What is colocation, how it works, advantages over cloud and VDS, who needs it, and what to look for in a data center. A guide to colocation services in Turkey.
Colocation (or "colo") means placing your own physical server in a data center and using that center's infrastructure — power, cooling, internet connectivity, and physical security. In short: the hardware is yours, the infrastructure belongs to the data center.
This model is ideal for businesses that want to own their own servers but want to avoid the costs and risks of hosting them in their own office or building.
Colocation Model:
You Data Center
───────────────── ──────────────────────────
Physical server → Rack space (1U, 2U, 4U...)
Hardware maintenance → Power (electricity + UPS)
Software management → Cooling system
Data management → Internet connectivity
→ Physical security
→ Fire suppression
→ 24/7 NOC (Network Operations Center)
You deliver or ship your server to the data center. The center places your server in a rack, provides power and network connectivity. You then manage your server remotely (via SSH, RDP, or IPMI/iDRAC).
| Feature | Colocation | Cloud |
|---|---|---|
| Hardware ownership | Yours | Provider's |
| Cost model | Fixed monthly | Pay-per-use |
| Scaling | Manual | Automatic |
| Performance | Maximum | Variable |
| Control | Full | Limited |
| Initial cost | High (hardware) | Low |
| Long-term cost | Low | High |
If you have high and predictable workloads, colocation can be much more economical than cloud. Especially in 3+ year projections, colocation generally wins.
| Feature | Colocation | Dedicated Rental |
|---|---|---|
| Hardware ownership | Yours | Provider's |
| Hardware selection | Free choice | Provider catalog |
| Hardware upgrade | Anytime | Provider-dependent |
| Initial cost | High | Low |
| Monthly cost | Low | High |
| Hardware failure | Your responsibility | Provider handles |
VDS operates in a virtualized environment and resources are shared (even if dedicated in VDS, the physical hardware is shared). In colocation, all physical hardware belongs exclusively to you.
Performance Comparison:
VDS: Has virtualization overhead
Colocation: Bare-metal performance, no virtualization
You choose your own hardware. You can use any CPU, RAM, disk, and network card you want. You can install custom GPUs, FPGAs, or specialized network equipment.
You buy the hardware once. Your monthly payment only covers rack space, electricity, and bandwidth. Over a 3-5 year perspective, it can be much more economical than dedicated rental or cloud.
Your data physically resides on your hardware. You have full control over data location and ownership for KVKK, GDPR, or industry regulations.
Offers bare-metal performance. There is no virtualization overhead. Especially ideal for databases requiring high I/O, big data processing, and AI/ML workloads.
You can use your own BGP AS number, manage your IP blocks, and create custom VLAN configurations.
You need to purchase server hardware. An enterprise-class server can cost tens of thousands.
When hardware fails, you are responsible. For situations like disk replacement or RAM failure, you either go there yourself or purchase "hands-on" service from the data center.
To increase capacity, you need to purchase and install new hardware. Instant scaling like cloud is not possible.
You may need to visit the data center for physical access. Remote management tools like IPMI/iDRAC reduce but don't completely eliminate this need.
Power Redundancy Levels:
N → Single power source (high risk)
N+1 → Backup power source available
2N → Fully redundant (double copy of everything)
2N+1 → Fully redundant + extra backup
Ask about UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply) and generator capacity. How many hours of outage can it withstand?
Servers generate a lot of heat. Insufficient cooling leads to hardware failures and shortened lifespan.
Network Quality Criteria:
- How many different upstream providers? (diversity matters)
- Is BGP peering available?
- Connected to IX (Internet Exchange) points in Turkey?
- What is the bandwidth guarantee?
- Is DDoS protection offered?
The Uptime Institute's Tier classification shows the reliability of the data center:
| Tier | Annual Uptime | Feature |
|---|---|---|
| Tier 1 | 99.671% | Basic infrastructure |
| Tier 2 | 99.741% | Redundant components |
| Tier 3 | 99.982% | Concurrent maintenance |
| Tier 4 | 99.995% | Full fault tolerance |
Tier 3 and above certified data centers are recommended for enterprise use. Tier 3 means only ~1.6 hours of downtime per year.
REXE Technology offers colocation services in a TIER 3 certified data center in Istanbul.
REXE Colocation Features:
Before switching to colocation service, evaluate your existing infrastructure. Calculate your monthly traffic, power consumption, and rack space needs. The REXE team prepares a custom quote based on your needs.
Colocation is ideal for:
In colocation, the hardware belongs to you; you only pay the data center for space, electricity, and connectivity. In dedicated server rental, the hardware belongs to the provider and you pay monthly rent. Colocation can be more economical in the long run but requires hardware investment upfront.
You can benefit from colocation service with even a single server. Most data centers rent rack space starting from 1U. However, for a single server, renting a dedicated server is generally more practical than colocation. Colocation becomes more advantageous when you have multiple servers or special hardware requirements.
You can visit the data center in person or use the 'remote hands' service. Remote hands is when data center personnel perform physical interventions on your behalf. It is used for tasks like cable connection, disk replacement, and server restart. Remote hands service is available at REXE.
Two models are generally used: 1) Monthly traffic quota (e.g., 10 TB/month), 2) Committed bandwidth (e.g., 100 Mbps guaranteed). Committed bandwidth offers more predictable costs for high-traffic sites.
Yes, colocation is advantageous for KVKK compliance. Your data physically resides in a data center in Turkey, on your hardware. With cloud services, you have less control over where your data is processed and stored. Colocation in Turkey is one of the most reliable ways to meet KVKK's data location requirements.
Compare REXE Technology's VDS, dedicated server, colocation, and rack rental services in detail. Find the right hosting solution for your needs with our pricing and feature guide.
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REXE Technology SLA policy: 99.9% uptime guarantee, credit policy, uptime calculation and data center infrastructure. Learn your rights and the credit process during outages.