exchange server hosting : A Good Service ?

2007-03-08 10:33:40

( Web Hosting-SEO-Web Design )



Whether you want more specific information about microsoft exchange server hosting or windows dedicated server hosting, it is always useful to know what you need to expect from good exchange server hosting in general.

What should you look for?

Security

Practices for software / hardware security, including virus scanning services and spam filtering.

Security should be provided at server, network and application levels

At network level, a firewall and other router, network security and hardware devices for intrusion detection should be used.

At the server level, there should be software security updates, “best practices” and guidelines.

At application level, there should be a virus and commercial spam filtering service.

Spam filtering should take place on a server separate from the exchange server. This maximises the response and performance of the exchange server.

Reliability

A good aggregate uptime over a 12 month period could be zero downtime for all servers in use. The longest downtime that could typically be experienced would be for scheduled maintenance.

Monitoring

All the servers could be monitored from a few separate locations at 5 minute intervals. Automated monitoring systems from data centres should be on independent and separate networks. There should also be external monitoring from an independent third party. Diverse software should be used for monitoring.

Back up

How often should email and domain data be backed up? At the data centres, at least once a week, with differential backups being performed daily. Email should be backed up daily – but doesn’t need to be retained once it has been downloaded and deleted. Domain data should be backed up with servers. Where the dedicated server has its own private domain, isolation is maintained in backups.




Configuration

What should your configuration of back-end and front-end servers used with managed exchange servers be like?

You could have a clustered backup solution as well as redundant storage systems for mailboxes. Aside from the clustered solution you could also need an external secondary store-and-forward backup.

A good exchange server hosting service could also have an architecture which consists of another backup clustered server, which is located at the client’s premises, and get another server which is configured in store-and-forward. This way, if your client’s network is down, emails being sent to him won’t bounce, but be externally stored, and will be delivered when he is online.

Storage

There should be a storage area network which is used together with the exchange server hosting devices, which have at least 1 terabyte each, exclusively for customer backups.

Power

Power coming from the mains grid should enter the data centre through suitably sized devices so that the power reaching the cabinets is steady and clean with no spikes or brownouts. Additionally, there should be large UPS systems which can maintain the data centre for at least 45 minutes on a full load.

Outside the data centre, there should be a dual diesel generator ready to provide full power to the data centre within 10-15 seconds of a mains grid disconnection.


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