BirchHosting

BirchHosting operates a multi-homed network utilising BGP4 technology. Simply put, we have multiple connections to the Internet with different backbone providers, should any connection fail our other connections automatically take all the traffic. Not only does this mean that we are very unlikely to lose connectivity to the Internet, but it also means that traffic moving to and from our network can choose from a range of paths to get to its final destination. This means that we have been able to configure the network always to take the fastest paths.

Our network arrays operate RAID, a way of configuring a system so a disk can fail with no impact to data. As explained above we also operate our network arrays in mirrored pairs so a whole array can fail with no impact. Each array is also backed up each night to a separate backup cluster which is then written to tape and stored offsite. 

Our backup procedure goes above and beyond the majority of Web Hosting companies.

• Dual Quad Core Intel® Xeon® 3.16GHz with 2X6MB Cache
• 8 GB RAM
• Dual 136 GB SCSI Drive (for the operating system)
• RAID Mirroring (for the operating system)
• Dual Power Supplies
• Dual Gigabit Network Adapter

BirchHosting's network operates on industry-leading network equipment from Cisco Systems. All our switches and routers are developed by Cisco. Our network is based on 10 gigabit technology, which means that it runs at a speed of 10000 Mb per second - most Web Hosting networks are limited to much less. 

Our network also utilises 100% CAT6 network cable, which contains four pairs of copper wire and, unlike CAT5, utilises all four pairs. CAT6 supports Gigabit (1000 Mbps) Ethernet and supports communications at more than twice the speed of CAT5e, which is the other popular standard for Gigabit Ethernet cabling.

Redhat is the leading provider of Linux open source software. For many years now Redhat Linux has been the number one choice for Web Hosting companies, not just because of Redhat's amazing scalability but also because of its track record as the most stable operating system available in the market today. 

Our systems utilise the latest Redhat server technology to allow our servers to be continually up to date with Redhat system & security patches. 

Unlike many of our competitors we run Redhat Enterprise Linux, the most stable release of Redhat Linux available and the only version that keeps completely up to date with security patches.

Check our uptime out here For your peace of mind. You dont have to take our word for it, Webhostingstuff is a market leader in monitoring websites uptimes. Also the market leader for webmaster information.

The temperature of the data centre is kept at a steady 20oC to allow optimum equipment performance. Our fire detection system monitors the room for any sign of fire and allows operators to respond to such a situation using a variety of fire suppression techniques.

The data centre is manned 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, so that if anything goes wrong engineers can respond quickly and effectively to the problem. Access to the data centre is via a master access list using Smart Card authentication. Access to the data centre is by authorisation only. CCTV operates throughout the facility.

Dual power feeds enter the building at different points and Uninterruptible Power Supplies (UPS) ensure that all power to the server area is clean and spike free. In the event of a power outage the UPS can take the entire data centre load for up to five minutes. However within 20 seconds the redundant generators are able to indefinitely take on the entire data centre load.