3 Signs Your Server Room Is Outdated

by Stephanie Faris on Monday, April 02, 2018 10:30

At one time, even the smallest amount of computing power required massive equipment, often taking up an entire room. As technology has evolved, though, businesses can do far more with less, which means one small room can be filled with servers that support tens of thousands of end users.

But technology never stops moving forward. This means if you don't regularly audit your business's infrastructure, you can quickly fall behind the times. While there may be some leeway with your computers and mobile devices, an outdated server room has a much wider impact. Here are a few signs that it may be time to update your server room.

Lack of Documentation

Your racks may be filled with the latest equipment, but if you haven't documented any of it, you'll be lost in the event of a problem. If, for instance, you need to move to a new location, you'll either need to document everything before the move or spend hours trying to reconstruct your previous environment.

It may seem like there isn't enough time in the day, but a couple of hours each year could be all it takes. Create an inventory of every item in your server room, including how your cables are connected. This will help you replicate it not only during a move but also if the building housing your server room is impacted by a disaster like a hurricane or tornado.

You Have Outdated Servers

As technology evolves, it can be easy to become complacent. That database you put in place a full decade ago can easily become outdated, though, and even if you moved it to a newer server in the years since, you still may be at risk. If the equipment suddenly crashed, would you be able to restore all of the systems your processes rely on?

If you have a server that can't be easily brought up to full operational status after a crash, it's time to make some changes. There may be a cloud-based solution that can replace it, which will be ideal since the software will scale as technology changes.

You Lack Disaster Preparedness

Even if you think your server room is located in a disaster-proof area, there are no guarantees. A fire or unexpected water main break could cause serious damage to your equipment. It's important to have a full disaster preparedness plan. In addition to protecting your business, it will also be handy to provide to potential investors or regulatory auditors.

You should also take a serious look at your backup process. Are you backing up all of your files to an offsite server? How long would it take to get your business operational in the event of a serious disaster? If you aren't satisfied with the answer, it may be time to invest in an upgrade.

In addition to having an up-to-date server room, you should also have a plan in place to offload any old equipment without putting your business at risk. Our experienced technicians have the resources necessary to safely dispose of old hard drives, ensuring you can keep your data protected without holding onto older equipment.