Leading ISP, Internet Solutions (IS), has increased investment in its world-class data centre network by extending Randview Data Centre.

Situated in Johannesburg, the new section – IDC2 – increases Randview’s footprint by 512m2 and 256 server racks, allocated by full, half and quarter racks.

IDC2 is designed specifically for high power density deployments and enhanced redundancy, achieved by increasing power availability per rack, the latest smart-cooling technology and efficient, clean use of data centre real estate.

“Randview Data Centre houses valuable data that is critical to our clients’ businesses – downtime is a ‘four-letter word’,” says Kervin Pillay, Chief Technology Officer at Internet Solutions. “This is why the need for redundancy was a primary consideration when designing and outfitting IDC2.”

IDC2 has a 2N power configuration, which means there is double the equipment needed to maintain uptime. Even in the event of an extended power outage, IDC2’s systems will be up and running.

One of the most critical of those systems is cooling, which has an N + 1 power configuration.

“A data centre must be an enclosed facility, which means the heat generated by the IT equipment inside will damage or destroy servers and other electronic devices without an appropriate outlet,” says Pillay. “Our use of cold aisle containment in IDC2 was dictated by the high-density environment.”

The advantage of cold aisle containment is the consistent control of supply of cold air to the front of each rack, eliminating hot-spots without radically increasing the cost of cooling. Proactive monitoring adjusts fans to provide just the right amount of cooling, thereby improving energy savings.

“Physical and virtual data security is another critical system at Randview that demands particular attention to technology and protocol,” says Pillay. “We’ve installed sophisticated biometric access control, perimeter security, monitoring equipment, and the latest firewalls at IDC2.”

According to business growth consultancy Frost & Sullivan, cloud computing and the corporate shift to operational, rather than capital, expenditure models are increasing the appetite for outsourced data centre services. They estimate that the South African cloud market is worth $140-million and growing.

“Clients choosing to house data in our facilities like Randview are taking advantage of our investment in best practice infrastructure – cooling, power, server management, hardware, cloud, and networking systems – as well as the security and data management expertise that IS offers,” says Julian Sunker, Chief Operating Officer at Internet Solutions.

“By building IDC2 to world-class data centre standards, we can accommodate customerā€specific business requirements and adapt to customer business strategy changes now and in the future.”