Hosting an outside firm on your network/in datacenter

[newyorkny]

Hi all,

We're a financial firm. We have recently begun inviting outside groups into our various facilities -- a not altogether uncommon situation in the sector.

They bring their servers, workstations and, in certain cases, network hardware. We do not get to check or pre-configure them in any way at this stage.

We provide DC facilities, network bandwidth and the like.

In a perfect world, we would hand these folk machines that we had built (and locked down) in order to control the potential ramifications to our network and datacenter.

In this industry (assuming one accepts this business model, and I was not asked for my acceptance), the machines are the "secret sauce." These guests would no more let us build their machines than we would allow them to look under the skirts of our special financial modelling systems.

The risk, of course, is that a badly configured machine goes rogue and brings down our connectivity in the middle of a trading day. Someone installs a Pokemon screen saver that goes supernova, hilarity ensues. Another risk may be liability for any unlicensed software that manifests on our network. Don't know.

How do you handle such a scenario (having these outside factors on your otherwise carefully-run -- and vitally, critically important -- network)? Do you have experience with not just the technical aspects, but also the legal and business ones?

I am very grateful for any thoughts and discussion on this matter.

NY

 

[brianinms]

Well in a properly run data center every client would have a separate network segment and thus wouldn't affect other machines. Additionally they would be going out a datacenter firewall that should me monitored throughout the day. As far as the legal side, you can cover that with a contract that states that the client responsible to ensure the legality of all software, hardware and data.

 

[buitenhek]

NY,
Tough-sticky-tricky-up time liability.

We installed several "centers" and it was extremely compartmentalized with just cabling reaching $800K. Add to that top notch $mega$$ servers with HW firewalls and really good software geeks that know their way around.

You are good at stocks/bonds/rins etc not networks. I know a top notch sw guru that knows nothing about money investing but is great at using OPM. The amount of money that you make on "loaning" out your network is tiny compared to 1-2 days of trader down time.

Only my opinion (cost $0)...walk away.

PS. Why isn't my TATA Motors stock doing better?

Regards
Peter Buitenhek
ProfitDeveloper.com

 

[RCorrigan]

Use VLANs on Cisco kit , each port locked to a specific machine and using a seperate gateway and ISP ..... did this for a trading floor a while back - works !!!!
Alternative is to have a totally seperate switch and ISP.

Compared to p%$$*& off traders, the cost of a seperate DSL line is minimal !!!!!

As mentioned ... a signed disclaimer is a good idea !!!

<Do I need A Signature or will an X do?>

 

[newyorkny]

Thanks everybody -- I will give you details as they begin to emerge in this situation.

Sorry I don't know why your stock isn't doing better.

I'm a private equity guy.

thanks again.

NY