
The Reality Behind the Tiers
What does that all mean to your business? It means that while tiers offer a good guideline, they absolutely shouldn’t be the sole determining factor in your decision-making process.
Location Does Matter: A Tier IV data center in a flood zone isn’t going to do much good when the waters rise.
Operational Practices: Even the best infrastructure can be undone by poor management. Making sure the facility follows best practices and has a history of solid performance is crucial.
Scalability and Flexibility: Your needs today may not be your needs tomorrow. It is of importance to select a data center that will grow and adapt with you.
The IPTP Networks Advantage
While long, the list of advantages that come with choosing a data center ultimately boils down to the choice of provider. It is here that IPTP Networks differs from the rest. When it comes to colocation and hosting, we offer quite a package to your business.
Arguably, the biggest positive might come from our presence across the world with data centers situated in key locations in each part of the world. Position infrastructure closer to user locations to minimize latency and optimize application performance. The choice of network connectivity is great-you can get direct peering into major internet exchanges and cloud providers.
What really sets IPTP Networks apart is our assurance of reliability and security for everything. The facilities have N+2 redundancy, which creates confidence in the uptimes of your infrastructure in case of one or two failures. The 99.9999% uptime SLA is more than just a figure; it speaks volumes about the resiliency of our infrastructure and operations.
Support done right, manage done right. IPTP Networks is truly a breath of fresh air for the DevOps and SRE teams. No more wasting time, waiting around for expert support that’s always on. Issues, when they arise, are addressed in the fastest time with efficiency. We provide a portal to our customers where they can view everything that is happening and manage it in real-time. The visibility and control make the tool very powerful, as everything required to manage infrastructure effectively is right in its preview.