[AusNOG] Experience with Global Switch, Sydney?

[Matt Perkins]

That's a good summary of what it's like at GS.  The only thing I can add 
is when you are man handling a large server from the dock 2km down to 
your suite through numerous doors and cage's  with no trolly after 
making your way back down to the dock you were only just at 10 minutes 
before because you had to go through the stupid man trap.  Just as you 
collapse without even some old cardboard to break your fall (cardboard 
banned)  You will be dreading the day you ever heard the name global 
switch.

Power/Air/Services are all second to none. But make sure you have 
redundant everything sitting ready to go in your rack. Allow 2 hours 
always once you get parking and stuff around with there procedures to 
get a new server in.

Matt.


On 22/10/12 6:43 AM, Matthew Palmer wrote:
> On Mon, Oct 22, 2012 at 01:43:30AM +1100, Emily Ozols wrote:
>> We'll recently the company I work for has been looking at expanding our
>> network to Sydney and we're currently looking at getting a rack with Global
>> Switch.
>> Does anyone have any experience with them? Are they any decent, if they're
>> crap what's a good alternative? I've been looking around for a bit and
>> Global Switch seems to impress me the most.
> We've got 50 or so racks with GS.
>
> * You can't "get a rack with Global Switch".  They deal in suites of racks
>    only.  Plenty of people do by-the-rack colo within GS, but costs, T&Cs,
>    quality of service varies considerably.  Do your homework.
>
> * Dealing with GS directly can be painful.  They're a big organisation, and
>    it shows.  I'll just leave it at that.
>
> * Working through a colo provider buffers you from much of GS directly, but
>    it also means that if one of their rules impacts you, you've got even less
>    sway than usual in fixing the problem.  So choose your colo provider
>    carefully.
>
> * The facilities are at the utilitarian end of acceptable.  You get power,
>    you get aircon, you (might) get locks on your cage door.  Everything else
>    (network, racks, tools, cables, KVMs, etc) is your problem (or that of
>    your colo provider).  Carefully examine what your colo provider promises
>    to give you (in writing), and budget for *everything* else.
>
> * The infrastructure is acceptably reliable.  The only time there's been a
>    hiccup while we've been there was when GS lost one of their power feeds;
>    the only things of ours adversely impacted were some legacy gear that
>    wasn't redundantly powered.
>
> In summary: they're a good deal for the price, but don't expect *any*
> frills.
>
> - Matt
>


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