Great Lakes Colocation Data Center

Clients can access their equipment during standard business hours from 8 AM to 5 PM (CST), Monday through Friday. To ensure business continuity during emergencies, the facility provides 24/7 after-hours service. While the center is designed for unmanned remote operation allowing staff to adjust bandwidth, reboot servers, and perform maintenance from offsite onsite technical support is available during business hours. For convenience, the site includes a loading bay, crash carts, loaner tools, WiFi, and onsite parking.

The facility is engineered to withstand extreme environmental threats, featuring seismic braces integrated into the walls to protect against F5 tornadoes and hurricane-force winds. The total building size is 9,000 square feet, with 3,000 square feet dedicated to high density “whitespace.” This robust infrastructure ensures that critical data remains protected even during unforeseen regional disasters.

GLCC utilizes a fully redundant 2N design for its critical components, meaning all systems are replicated and can be maintained independently without interrupting operations. The power infrastructure supports a total built-out capacity of 1 MW, with high-density capabilities reaching up to 90 kW per rack or 15 kW per square foot. The standby power system includes a pair of 250 kW generators and APC UPS systems with N+2 redundancy, providing at least 24 hours of uptime before requiring refueling.

To maintain optimal hardware performance, the facility employs advanced HVAC systems featuring both chilled water and free air cooling technologies. These systems are configured with N+2 redundancy, ensuring that cooling remains consistent even if multiple units fail or require service. This tiered design approach guarantees that temperature and humidity levels are strictly controlled to prevent equipment overheating.

The data center is equipped with the latest technologies to allow for comprehensive remote monitoring of critical systems, voice applications, and data. This unmanned operational model gives staff the flexibility to scale power and bandwidth based on real-time system demand. Additionally, the facility offers versatile colocation options, ranging from shared rackspace and partial cabinets to full cabinets, supplemented by Remote Hands services for offsite management.

Operational since 2011, the site maintains a secure environment through a combination of physical and electronic barriers. The perimeter is fully fenced, and access is strictly regulated via card access control and continuous CCTV surveillance. While there is no dedicated onsite security staff, the combination of remote monitoring and physical access logs ensures a high level of protection for client hardware.