Business Continuity Planning for Data Centers and Systems: A Strategic Implementation Guide

Chapter 7. Primary and Secondary Data Center Selection: Recent History

Establishing and implementing unique criteria for data center selection is not a new idea. The idea for a mission-critical facility has grown more exacting over the past ten years and even more so over the past three years. In the northeastern United States, the financial capital of the world, the data center and business continuity site often was located within 10 miles of headquarters or the primary site. The proximity was established largely to be close to synchronous encryption to the critical data within 26 route kilometers (18 miles) and to be close enough so the managers or business heads could oversee implementation and maintenance effectively.

It was rare that the primary data center was geographically remote from a second site or that a business continuity site would truly be remote (over 80 miles away). Currently there are over 40 business (active/active) continuity sites in Jersey City, New Jersey, just 1.5 Euclidean miles from lower Manhattan and 6 to 8 Euclidean miles from midtown Manhattan, where the primary data centers and headquarters are located. What we witnessed from the events of September 11, 2001, other than the catastrophic loss of life, is that commercial transportation on bridges, tunnels, and most waterways were effectively stopped, unless escorted by official vehicles. Companies received police escorts to various sites for fuel and temporary generator distribution. If possible at all, ...