Cloud Computing – Enterprise Virtual Solutions

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What Makes Host.net’s Offering Different

  • Powerful, redundant VM compute and enterprise storage platforms deployed at multiple virtual private data centers (vPDC), all connected to the Host.net Cisco Powered 10G multinational backbone
  • Single source for virtual enterprise server, storage, backup/restore, disaster recovery, colocation, Internet access, multinational transport, MPLS, MetroE, managed security and IP voice.

vServer – VMware Enterprise Server Platform

Host.net provides the latest enterprise server virtualization platform from VMware designed to meet the demands of tomorrow’s enterprise applications and services, today. The VMware solution has been proven in the industry for over ten years and is compatible with all existing and future applications. Take advantage of the latest 32 and 64-bit applications in your own private network segment with the ability to dynamically grow compute, storage and network resources on the fly. Host.net’s VM server platform includes many powerful features and tools. Here are just a few:

  • Workload High Availability –
    • Designed to recover virtual machines within one minute of a host failure
  • Live Migration –
    • Designed to keep your systems running while performing maintenance on hosts
  • Dynamic Resource Allocation –
    • Ensures your resources are available on demand
  • vShield Zones –
    • Enforces corporate security policies ensuring regulatory compliance
  • HotAdd –
    • For supported OS’s, add additional CPU, Memory and Disk on the fly with no interruption

DataCore Enterprise Storage Platform

Host.net delivers one of the world’s fastest and most flexible enterprise SAN solutions on the market today. Until now, hosted SAN solutions have been very inflexible, risky and low performing. Host.net combines the fastest hardware available with the most robust SAN intelligence to deliver an enterprise based SAN solution to our customers at an attractive price point. In addition to performance, our data integrity mechanisms are unmatched. With our DataCore solution, every byte of data written to our storage platform is written twice within a synchronous mirror, ensuring your intellectual property remains safe. Our storage solution also offers:

  • Unparalleled Flexibility –
    • Our storage platform serves the cloud as well as any colocation customer through iSCSI technology delivered over a standard cross-connect within our datacenter.
  • Large I/O Cache –
    • Our storage platform contains hundreds of Gigabytes of high-speed cache, essentially turning the SAN solution into a hybrid solid-state SAN solution.
  • Operating System Independent –
    • Not using a common operating system such as Windows or Linux; no problem. We can serve SAN storage to nearly every industry operating system capable of receiving a standard SCSI disk target over iSCSI.
  • Hardware Independent –
    • SAN hardware refreshes can be risky, time consuming and usually lead to service outages. With our solution we can dynamically add and migrate storage on the fly transparently with no downtime.

Cisco Nexus Network Platform

Host.net deploys the latest Cisco networking technology in our core network as well as in the data center to deliver the fastest and most reliable network possible. Host.net leverages the latest Nexus platform from Cisco for the tightest integration with vSphere and its supporting services. In addition to integration the Nexus delivers:

  • Policy-Based Virtual Machine Connectivity –
    • The Nexus provides real-time coordinated configuration of network and security services and maintains a virtual machine-centric management model, increasing both efficiency and flexibility.
  • Mobile VM Security and Network Policy –
    • The Nexus allows policies to move with a virtual machine during live migration ensuring persistent network, security, and storage compliance resulting in improved business continuance, performance management, and security compliance.
  • Non-Disruptive Operational Model –
    • The Nexus offers flexible collaboration between the server, network, security, and storage teams while supporting various organizational boundaries and individual team autonomy.

Seamless Integration

Host.net seamlessly integrates with existing colocation customers as well as off-premises customers. We provide access to our cloud services by providing a Layer 2 transport connection into the customer space. Once the connection is established, our cloud services can be integrated directly into the customer’s network (new or existing). All virtual machines provisioned for a customer reside in their own private VLAN segment providing total isolation from other environments. This integration enables Host.net to provide the following services:

  • Virtual Machines with Enterprise SAN Storage 
  • Enterprise SAN Storage for Colocation Customers
  • Enterprise SAN Storage for Off-Premises Customers
  • Disaster Recovery Services for Cloud Customers
  • Disaster Recovery Services for Colocation Customers
  • Disaster Recovery Services for Off-Premises Customers
  • Backup Services for Cloud Customers
  • Managed Antivirus, Antispam, IDS and firewall services for all Layer 2 Customers
  • Migration Services into the Cloud

Ultra-Resilient Architecture

Host.net developed a server, storage and networking architecture with 100% no-single-point-of-failure. Historically, this has not been that difficult to achieve, except that most providers do not protect the most important piece of the infrastructure…the storage. Every server, switch, router, and disk is redundant providing the customer with unrivaled service uptimes and reliability. We have designed the architecture with the customer in mind. We understand that when your systems are down or unreachable, you are not profitable. We have not only built the architecture for planned outages, but also for those times when hardware failures occur unexpectedly. Failures will occur, the question is whether or not the architecture has been built to sustain those failures. Overall system redundancy is met by the following capabilities:

  • DataCore SANsymphony –
    • Provides synchronous mirroring for all storage resources in the cloud
  • Redundant Storage Components –
    • All storage components are duplicated for maximum resiliency
  • VMware Clustering –
    • Provides virtual machine recovery in the event of a host failure
  • Redundant Server Components –
    • All servers and their connections are redundant
  • Cisco Networking –
    • Provides network level redundancy throughout the core and edge
  • Redundant Network Components –
    • All switches and routers have inherent built-in redundancy
  • Disaster Recovery Solutions –
    • Provides asynchronous site level data redundancy
  • Redundant Datacenters and Location –
    • Host.net owns and operates separate, dedicated and interconnected data centers

Download PDF version of brochure by clicking here.