Facilities - Web Hosting, Melbourne, Australia
Web Hosting Facilities
Web Server HardwareOur servers are currently built to the following minimum specifications:
Web Server Software
Our web servers are configured with Red Hat Linux and Apache software. Apache over linux is the world's most popular web server combination due to the well proven stabiliy and reliability of this system. Web Server Performance PhilosophyIndustrial Grade Equipment for the Ultimate Performance and Reliability. We follow the philosophy that raw performance equals low latency and high throughput. Therefore we offer a network that can handle your data transfer requirement with ease. We recognise that down time is not an option for our servers. That's why we are committed to top performance hardware and facilities that ensure our servers are up and running 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Web Server Data CenterOur Data Center (DC) features raised flooring. This enables a constant flow of conditioned air and helps to maintain uniform room temperature at all times. In addition, raised flooring reduces static and ensures a professional, computer grade environment for your server. The DC is equipped with a Raytheon fire suppression system, designed to immediately extinguish fire and protect equipment and personnel. The DC is controlled via automatic doors to further secure and protect the equipment. Finally the DC is located in a secure, monitored, class A building with a minimum number of approved personnel allowed access to highly sensitive areas and equipment. A detailed record of employee and visitor entry is maintained at all times. Connected to Three Backbones.
The DC is OnNet with GlobalCenter (GC), Qwest Communications and GTE through three separate bandwidth-on-demand connections which enter the facility building. GC, a Tier 1 provider whose 21,000 kilometre long fibre optic network and Dense Wave Division Multiplexing (DWDM) technology provide an enormous 460 gigabytes per second (Gbps) of capacity world-wide, has an Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) fibre node located just a few floors below the DC. 
Qwest comes into the area with an OC-12 line and plans to upgrade their connection to an OC-48 in the near future. They also have an ATM fibre node floors below the Netteffect DC. Our Qwest connection enables Netteffect to offer additional redundancy and better routes to Europe, Latin America and Asia. With our carriers, our router has up to 150,000 possible routes to send each packet of traffic. 
Genuity, a division of GTE, is our third Tier One Internet backbone. Genuity provides excellent network performance as a result of their high-speed peering arrangements with other Tier One Internet backbone providers. The GTE global network delivers customers directly onto the Internet via a high-speed connection to its private, super-capacity backbone, including 27,000 kilometres of fibre and OC192 capacity. It is comprised of more than 800 U.S. local access points and approximately 1,500 international local access points in more than 150 countries. Furthermore, because of these unique connections, we do not need to link to the Internet though an OC3 or T3 Telecom circuit. Instead, independent cables run inside our building directly from our DC to all three carriers' points of presence. These lines can handle the bandwidth of a T3 or an OC3 with DWDM. Plus, they handle several times the bandwidth of an OC3. Network Redundancy.The DC uses intelligent end-user routing software called Border Gateway Protocol (BGP), between Qwest, GC and GTE, who use the same protocol. BGP identifies which path is the most efficient for each data packet and then routes the packet to its destination on the fastest path. This increases the speed at which web pages sent from our DC arrive at their destination. Studies have shown that the most common reason for downtime is circuit failure on Tier 1 provider backbones, the major data highways. To guard against this potential problem, we have three Tier-1 providers. If one experiences problems, we can route traffic down the other one. Furthermore, because we are OnNet with GlobalCenter, Qwest and GTE, we share their digital distribution architecture, which includes private peering network connections to major Internet carriers such as MCI, Sprint, UUNET, EUNET, AT&T, AOL, Best, Erols, @Home, IBM Advantis and others. These private peering arrangements allow the DC to exchange packets of data with every major backbone carrier in a one-to-one environment quickly and efficiently. In addition, GC has high-speed links to eight public exchanges including both MAE East and West and several NAPS. Through these public exchanges, customers have the ability to reach their site, no matter from where they are coming on the Internet. Network Reliability.
Industry analysis reveals that 70% of downtime over ten hours with any ISP is caused by telephone circuit failure. Since our DC is in the same building as Global Center, Qwest and GTE, circuit failure is virtually eliminated because there is no phone circuit between our providers and us. Instead we use a direct connection between our Cisco 7500 routers and theirs. Our providers also have peering connections with other major Tier 1 providers which allows traffic to be switched to alternate backbones should the need arise. Too often providers operate their networks at three to four times responsible capacity. As a result their corresponding transfer times reach over 300ms. Our network daily average is 27% of its capacity, with midday peak spikes reaching only 33% of capacity. We can therefore guarantee our clients will be carried off our network in industry best times and generally less than 80 ms over a five minute average at any time of day or night. top of pageUninterruptible Power System
To guard against local power failures the DC has two industrial-grade, three phase Liebert UPS systems. These act as back-up batteries, maintaining uninterrupted power in case of surges or power outages. With these backup systems in place, we can keep our network up and running indefinitely without relying on external power. Industrial-Grade Air Conditioners
Our DC has two Liebert ten ton industrial air conditioners which condition our computer rooms and operations centre. Our computer room is kept at an optimal temperature of 18 degrees centigrade. |
