Can you describe your hosting environment?

We run our sites on a highly secured dedicated server, which is located at a data center in Phoenix, Arizona. Our data center features:

* State of the art routers and Gigabit switches
* 100% private, dedicated fiber optic lines (no copper)
* Private dedicated internet connections (bandwidth).
* 60+ tons of automatic redundant Liebert HVAC (climate control) for maximum server reliability
* Redundant power backup including PowerWare UPS and a half MegaWatt Detroit Diesel powered generator system with an automatic transfer panel.

Why Phoenix?

Phoenix is generally free of most types of natural disasters that could potentially cause downtime for a data facility, including tornadoes, hurricanes, etc.

Also, most of our clients are based far from Phoenix. In the unlikely event of some catastrophe striking the locations where most of our clients are physically located, they will not have the additional concern of their websites being down too. (Think New Orleans).

What if there is a power outage?

Should utility power ever fail, the UPS systems kick in and power the building while the generator automatically starts and then switches from utility to generator power in less than 1 minute. When utility power is restored, the ATS switches back to utility power.

The UPS systems also condition and voltage regulate incoming power to ensure consistent and clean power to all servers, routers and switches. Our server has a dedicated switch port for the best in speed and security.

Is there someone dedicated 24/7 to maintain the server?

DigitalAid is not, and never will be, primarily a hosting company. We provide hosting in order to provide the best possible support to our clients.

We contract with systems administration specialists to provide 24/7 support for our server. We have this support from two different companies:

* Our data center, which has people on-site 24/7 to provide monitoring, automatic reboots if needed, and support.
* A second company that specializes in systems administration also provides 24/7 monitoring and support, in addition to acting as our sys admins. In other words, they are primarily responsible for installing software, checking backups, etc.

How often will my website be backed up?

We run daily incremental backups and weekly full backups. The backups are run during the late night / early morning hours.

These backups are not archived; if you wish to have an archive so that you can restore your site to the way it was last month, you must make your own backups (see below). Please note that this is typical for all hosting providers (most of them just don't take care to spell this out for people).

What type of control panel can I use to access the administrative functions for my domain?

We provide cPanel, a popular hosting control panel for Apache servers. It is quite powerful and allows you to:

* Make your own file and database backups and download them to your own computer in just the click of a button;
* Manage your own email accounts, email lists, forwarders, and more;
* Manage your own subdomains, add-on domains, or parked domains;
* Access several robust site statistic packages, including Awstats
* Much much more; too much to list here. cPanel is one of the most powerful packages in the industry.

If I wanted to host elsewhere, could I do it?

Of course, and with no hard feelings! Our primary interest in working with you is to provide you with solutions and to support you to the extend that you need the extra support. We are happy to continue providing any and all other services to you, including tech consulting and web/database development.

Please note one exception: We can not offer the Drupal Security Package unless you host your site with us. This means we will not be monitoring the security of your site for you. You can still request site upgrades from us whenever you wish, and the time will simply be subject to our normal hourly consulting rate.