Our Network
We Use SoftLayer
Slamdot's state-of-the-art servers are located in the SoftLayer datacenter near Dallas, Texas. We chose SoftLayer as our infrastructure partner because they rock.
We Don't Have Our Own Datacenter
Why should we? In the old days, when hosting cost a lot more than it does now, it made sense for providers to own their own facilities, hardware and all of the frustration that comes along with it. As hosting became more and more affordable, it became harder and harder for hosting companies to maintain their infrastructure and remain competitive. As such, a lot of companies' facilities have become obsolete and problematic, plagued with downtime and hardware failures.
Most hosting companies, these days, lease servers from datacenter partners. It makes sense. Datacenter providers specialize in maintaining power, security, connectivity and hardware, so that hosting companies can focus on their customers and their websites. It's a win-win relationship.
Why We Use SoftLayer
SoftLayer provides our infrastructure, and we focus on our clients. Our in-house admins manage our servers, and thanks to SoftLayer's innovative virtual datacenter tools, we never need physical access to the machines.
Datacenter
All SoftLayer datacenters maintain multiple power feeds, fiber links, dedicated generators, and battery backup. They are built from industry-leading hardware and equipment, ensuring the highest level of performance, reliability, and interoperability.
Network
With 290 Gbps of connectivity to the Internet, SoftLayer runs one of the largest IP backbones in the US. Their 29 x 10 Gbps diverse connections are spread across 10 of the leading network providers in the US and, in addition, include multiple public peering links to dozens of additional Internet access networks.
Servers
The servers we lease from SoftLayer are top-notch, production-grade workhorses that are built to take a beating. These beasts have multiple processors and several gigabytes of RAM. We use only the best hardware for maximum reliability.
Backups
All of our servers use RAID technology so that your data is mirrored across multiple drives. We make 2 copies of your data every single morning. One copy is made locally on the machine, and the other copy is located offsite in one of SoftLayer's other datacenters.
Backend
Our control panel utilizes SoftLayer's private network and API extensively. All communication between our control panel and each of our servers is encrypted using SSL over the private network.