To meet the basic criteria for providing high availability and reliability of neoCloud, there are two data centers in Skopje and Stip with distance greater than 70km configured in Metro Stretched Cluster configuration. This solution enables data replication between the two data centers in real time, meeting the criteria for high availability according to the real needs of today’s modern business in the cloud. The two data centers are using dedicated redundant links from the telecommunication operator Neotel.

The hardware architecture in the two data centers is a solution based on HP Converged Infrastructure providing a single optimized computing solution that brings together all the elements into a one functional system

• Servers: HP Blade System c7000 chassis with two processors blade servers based on Intel Xeon from the latest generation.
• Storage devices: HP 3PAR Storage system, with SSD, SAS NL-SAS disks, interconnected with FC links for synchronous replication of data between the data centers.
• LAN equipment: Blade I/O modules based on HP Virtual Connect FlexFabric/Flex-10 technology with HP Core Network Switches in HA mode.
• Backup devices: Beside the possibility for D2D backups, neoCloud has scalable, robotic LTO library with drives working on latest LTO-6 Ultrium tapes.
• Security system based on Next Generation Firewalls
• Software for IT infrastructure management, automation and orchestration.

The operations for neoCloud infrastructure, and also the provisioning of the services is centrally managed and based on:

• VMware vCloud Director, VMware vCloud Automation Center
• HP Matrix Operating Environment (MOE)
• HP Cloud Software Automation (CSA)

The usage of these tools for management, gives us total control of operations, monitoring and availability of neoCloud. Also, for the customers, this provides a unique user experience in an intuitive portal for self provisioning and management.

VMware Cloud Director offers complete separation of clients and tenants in the cloud infrastructure with firewalls, load-balancers and routers. However, as an addition to the base security, neoCloud uses Next Generation Firewalls from the leading vendor Palo Alto Networks, enabling the highest security on application layer. Also, between neoCloud and the internet provider Neotel, DDoS devices are protecting the system from distributed attacks.

The data centers in Skopje and Stip are equipped with required devices for security and high availability for the hosted IT equipment.

• Redundant UPS
• Power aggregate
• Fire suppression and notification system
• Redundant cooling system
• 24h monitoring of environmental conditions (temperature, humidity, water presence/leakage)
• Video monitoring equipment
• Access control

Besides these measures for high availability and integrity and the replication of data between the two data center, the IT equipment in each data center is fully redundant and high available. All the components are fully redundant without the possibility of disruption in case of single component failure, meaning No-Single-Point-of-Failure (NSPoF).