Squiz

Hosting Services

Squiz's Server Administrators can help you set up and maintain servers running mission critical applications. Our services include:

• Fully managed hosting at Australia's best hosting facility
• Security management and audit
• Server installs
• Server log management
• Uptime guarantees (as part of a service level agreement)

Squiz offers a fully managed web hosting facility where infrastructure can be shared or operated as a dedicated service. This service offers flexibility for customers who don't want the complexity and expense associated with managing mission critical server infrastructure. Squiz can provide an end to end web hosting environment with a no up-front capital outlay, just a simple monthly charge.

Squiz's servers are located at the Macquarie Intellicentre in Sydney. The Intellicentre is the only Australian data centre to receive the internationally recognised British Standards Institute security accreditation BS7799, as well as SunTone accreditation. This means the Macquarie Intellicentre environment is unparalleled in Australia, providing the highest standards of security and quality.

Physical Security

All visitors must be pre-booked by one of our account managers, and show proof of identity before admittance. Entry to any data facility is strictly escorted access only. Doors are secured with numeric key codes, swipe cards or biometric scanners. If work is to be carried out on equipment it must be removed from the data facility to a staging room. Clients have the option of a secured private cage, which is key access only (additional cost).

Virtual Security

Each Squiz managed server benefits from three levels of virtual security:

Level 1: 

Squiz subscribes to Macquarie's IntelliGuard perimeter firewall and intrusion detection system. The IntelliGuard product is a combination of dedicated security hardware, software and a range of management and reporting services including 24x7 human monitoring. This ensures comprehensive protection for your servers.

Level 2: 

Each Squiz server is separately and strictly firewalled.

Level 3:

Squiz technicians perform daily security audits on every Squiz managed server. Security updates and patches are applied promptly.

Fire Control

The facilities employ state of the art, localisable, "dry" (FM200) fire suppression technology, arrest fires quickly with minimum possible equipment loss. VESDA Services (Very Early Smoke Detection Unit) ensure fires are detected and extinguished as quickly as possible.

24 Hour Monitoring

All servers are monitored at ping level 24x7x365. Squiz clients can also choose a Service Level Agreement with a range of customisable options including minimum uptime guarantee of up to 99.9%.

Connectivity

The facilities have direct internet connectivity with all major carriers (detailed below). Direct internet connectivity is critical because unlike servers hosted with an ISP, performance will not decrease during busy periods of the day.

Disaster Recovery

All Squiz servers are automatically backed up every night to a physically remote server. Incremental 30 day and offsite backup are also available via Squiz Service Level Agreements.

Redundancy

The facilities offer complete redundancy including redundant Internet connectivity, redundant power supply (including backup UPS generators), redundant air conditioning and redundant routers.

Acceptable Use Policy

Squiz have the following Acceptable Use Policy and guidelines for Hosting Services.
Policy Document

Shared or dedicated hosting?

Choosing shared or dedicated hosting very much depends on the requirements of the client, the load and the complexity of the scripts the server will execute.

As a general rule of thumb, sites receiving more than 10,000 page views a day or 50,000 hits a day (whichever is higher) should consider moving to a dedicated server.

Sites expecting more than 50,000 page views a day (or ¼ million hits/day) will require a dedicated server with multiple CPUs, a generous amount of RAM and PHP optimisation software (eg Dual 2+Ghz Xeon with 1+GB RAM and Zend Performance Suite).

If you require a dedicated server you may either supply your own (rack mountable only) or Squiz can supply the necessary hardware and software to run a secure, reliable and fast web server.

Contact us directly if you would like more information about hosting MySource Matrix with Squiz