Disaster Recovery: Vancouver
Datacenter Location 1
Power
The battery backup systems are setup to provide adequate transfer coverage from utility power to generator power with room to spare. These units are serviced on a quarterly basis, with battery replacements done on a 4 year schedule. The diesel generators are supplied by the building, the Harbor Center. This is the Telco building for all of Western Canada, where all of the Internet comes through. If they run out of power, there would be nothing left to connect Vancouver to the rest of the Internet anyhow. They run generator tests on a weekly basis, alternating between odd and even numbers, so effectively each generator is tested every other week. They have fuel contracts with two separate vendors to ensure speedy delivery in the event of an extended utility outage.
Fire
Each of their facilities within the building is protected by a fire pre-action system that is serviced semi-annually and monitor by the building and fire department. Fire suppression is pre-action dry pipe sprinkler system with clean agent fire extinguishers. All cabinets are seismic rated and bolted down.
Natural Disasters
Unfortunately in terms of natural disasters, this usually means an earthquake in Vancouver and as such it is difficult to say at what level we will be operating. We rely not only on our internal infrastructure but that of the buildings, utilities and our carriers which combined with the variables of the earthquake itself makes it unrealistic to make an estimate.
Estimated Restore Times For Full Data Loss
Because each server (even at the same location) can vary in disk usage, it’s unfortunately not possible to give exact estimates on how long a full restore will take. From experience however, we have found that most servers can be restored within 8 to 16 hours.
For information regarding restoring VPS services, please click here.
Datacenter Location 2
Environmental hazard detectors have been installed to respond to potentially dangerous conditions including excess temperatures, smoke and floor water. Alarms for critical systems including HVAC, physical access, generator / fuel, and fire generate an audible alert, e-mail and/or pager notifications to personnel, and are monitored remotely by the Network Operations Center. On site operations personnel are trained to respond to alarms and to take appropriate actions.
The facility is staffed 24/7 by experienced personnel who are able to handle customers’ equipment issues should they arise during a tropical weather event.
Power
Commercial power to each facility is backed up by diesel generators capable of powering network and customer computing equipment, HVAC systems, and security systems. Generators are inspected and tested on a regular basis by a commercial third party provider and serviced as required to ensure availability in the event of emergency. On-site fuel reserves ensure a minimum of 48 hours of generator operation for each facility before refueling is required. UPS (“Uninterruptable Power Supply”) systems provide instantaneous failover to mitigate the impact of power fluctuations or failure. UPS systems are self-inspected monthly, vendor inspected quarterly, and serviced according to the manufacturers’ recommended procedures.
Fire
Fire detection and suppression systems are installed in office and equipment areas to mitigate the risk of damage from fires. Fire detection and suppression systems are inspected at least annually and repairs and recommended maintenance performed as required.
Estimated Restore Times For Full Data Loss
Because each server (even at the same location) can vary in disk usage, it’s unfortunately not possible to give exact estimates on how long a full restore will take. From experience however, we have found that most servers can be restored within 8 to 16 hours.
For information regarding restoring VPS services, please click here.
