Though the time for sparkling lights, decorated trees and wrapped packages has passed it is never too late to contribute to these charities.  We are always thinking of the kids and we hope you are too. Toys For Tots accepts donations all year round, for more information please visit their website.

After lunch, we found another surprise waiting for us outside.  A Game Truck had been hired to spend a few hours outside the data center. The truck was equipped with multiple game consoles and all of the latest video games that we played on large flat screens.

The delicious meal and time spent gaming with coworkers was a very nice way to head into the Thanksgiving holiday!

As part of Russell's responsibilities, he researches, purchases, builds and keeps inventory of our server hardware options. Basically, he's the first set of hands to touch new servers and get them up and running. He gained his acumen in the technology world by earning a Bachelor's of Science in Information Technology from Clayton State University. To this day, he continues his education in current hardware technologies by attending and participating in industry shows such as Intel's Technology Provider Program and Microsoft's MSDN Training Programs.

In his spare time, Russell is an avid traveler who has recently been on a cruise to Cozumel, Mexico and is leaving for a tour of China in a few weeks. (Must be nice ;-)Please join us in our appreciation of Russell and his career with NationalNet.

Since our first article on NationalNet's SSAE 16 Attestation process, we've kept up the momentum and are now well on our way to the testing segment. We've not only given the auditors a list of all of our data center commitments, but we've gone into detail on how we control them to ensure a high quality of service is continually given to our customers.

As I explained in Part 1 of this series, we spent many weeks committing all of the things that we do on behalf of our customers to paper. Along with our contracted consultants we wrote step by step documentation for everything from the process one uses to gain access to the data center all the way through the smallest details of how we evaluate our employees on an ongoing basis. These processes are also known as "controls". Step two of the audit process is where we define how we will "test" all of the controls.

From the outside looking in, one could only assume that a student writing their own final exam would be easy, but in this case, it is not. Because the CPA firm has their license on the line, they will not accept anything less than the best form of testing that is available. For example, as a company we choose to test our generators once per week by firing them up and running them to make sure that they are reacting appropriately. This is common among most Data Centers, but in our Attestation we stated that we also test the generators under a full load at least once per year because we know that they can react differently under load than they do with no load. You would be surprised at how many of our competitors choose not to do the last step. So, in our test simply stating that we do it is not enough. We agreed to provide logs from the system showing the tests, invoices from our vendor showing the tests were performed and the contract that we have signed with the vendor to complete this on an annual basis. In addition, if the auditor so chooses, we may be asked to actually pull up video from our security cameras around the generators showing the exact date and time that these tests were performed. This is just one of literally dozens and dozens of controls that are tested.

In addition to the obvious tests there will be some that are not so obvious, as well. For an example, the auditors will be gaining access to the facility at different times throughout the audit period. Each time they will be watching to make sure that the security policies and procedures are being followed to the letter. One of the things that we state in our Attestation is that all visitors must have their badge displayed prominently while inside the facility. We also go on to state that it is every employee's responsibility to challenge anyone found inside the building without credentials displayed, as opposed to most facilities where it is simply left up to the security force. The auditor may choose to simply remove their badge and walk around the halls in the secured areas to see if employees challenge their access. Our customers need to know that when we say that we are a secure facility that it is not just lip service...we really mean it.

In the coming weeks, we will be finished writing the tests of the controls and will be moving onto the next step of the "walk through".....call it a "pre test" if you will. This step will complete two steps...first, it will give us a chance to see how we perform under the tests, but it will also be a chance for the consultants to make sure that the tests are solid and do not need to be tweaked prior to the audit. More on that in Part 3 of this series coming soon...

The Digital Ball is the annual shindig for TechBridge to bring together C-level and Executive representatives from technology companies all over the Southeast. In recent years, the Ball has raised over $1 million in funds that are directly used for helping TechBridge's network of non-profits. After an incredible turn out this year, we are still awaiting news of the final amount that was raised.

NationalNet has been committed to helping the community for nearly 15 years, and we feel that TechBridge is an amazing group to give a concentrated effort toward. Two of our employees have worked tirelessly since December on the Raffle Committee to find and secure items that were raffled off at the Ball, contributing to the overall funds that were raised for the night. If you would like more information on TechBridge and how to get involved, visit the organization online.

ATLANTA, GA - April 19, 2011 --   NationalNet, a web hosting and data center solutions company, announced today that they have begun the process for attaining a Statement on Standards for Attestation Engagements No. 16, Reporting on Controls at a Service Organization, otherwise known as SSAE 16. While the SSAE 16 attestation is new to the web hosting industry, it will supersede the Statement on Auditing Standards (SAS 70) by June 15, 2011. NationalNet is choosing to remain ahead of the curve in the industry by beginning this process with the Atlanta based CPA firm, Windham Brannon.

As stated by the American Institute of CPAs, "This section [SSAE 16] addresses examination engagements undertaken by a service auditor to report on controls at organizations that provide services to user entities when those controls are likely to be relevant to user entities' internal control."

NationalNet has made the commitment to continuing its high level of customer satisfaction and growth within the data center and hosting industry. As part of that mission, attaining the SSAE 16 attestation is just one step toward making sure our customers understand the company's focus on providing the best services and controls needed to maintain a reliable data center.

"Deep down in our hearts, we know that we do everything necessary to guarantee our customers' satisfaction every single day" said Tony Morgan, CEO of NationalNet. "Based on what we're hearing within the data center Industry, we've decided to begin the SSAE 16 attestation process.  My team and I have spent the first quarter of this year in meetings with Windham Brannon committing what NationalNet does every day to paper."

As yet another affirmation to provide outstanding service, NationalNet will complete the SSAE 16 attestation and many other goals within the 2011 calendar year.

About NationalNet

A leader in innovative web hosting and data center solutions, NationalNet is changing the way businesses manage their connectivity.  Whether it's fully managed hosting or a custom configured colocation space, NationalNet has solutions that exceed expectations and can fit any budget.  NationalNet's success is built on superior customer service customized to meet the needs of every client.  For more information, please visit www.nationalnet.com, call 678.247.7000, or email sales@nationalnet.com.

About Windham Brannon

We believe Windham Brannon is Atlanta's premier CPA firm. They offer comprehensive accounting and advisory services, proactive tax consultation and compliance. Windham Brannon serves many of Atlanta's most successful local companies as well as large, publicly-held corporations. For more information, please visit www.windhambrannon.com.

We are excited to share one of our programmers with you, Fred Dysart. He has been with us for just over a year and has made a positive impact with our Programming department. For those you who don't know, all of our programming for MyNatNet, billing and website is done in-house. Fred has worked on all of these areas in order to help improve user experience and customer support. He is proficient in programming languages such as PHP, Perl, bash, and java based Android applications...  That spells geeky in a good way.

Fred came to NationalNet as a fresh graduate from the University of Virginia with a degree in Computer Engineering. Lucky for us, his fiancé, Marilyn, decided to attend the Georgia Institue of Technology for her Doctorate in Biomedical Engineering, which pulled Fred to move to Atlanta and join our team.

In his spare time, he enjoys snowboarding, playing soccer, being a member of a kickball league (good reason for beer on a Sunday) and helping his fiancé plan their upcoming wedding.

The servers must always have power, and they must always be kept cool. It's simple, really...

A well designed data center can handle a multitude of issues, from an interruption in power by the utility company, to a broken air conditioning unit, to a major storm. Proper maintenance practices are crucial for the data center to run smoothly and without interruption.

There are many pieces of equipment that keep a data center up and running; the main switchgear where the power enters the building, the Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS), the Power Distribution Units (PDUs), Chillers, Air Handlers, Generators, Fire Suppression System, building management software, the list goes on and on. Each piece of equipment must be maintained so that in the event of an emergency the system can perform as designed, and the servers don't go down.

The Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) is the backbone of the facility. The UPS conditions the power from the utility and will bridge the gap in the event of an interruption in electrical service until the backup generators can take over and power the site. Depending on the size of the data center, there can be literally hundreds of batteries that will keep those servers online in the event of a utility interruption. Those batteries must be checked and maintained on a regular basis in order to be sure they are up to the task should they be needed. At NationalNet we perform quarterly maintenance on UPS batteries, and twice annual inspection of the UPS circuitry.

Backup generators are run once per week in order to ensure they are ready to start and accept the load when necessary. Block heaters are on 24 hours a day to keep the engines "warm," and maintenance is performed twice yearly by a certified Caterpillar technician. Fuel samples are also taken twice per year in order to maintain fuel quality. In addition, every six months it is beneficial to transition the data center over to generator power in order to give the generators a "workout," and once per year it is necessary to perform load bank testing. Load bank testing entails connecting the generators to equipment that will draw 100% of their available power. Generators require a few hours of running at 100% of their capacity or they don't function at their highest level.

Water Chillers and Computer Room Air Handlers (CRAH units) receive quarterly maintenance, from cleaning the coils, to changing air filters and fan belts, to checking electrical connections. Water samples are taken and sent to a laboratory to ensure that no corrosive chemicals have made their way into the system. A cool environment is crucial to maintaining a data center's uptime and availability.

The Fire Suppression System must be tested for proper functionality along with all smoke detectors. Building management software must be upgraded and backed up without affecting the site, and all electrical breakers must be tested with infrared equipment to be sure they aren't overheating .

There is a lot that goes into maintaining a high availability data center, and every system is crucial. In a well run data center there is always something to do, but as long as the servers have power, and they are kept cool, everything is okay. It's simple, really...

A question we get on a regular basis is "How can I assure that my site will never go down no matter what?"  The answer is always the same "There are a number of options available to you depending on your budget and your application".   I have provided a few options below.  As always, there are a number of ways to accomplish a task. The list below is by no means complete but will give you some ideas on what can be done to ensure that your site is less vulnerable to hardware and/or networking issues.

In every case, setting up high availability is going to require duplicating some hardware and may require changing the basic architecture of your site.

1. Round-Robin DNS (RRDNS)

RRNDS is a method where you assign 2 or more IP addresses in DNS to a single domain name.  If DNS sees that there is more than 1 IP address associated with the domain, it will divide the traffic between the IP addresses.  If there are two IP addresses associated with the domain, as requests come in they will be sent in an alternate fashion.  In other words, request number 1 goes to IP number 1.  Request number 2 goes to the second IP...request number 3 goes to the first IP -  well, you get the picture. To set this up, you would mirror your site on two different servers, using one IP on the first server and the second IP on the second server.  You are not limited to just 2 IP addresses per site with this method but each IP must be on a dedicated server.  In other words, if you assigned 4 IP addresses to the site, you would have to set up 4 servers with an identical copy of the site on all four servers.

The Advantage: RRDNS is that is a free solution and only requires the additional servers and nothing more - no expensive load balancer or difficult software configurations.

The Disadvantage: is that RRDNS does not know anything regarding the health of the server so if one server goes down, RRDNS will still attempt to send requests to that server, which means that ½ of the requests are going to a dead server.  Some surfers will hit the server that is up and see the site while the other half will hit the dead server and see nothing.  Another disadvantage is that it may require some site structure redesign.  For instance, if you use a CMS to manage your site, you must ensure that the CMS can handle having the site on more than one server.

2. Load Balancing

Load balancing is a hardware/software solution that works much like RRDNS except that the site only has one IP address associated with it as opposed to the multiple IP addresses used with RRDNS.  It still requires 2 or more servers with identical copies of the site residing on each server.  The IP address of the site resides on the hardware load balancer.  When a request for the site comes in, the request goes directly to the load balancer.  The load balancer then forwards the request to the least busy server and the server fulfills the request by sending the site content back to the surfer.

The Advantage: A load balancer knows about the health of the servers. If a server goes down or is not responding to requests, the load balancer immediately and automatically removes it from the pool and discontinues sending requests to it.  Once the server comes back up, the load balancer automatically puts it back into the pool and starts sending requests to it.

The Disadvantages: Load balancing is an additional cost (we can reduce these costs by putting you on a shared load balancer).  As well, the load balancer now becomes a single point of failure so in order to have true redundancy it requires a secondary load balancer in case the primary fails, thus doubling your cost.  Also, like RRDNS, you must ensure that your site and applications are capable of running on more than one server.

3. Disaster Recovery Site (DRS)

DRS is where you mirror your entire infrastructure (servers, network equipment, etc) in a second data center, usually in a data center that is at least 2-300 miles or more from your main location.  The reason for the distance is in case the primary center is subject to a natural disaster.  For instance, if a hurricane brings down your primary location, you want to ensure that the secondary location is also not affected.

The Advantage: You have full redundancy that would cover almost any event.

The Disadvantages: It requires that you duplicate your entire infrastructure, thus doubling your costs to protect against an event that may never occur.  Also, setting up a DRS so that it is fully automated requires a serious commitment to programming and architecture.

These are just a few of the things you can do to bullet-proof your site.  We also offer Mysql clustering as well as primary/secondary Mysql solutions that can ensure that there is some redundancy in your databases.  As always, should you have any questions about high availability, please contact our sales department.

With all of the positive changes that have taken place for NationalNet over  the past few months, we'd like to share just one more with you, a promotion for Jerimiah Bedell to Assistant Director of Technical Services. Jerimiah has been with our company since July of 2007 and has worked very hard for the past few years to attain this new position. He now takes part in managing our technical team, acting as a point of escalation, trouble shooting, and contributing to our Advanced Customer Solutions Team.

Jerimiah has a long history in the technical and hosting world, including positions held at SpaceNet and Earthlink as a Web Host Engineer. It should come as no surprise that he enjoys gaming and programming when he has the time.

His personal life is filled with a wife and three little boys under the age of six. He describes his life as extremely busy, but that he wouldn't have it any other way. With three little boys in the house, we're sure there's always something going on. On the weekends, he really enjoys family activities such as visiting the park or taking the kids to Chuck E. Cheese.  

We are happy to formally introduce our new Assistant Director of Technical Services to you, and please join us in giving him a round of applause.

With customer interaction being at the forefront of her position, it should come as no surprise that she graduated from Montana State University with a Health Administration and Public Relations degree. In her spare time, Stephanie has worked with the American Cancer Society and other philanthropies in Atlanta. She also enjoys decorating her new house, cooking and sharing her home with her fiance, two dogs, a cat and two turtles.

From Stephanie, and the rest of our staff at NationalNet, we wish you a Happy Holiday Season!

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