Server co-location is an excellent option for experienced porn developers.
The "co-location" option allows Webmasters to exercise total control over their Internet servers. Hosts will place your server on their premises and will permit you to make use of their bandwidth and facilities. You retain control over your equipment, software and operating system and simply lease physical space and high-grade, tier one network access from the hosting provider.
This arrangement is suited for successful industry veterans with a great amount of experience. Setting up a co-located server is not an easy task and thus requires some IT expertise.
You will require a state-of-the-art Internet server, and will be solely responsible for pre-loading it with both the operating system and Web server software that you desire (for more information on this, please read "Setting Up Your Own Server"). With co-location, the hosting provider will only allocate your server the following: rack space, an Ethernet connection and a block of IP numbers. Your responsibility will be to configure your server according to your hosting company's specifications so that it can be installed to integrate with their infrastructure seamlessly.
Co-location is a "no-frills" service. This means your hosting provider does not have to assist you, prepare your equipment for hardware or software installation, or take part in any maintenance. If you require any extra services, it will not be their contractual responsibility to assist you. You must therefore expect to pay extra for any help or consulting services they provide.
Co-location is therefore not the best choice for inexperienced webmasters who might require extensive customer care. Co-location is an industrial-grade option best suited for professional content distributors with extensive IT skills. Web hosting firms providing co-location services will expect you to have a high level of technical competence. Most firms will not be knowledgeable in your server configuration unless you select equipment that they normally use. Neither will they be overly enthusiastic to fix equipment that differs from their own. For these reasons, you or your organization must display competence concerning all administrative issues.
Ensure however that any co-location service you purchase comes with free "reboot" privileges. Sometimes a server will need to be physically restarted on occasion, especially if it's running applications on the Windows platform. It will therefore be necessary to call upon your hosting firm's personnel to restart your equipment at anytime of the day in case of a fatal CPU crash. For this reason, you must build good relationships with your firm's customer support representatives.
When choosing a host for your co-located server, make sure you find a host with a minimum of T3 connectivity. Most established adult hosting firms will team up with powerful broadband providers like UUNet, Global Crossing or Exodus Communications, all of whom boast state-of-the-art network facilities. Obtaining co-location services from such adult hosting firms will allow you to leverage these relationships. It is always advised that you use an accomplished adult hosting firm as your intermediary with tier-one providers.
Most of these broadband providers and telcos have multiple network operation centers (NOCs) that are intermeshed with peering points connected to OC-12 ATM or full 45Mps DS-3s lines minimum. Adult hosting firms who locate their own shared and dedicated operations in these NOCs will also locate your own co-located servers in one of these centers. It is always advised that you use an accomplished adult hosting firm as your intermediary with tier-one providers. They usually have the connections and know-how to deploy your box quickly and effectively.
And despite the security precautions involved with first-class NOC facilities, make sure that your equipment is insured. A good business insurance policy will ensure the speedy replacement of your equipment in case of natural or seismic disaster. Also, don't forget to ensure your server when you ship it to your Web hosting firm for deployment. Freight insurance will protect you from financial loss if the server is physically damaged during shipping.
Another consideration to remember is your server's scalability. You should make sure that your server's memory and disk space is maximized, since it will be very costly to make additions once the server is deployed. You will also want to make sure that your equipment is new and has an on-site service guarantee, allowing repairs to be done at the NOC in case of equipment failure.
Remember that the key for successfully co-locating your Web presence is maintaining quality and speedy services. Quality and speed equals credible service, a necessity for any successful adult pay site.
For more information on co-location services or to find an adult host that offers co-location services, be sure to visit Hosts4Porn.com.
