NDeX and BDFTE create an extraordinary data center that incorporates next-generation BC/DR protections.

1. Data Centers
A Vault in the Cloud
NDeX and BDFTE create an extraordinary data center
that incorporates next-generation BC/DR protections
As events like Hurricane Sandy demonstrate A model facility
with catastrophic clarity, nothing is certain. Aware that the repercussions of a sustained
In our increasingly digital and cloud-based interruption in service or a breach in security
world, that uncertainty is significant financial could be financially and professionally
and professional liability, particularly in ruinous, NDeX and BDFTE have long made
industries where information is king and the design and implementation of an effective
time-sensitive operational realities are an and comprehensive disaster preparedness
unavoidable part of doing business. and business continuity plan a top priority.
But in the event of a natural disaster or other
The law firm of Barrett Daffin Frappier Turner emergency circumstance, even the best plan
& Engel, LLP (BDFTE) and default processing will fail without the cutting-edge technical
support specialist NDeX understand that architecture, innovative and impenetrable
the mortgage default servicing industry is security apparatus, and comprehensive
especially vulnerable to these issues, and that logistical support of a world-class data center.
natural and man-made disasters will always The Carrollton data center provides those
be a worst-case scenario reality. Together with resources, designed to preserve and protect
a heightened regulatory environment, these vital information and maintain business
issues will continue to become increasingly continuity and operational integrity in the Objectives (RPOs) within hours, Carrollton
prominent features on the professional face of even the most disruptive disaster. is capable of doing it within minutes. The
landscape in the years ahead. As a result, Carrollton data center has N+1 redundancy,
it is clearer than ever before that advanced From its strategically selected location ensuring that the failure of any one cooling
business continuity and disaster recovery (at a site that is geographically favorable, component cannot compromise the integrity
(BC/DR) capabilities are not just a priority— geologically stable, and experiences a of cooling systems. AB power configuration
they are a necessity. statistically low incidence of natural disasters) (providing two discrete power sources into
to its eye-popping technical features (such as each piece of equipment) enables equipment
With that in mind, NDeX and BDFTE are next-generation secure telecommunications to remain up and running if one power
controlling their own destiny, proactively network and fire suppression systems), supply goes down. The facility is backed
ensuring that they and their professional every aspect of the Carrollton data center is up by a separate 125 kVA uninterruptible
partners will never be in a similar situation. designed to provide maximum security and power supply (UPS) units that eliminate
The two firms have collaborated to create an operational uptime. issues related to brownouts and power
extraordinary next-generation data center spikes, maintain operation until generators
in Carrollton, Texas that combines cutting- The facility’s cloud services, redundancies, can be deployed in the event of a service
edge technical sophistication with custom- replication of data and backup capabilities interruption, and optimize the power threshold
designed procedural power and operational are second to none. Tier 1 applications are for data center equipment. Additionally, the
flexibility to provide the best BC/DR protection backed up to the center within minutes, facility is located at an intersection between
in the industry. It is a remarkable facility in making it possible to have virtually seamless two different sections of the regional power
more ways than one. and nearly real-time backup at all times. While grid, making it possible to efficiently route
some firms aspire to achieve Recovery Point power through a different substation at

2. another power facility in an emergency.
Secure and encrypted telecommunications
flow into and out of the facility via multiple
portals, and through diversified Carrier Offices
(COs). If one goes down, information can be
immediately rerouted through another line.
From a security standpoint, Carrollton’s
capabilities are impressive: 21 security
cameras (with full pan/tilt/zoom capabilities)
monitor the perimeter of the complex, as well
as each individual aisle of the data center, and
the electrical room. The cameras facilitate
audible communication to various parts of the
facility, making rapid communication possible
in the event of an emergency. They also
record on motion, storing up to six months
of recording data at a time (well beyond the contrast with outside BC/DR providers,
standard 90-day industry requirement) and Carrollton has been thoughtfully designed by
maintaining even longer-term retention of firms that operate in the mortgage processing
specific recorded incidents. Sophisticated and mortgage default servicing space every
software monitors virtually every aspect of day, and features facilities and services that
the facility, tracking a range of equipment and were designed with our partners and clients
functionality that includes the computer room top-of-mind.
filters and cooling systems, the generators,
all electrical gear, and even the temperature The assurance that comes with ironclad
in every individual server cabinet. The data protection from natural disasters and service States Small Business Administration (SBA)
center and electrical room are equipped interruptions also extends to compliance: indicate that the vast majority of businesses
with a next-generation gas fire suppression the Carrollton data center provides a level impacted by a natural disaster either go out of
system that mitigates a critical component in of verifiable and demonstrable security that business immediately, or fail within a year or
the combustion cycle and snuffs out potential not only far exceeds the standard regulatory two after the incident.
flare ups nearly instantaneously. Finally, two- mandates of the industry, but also satisfies
factor authentication—a security badge and the internal business continuity and security But while the (potentially devastating) costs
a personal identification number (PIN)—is standards of even the most demanding of a security breach or natural disaster
required for access to sensitive areas, and and security conscious firms. The best are relatively well understood, the true
administrators receive real-time text message electrical, systems and security specialists operational benefits of guaranteed security
alerts every time an individual badge enters worked alongside BC/DR experts to ensure and verifiable business continuity are still
into the facility or into the data center. that security and performance at Carrollton just beginning to be appreciated. In some
would serve as a model for the industry. Just respects, the events of recent years and
Real-world protection as critical, however, is the fact that those the subsequent regulatory pressures have
For the firms’ clients and professional facilities and resources were designed with created a set of circumstances where
partners, that high level of sophistication, an eye to the realities of compliance and the mortgage default servicing is ahead of the
protection and utility translates to the costs and repercussions of a failure. Where curve when it comes to appreciating the
best real-world security in the industry. some data centers end with a compliance importance of high quality BC/DR. Today—
Not a checklist or a by-the-numbers effort, checklist, NDeX and BDFTE use them as a and for decades to come—secure and
but a bold commitment to functional and jumping off point. sophisticated data center resources will be
verifiable security that represents a dynamic the beating heart of the industry, occupying
combination of technology and safety An eye to the future a uniquely important position on the
features. The Carrollton data center is not Business interruption can impact a firm’s professional landscape. For many regulators,
just state-of-the-art, it is state-of-the-industry: bottom line, reduce functionality, sacrifice servicers and vendors, facilities like NDeX
designed specifically with the unavoidable credibility and, in the worst-case scenario, and BDFTE’s Carrollton data center are
deadlines, intense financial pressures and compromise the very viability of the operation. the future. In Carrollton, Texas, however, it
complex logistical challenges of the mortgage Statistics compiled by the Federal Emergency appears that the future has already arrived.
default servicing industry in mind. In stark Management Agency (FEMA) and the United