Server Technology

We use only Dell servers in our web hosting platform. Utilising state-of-the-art technology we have built a web hosting platform that is second to none

Our platform is designed in such a way that if any server fails another server automatically and without delay takes over that server's workload. For example, if one of our mail servers breaks down another server automatically comes online, with all the correct configuration, and takes over the work of the failed server. During this period no email is lost.

As well as this, all data is stored in two large network disk arrays. Data is automatically synchronised between the arrays so that in the event of an array failing the remaining array continues to serve data to the servers with no downtime.

RAID

RAID stands for Redundant Array of Independent (or Inexpensive) Disks.

The basic idea of RAID is to combine multiple small, inexpensive disk drives into an array of disk drives which performs better than a single large expensive drive. The array of drives appears to the computer as a single drive.

Disk arrays can be made fault-tolerant by redundantly storing data i.e. duplicating all or part of the data stored over the drives. So if one of the disks fails the data is still preserved over the good disks which are left. There are several forms of RAID, all provide disk fault-tolerance and each form offers different trade-offs in features and performance.

STORAGE SPACE

Standard: The No RAID option permits the use of the complete capacity of all drives. Each drive is seen as its own separate drive. But there is no fault-tolerance. If a drive fails there is no way of replacing the lost data on that drive.

Spanning: This option uses all drives as an array but it is not RAID. This option also permits the use of the complete capacity of the drives, but the drives are seen as one massive drive.

The advantage over the standard configuration is that now the max capacity for storing large data files is the capacity of all drives, as oppose to the max capacity of a single drive.

The disadvantage however is that it offers no fault-tolerance and if one of the disks fails, the data on all of your drives is lost for good.
HIGHEST FAULT-TOLERANCE

Mirroring: RAID-1 mirrors the data completely onto all of the disks providing multiple copies of all the data. However this reduces your capacity to the size of a single disk.
FAULT-TOLERANCE & TOP PERFORMANCE

RAID 5: offers fault-tolerance in conjunction with high performance and capacity. It offers higher transfer speeds than RAID-3 or RAID-4. If one disk fails the data is safe but if two or more disks fail the data is lost. For most users, this is the recommended RAID mode used on four drive 1 TeraByte TeraStation™.