| Hosting |
| |
|
| Q. |
What is virtualisation? |
 |
|
| A. |
Virtualisation is the creation of a virtual (rather than actual) version of something, such as an operating system, a server, a storage device or network resources . In terms of hosting, a physical server is divided up into multiple "virtual" server environments which share the resources from a physical server such as processing power, memory and storage. By hosting multiple virtual environments on a single physical server, or community of servers, utilisation of hardware resources is increased and data centre space is optimised. Virtualisation of server environments can have the additional benefit of increasing resilience. |
| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | |
| |
| Q. |
What is data transfer? |
|
|
| A. |
Every time the data on your server or hosted environment is accessed by a remote computer, an amount of data is transferred. Whether this comprises of web pages, documents or applications, data is transferred from your hosted environment across the internet or your own network. Some hosting providers will limit how much data you can transfer in a month and charge for exceeding their set limits. Other hosting providers may allow unlimited data transfer. |
| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | |
| |
| Q. |
What is colocation? |
|
|
| A. |
Colocation is when a business places its servers and associated hardware within a separately owned data centre to make use of an established infrastructure. By collocating their equipment, businesses can benefit from the security, resilient power and high speed internet connections whilst retaining ownership and admistrative control over their equipment. |
| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | |
| |
| Email |
| |
| Q. |
What is Exchange 2007? |
|
|
| A. |
Exchange 2007 is the latest version of the leading messaging and collaboration software developed by Microsoft. The software sits on a server and manages the email, calendars, contacts and tasks of users within a company or organisation. Microsoft Exchange 2007 is compatible with Microsoft Outlook 2007, Apple Entourage, Blackberry, iPhone and Windows Mobile devices. |
| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | |
| | |
| Q. |
What is Hosted Exchange 2007? |
|
|
| A. |
To improve the availability, security and cost-effectiveness of their email, businesses can chose to have their Microsoft Exchange server hosted within a data centre and managed by dedicated data centre staff. All licensing and server management is taken out of the hands of the company's IT department and is taken care of for a fixed monthly fee per user. |
| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | |
| |
| Q. |
What is SharePoint? |
|
|
| A. |
Microsoft SharePoint is a portal solution that enables users to easily find, share, and publish information. The software provides a central repository of shared documents which can be accessed and edited by users. SharePoint also provides version control and access control for the documents within the document libraries. |
| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | |
| |
| MPLS |
| |
| Q. |
How easy is it to add additional sites to an MPLS network? |
|
|
| A. |
MPLS is designed with growth in mind, whether you are looking to add a branch office or remote workers, the ability to deploy remote sites has never been easier whether you have a large complex infrastructure or small number of sites or users. |
| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | |
| |
| Q. |
What are the main benefits of MPLS? |
|
|
| A. |
MPLS makes efficient use of bandwidth due to support for Quality of Service. Implementing changes to the network is therefore comparatively straightforward. In addition, MPLS enabled network removes the need for the expensive switches typical of large scale Frame Relay solutions. Multi-Protocol Label Switching or MPLS enables faster deployment, because there is much less need to configure Customer Premise Equipment (CPE) when new sites are brought on-line. |
| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | |
| |
| Q. |
What costs are involved when deploying MPLS? |
|
|
| A. |
Deploying a private network in house means that there is capital and operational expenditure involved. When taking MPLS as a service there is one monthly fee that takes into account all management, hardware and bandwidth costs, this means that you can predict the cost of your business communications for voice, data, applications and video. |
| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | |
| |
| Connectivity |
| |
| Q. |
Can anyone have a leased line? |
|
|
| A. |
Leased lines work in combination with the existing national telephony network, so offer an especially broad geographical coverage. Unlike other connectivity services such as broadband, leased lines are only available in parts of the country that are well served. Businesses situated in out of town areas must assess their upstream bandwidth requirements prior to choosing a location.
|
| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | |
| |
| Q. |
Is a leased line or Ethernet circuit suitable for high bandwidth? |
|
|
| A. |
Leased lines or Ethernet circuits are an 'always on' form Internet connection and offer the most resilient method of access. Your business will not be competing with other users for the bandwidth and you can place higher levels of dependence on the Internet.
|
| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | |
| |
| Q. |
What can I use a leased line or Ethernet circuits for? |
|
|
| A. |
Leased lines or Ethernet circuits are suitable for various applications and voice. There are no restrictions for use so long as the bandwidth options will support your business in future. You can use it for Internet access, to connect your internal or external tools to the Internet or to connect offices together via VPN or MPLS.
|
| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | |
| |
| Q. |
What is the difference between fibre and copper? |
|
|
| A. |
The difference is that fibre-optics use light pulses to broadcast information down fibre lines instead of using electronic pulses to transmit information down copper lines. At present all core networks are based on fibre due to higher speed capability and greater resistance to electromagnetic noise from other nearby cabling. In addition, fibre optic cables cost much less to maintain and are a more modern form of data communications. However, copper is often used as the last mile (or local loop) to an exchange where fibre is present.
|
| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | |
| |
| Security |
| |
| Q. |
Which firewall should I buy? |
|
|
| A. |
There are many different types and brands of firewalls on the market. All of them provide similar levels of protection and functionality. Before you choose a particular firewall you must determine your requirements and consider anticipated traffic volumes, required hardware and software features and finally price. |
| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| | |
 |