IT Relocation Planning 101: Everything You Need to Know

If you need help with your IT relocation planning then you're in the right place. Check out this handy guide to find out everything you need to know! The same goes for moving your data. If your business stores sensitive or confidential information on hard drives, you'll need to pay attention. There's a high risk of compromising your data if you don't have a solid IT relocation plan and checklist in place. We'll tell you everything you need to know about IT relocation and relocation planning.

No to Trash

Hard drive shredding is a safe alternative to simply throwing hard drives away. By throwing hard drives in the garbage, anyone could end up with your confidential business information. Shredding ensures that old hard drives are totally destroyed. It makes it impossible for anyone to access the information stored on the drives. This is one of the key aspects when it comes to IT relocation. Along with this, the environmental impact of simply trashing old equipment is a serious ethical issue. We will discuss this further along in the article.

Relocation Planning

It's recommended that the entire IT relocation process is overseen by a project manager or project management team. The addition of a design plan outlines the details from your current situation to the end of the process. It covers everything from where you are in the process to where you want to be. In addition, an implementation plan will outline all responsible parties, steps, and dates for tasks. This ensures the various steps happen in proper sequence. Remember, it's never too early to start planning. It's critical that the move-day plan is set out well in advance. This will summarize the activities on the day of the move, to ensure all run smoothly. In order for all these plans to actually work, it's useful to have someone appointed as Project Manager. They should oversee good communication between different role players, as a single point of contact. The Project Manager will be central to managing the IT relocation checklist, which is a key element of a successful migration.

Briefing and Budget

As part of an IT relocation plan, it's useful to address potential risks. Contingency plans should be in place and all role players should be ready to fulfill their duties on the day. Any partners involved should get an extensive briefing about what to expect. Prior to the moving day, partners should be reminded of their responsibilities. This information forms part of a project plan. It should include the budget, resources, and the IT relocation timeline. As you can see, a critical aspect of this move is good, well-executed planning. To avoid miscommunication, specific areas should be documented in detail. These documents are a central part of the process, as they outline agreements, inventory lists, and diagrams.

Minimize Downtime

Data Relocation is a costly and time-consuming project. It's also potentially high-risk and needs to be done with careful consideration. An important question people have regarding IT relocation is about the time it will take. 'How this will affect my business?' they ask. A major risk of data relocation is the downtime associated with it. Downtime can be very costly, which is why you want to minimize or even avoid it if possible. For this reason, your IT relocation must be planned and managed with expertise. Extensive planning is key to minimizing downtime and saving you money. Proper planning can take months. If your company lacks expertise and is unable to form a solid data relocation plan, find a partner who can assist with this. Taking on a data relocation process without adequate planning and resources can be dangerous for everyone involved. It can cost your business downtime, data loss, and serious security risks.

Inventory Importance

One of the first steps in an adequate data relocation plan is to compile an equipment inventory list. This relocating list involves a thorough site audit and a review of the current resources. After this, you'll be more aware of the critical elements that'll need to be moved first. Along with this, you can make decisions about what items need to be replaced or upgraded. It's recommended to hire data center experts who can audit your site in detail. They'll assist you in your decision to either replace, upgrade, or decommission your current machines. This will help you to understand your current infrastructure network and equipment. In addition to the hardware, you'll also need a specific listing of your applications and software licenses. This sounds like a lot of work. And it is. But it's critical in helping you design your migration strategy. It'll guide a list of workloads and the sequence of migration.

Big Bang Theory

After you've decided what equipment you're moving and what you're replacing, you must decide whether it'll be moved all at once. This is known as a "Big Bang" approach. The alternative is to move in phases. Relocating in phases may reduce downtime in the long-run. It'll allow your business to get parts of the data center in working order before everything else is moved. If you're back up and running, you can continue with operations. However, please note that these relocations are very risky and complex. If one part of your system malfunctions before being re-installed, your entire system may be down for a while. If minimizing downtime is a priority, you can look at a "Swing Gate" approach that recreates your data center at its new location. It's a temporary recreation and will keep your system running during the move.

Support System

Keep in mind that your business may have to hire an expert to assist with your data relocation needs. Even if your company is equipped with the necessary skills and talent, some equipment migrations are very complex. In this case, you run the risk of depleting too many internal resources. If your team is focused on the migration, their time will be taken away from their usual tasks. Other equally important projects may be overlooked leading to serious consequences. Always take into account all aspects of the move. Coordinating transport, managing chain of custody, insurance coverage, and logistics costs are just some of the aspects to remember. Due to these varied tasks and requirements, it's almost always better to look for a support system. Especially if the move requires specialized help. Ensure you select a team with varied experience. If they can assist with the entire project, you are ensured higher levels of safety and proficiency from them.

Document and Test the Migration

Remember, it's critical to document the whole data migration process. All equipment that is moving should be tagged. The warranty and serial number of each piece must be checked in order to avoid the warranty expiring during the move. In addition, remember to make a new office checklist with all requirements for the new space. Don't forget, some equipment will require specific licensing in order to run concurrently while you relocate to the new space. Disaster recovery plans must be in place. Test these, too, before the actual migration. As soon as everything is installed in the new place, start testing. Check the machines and equipment against the inventory. Ensure nothing was lost or broken. After this, you should begin testing the systems and applications. Ensure they're all up and operating correctly. Before the move, you should devise a post-relocation restart and testing plan. It's critical to ensure everything is operating correctly before going live.

Freshen Up

The post move clean up is the final critical element in your relocation. You're ready for your fresh new start. But first, there's still a few final tasks to take into account. Firstly, review your punch list to ensure everything is done. Next, ensure you have good quality documentation of all relocated items. Then, you may need to liquidate assets that are no longer needed. And finally, it's important to dispose of and recycle base materials. An IT relocation will often involve the disposal of older equipment. This includes packaging materials, copper from cabling, and extra metals. All of these have serious potential implications of the environment.

Data Relocation Service

In order to truly optimize the efficiency of your relocation and minimize environmental impact, you may want to work with a data center relocation service. They'll offer a recycling program to ensure a quick transition and an environmentally friendly migration. As you can see, there are many elements to keep in mind when dealing with IT relocation planning. The key aspects are starting with a solid plan, seeking support, and documenting every step during the process. Please contact us to find out more about a suitable relocation plan for your business needs.