Technical Archives

What’s the difference between kW and kVA?

Now this catches a lot of people out, so be on the lookout! So you’re in the know – some solutions are sold as kVa and others kW. But you can’t compare kilovolt-ampere (kVA) with kilowatts (kW). (Make sure you ask the question because the difference matters!).

kW is the globally standardised unit measurement for real power, while kVA is a unit measurement of apparent power. kVA can be as much as 20% LESS than a kW (yes, you read that right). For example, when you contract a power utilisation of 2KW at NEXTDC you have access to 100% of that power. If you contract power utilisation of 2KvA, given that it’s apparent power which is 20% less than a KW you are left with 1.6kVa of available power. Oops.

Another sticking point is power availability. Many assume that if you buy 2kW or 2KvA of power, 100% of that power is available. Sadly, this is an incorrect assumption as some data centres automatically shift you to the next level of billable power when you hit 80% usage. If your data centre provider enforces power upgrades at 80% usage, or if they sell KvA then do your sums. You’re probably not getting maximum value for money.

The good news is that all NEXTDC solutions are provided in kW and we make 100% of the power contracted available.

What connectivity options do you offer?

NEXTDC is Australia’s major interconnection hub for digital businesses. And interconnection is the linchpin for every digital transformation strategy. Adopting an interconnection-first strategy enables organisations to solve networking issues, avoid security risks, and overcome data and application performance challenges.

NEXTDC’s digital infrastructure platform offers organisations a range of interconnection solutions that deliver direct interconnectivity to the leading public cloud platforms, the nation’s carrier networks, the largest digital ecosystem of specialist ICT service providers, customers and vendors. So, what does this mean to you (and your customers)? Well:

Instead of connecting to cloud over the Public Internet, we enable direct-to-cloud private connections between a colocated data centre environment and any cloud within the same data centre via a dedicated Cross Connect.
NEXTDC facilitates access to virtual cloud orchestration and connectivity platforms. AXON enables organisations to form direct network connections to multiple cloud providers. This approach brings further efficiencies to a Hybrid Multi-Cloud environment, enabling performance improvement, increased flexibility and lower bandwidth costs.
NEXTDC offers inter and intra-data centre connectivity with Data Centre Interconnects and Cross Connects. NEXTDC’s Data Centre Interconnects (DCI) and Cross Connects enable direct interconnection to cloud service providers, network service providers, customers and partners who reside within any NEXTDC facility located in the same metropolitan area (DCI) or within the same campus (Cross Connect).

What downtime can I expect?

NEXTDC are the only data centre provider in the industry with data centres that are engineered (and independently certified by Uptime Institute) to deliver 100% uptime. That means when it comes to the redundancy and resilience of our data centres, we ensure there’s no single point of failure for the critical electrical or mechanical paths. When we say we deliver 100% uptime and complete fault tolerance, we have the independent verification and 11 years of history to demonstrate that’s exactly what we do.

What physical security measures do you have in place?

Even James Bond would fail to breach our five layers of security! Yes, that’s five seriously sophisticated layers of access, including anti-scale perimeter security, biometric fingerprinting, anti-clone ID access cards and 24/7/365 on-site elite security. Not to mention (but we will) the high definition CCTV cameras that monitor every corner and corridor of our data centres. Our racks are individually secured by our customised TZ rack-locking system, which are managed electronically through your ONEDC customer portal. Access rights are customisable, and can be set up from user level through to contractors and workgroups. And you get a full access log available anytime for security and compliance reporting.

Our racks are specially designed to ensure nothing gets through, including sticky fingers. But to even get that far, they’d need to pass through our Gunnebo bullet-resistant security portals first, which prevent tailgating and pass-back and detect excess weight of multiple people or additional equipment. So there’s no chance of that happening! Eat your heart out, 007!

And just so you know that we are dotting our i’s and crossing our t’s, we conduct regular industrial-strength audits, ensuring that we always maintain 100% compliance with global security and privacy regulations. We don’t just run those audits based on our own governance and compliance protocol, we undertake them for our customers too – it’s all part of the service.

But it isn’t just physical security that we take care of. Cybersecurity is critical, and our data centre interconnection services enable you to connect to your cloud and digital services privately, and securely. AXON is a layer 2 service, so you can even layer your own network security over the top for added piece of mind.

How do you support Hybrid Cloud and Multi-Cloud environments?

NEXTDC data centres house Australia’s most active and network-rich partner ecosystem. Comprising more than 730 clouds, network providers and ICT services specialists, NEXTDC is the prime location for digital businesses build their Hybrid Cloud and Multi-Cloud environments.

Businesses thrive from direct and private connects to AWS, Microsoft, Google, Oracle Cloud, IBM cloud and reap all the benefits that cloud offers, without any of the cost, security, or reliability concerns. At NEXTDC, we enable businesses to benefit from unparalleled choice and flexibility. When it comes to building optimal, flexible Hybrid and Multi-Cloud architectures, we help our customers build for today, with the future in mind.

Are your data centres energy efficient?

NEXTDC is passionate (well, very, very serious) about operating an infrastructure platform that is more reliable, secure and energy efficient. We build and operate a footprint of the most energy efficient data centres in the country.

Sustainability is embedded in our corporate DNA, with our in-house team of engineers dedicated to building and continuously looking for ways to fine tune our fleet and consistently maintain the most operationally sustainable data centres in the market. With the transformational pressures experienced in the current environment NEXTDC is devoted to driving continuous improvement in energy efficiency and sustainability. Our facilities are designed, engineered and operated at a level of energy efficiency that is superior to competitors in the market. It’s an achievement that also allows us to support our customers in their efforts to reduce their carbon footprint and impact on the environment.

Our industry-leading Power Utilisation Effectiveness (PUE) ratios, National Australian Built Environment Rating System (NABERS) 5-Star rated facilities and carbon neutral corporate operations are key outcomes from our commitment to environmental sustainability. PUE is a metric that matches total energy consumption by a data centre in comparison to the load required to run the computer equipment in the facility. In FY20, we achieved a national average PUE of 1.3 compared to the industry average of approximately 1.7. The difference is very significant indeed and a testament to the focus we apply to energy efficiency.

NEXTDC is the only data centre operator in the country to achieve a NABERS 5-Star rating for energy efficient buildings with that level of certification applying to the M1 and S1 data centre facilities. The M1, S1, C1, B2 and P1 data centres are all certified being under the ISO 14001 certification for Environmental Management Systems. Our second-generation data centres B2, M2 and S2 have all been designed to meet, if not exceed, the current energy efficiency standards and ISO 14001 certification. So yes, we’d say our data centres are energy efficient.

How do you support environmentally conscious customers?

We’re committed to protecting our planet and creating a more sustainable future. Our mission (not impossible) is to help our customers harness the power of the digital age to drive outcomes that are more sustainable for business and the environment. We’ve combined our sustainable engineering practices with our passion for preserving our planet. In partnership with Climate-Active and Qantas Future Planet, we fund a portfolio of carbon offset projects that are making a real impact on people, society and the planet.

Ready for some good news? We’ve removed the time and complexity involved in calculating the amount of carbon you produce and how you counteract that carbon with carbon offsets. Our carbon neutral colocation solution, NEXTneutral, pre-calculates the carbon emissions produced in a standard data centre rack for you, and we take care of the procurement of the carbon offsets on your behalf. So, you can quickly and easily achieve net-zero emissions in your NEXTDC data centre.

Our company and NEXTneutral are Climate Active certified. Under our NEXTneutral program we’re extending our Climate Active-accredited partnerships to our ecosystem, enabling our customers and partners to leverage the carbon offset capability we have built through our own corporate program. Opting in to NEXTneutral is as easy as one click in ONEDC, and costs less than a cup of coffee per kW.

Who else do you work with?

We work with more than 660 of the leading clouds, private cloud providers, system integrators and carrier networks. Chances are, if you’re looking for a partner, cloud or a provider – they’ll already be located at NEXTDC. We have more than 1300 local and global customers, including some of the biggest logos globally such as AWS, Microsoft, Google, Netskope, Chemist Warehouse, Mastercard, Aussie Broadband, Civica, BDO, Morgans and many more

What costs need to be considered with colocation?

Colocation, or Data Centre-as-a-Service takes the complexity out of managing in-house IT infrastructure. Colocation strips out all of the cost associated with running a data centre, and unburdens the customer from owning it. Just some of the major costs colocation helps to immediately alleviate includes data centre technician costs, generators, electricity, security, private carrier links, insurance, UPS systems, audits and costs associated with compliance adherence, fuel and many more.

When colocation is consumed as-a-Service the cost is amortised and operationalised, opposed to capital spend. Based on the power consumed and space taken, colocation is simplified down to one line item that is right-sized to a customer’s needs, with the flexibility wrapped around it to grow in line with business needs

What are the benefits of electronic rack locking?

NEXTDC’s racks are individually secured by our customised TZ rack-locking system, which are managed electronically through your ONEDC customer portal. Our data centres are modern and built for the future, and our processes embrace the same philosophy.

Physical locks seen in competing data centres, accessed via a key is an outdated and cumbersome process. TZ rack locking removes all redundant processes and streamlines your policies; from your custom access rights, to how your racks are locked and unlocked, as well as enabling real-time access logs for security and compliance reporting.

Electronic rack locking enables true process automation and operational efficiencies, which helps you maximise your time, optimise your investment and reduce time and money spent chasing keys around, arranging unnecessary escorts or the need for process heavy compliance audits.

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