Server Rooms for Small Businesses: What You Should Know
by Stephanie Faris on Monday, June 19, 2017 15:00
You don't have to own a large corporation to have your own server room. In fact, before cloud services became so widespread, on-premise servers were common.
An SMB can have a variety of reasons for an on-site server room, from wanting to keep control over their operations to privacy and security concerns.
If your small business is considering setting up a server room on your premises, there are a few things you should know first.
These tips could save you valuable money while you're building and growing your business.
Find a Secure Spot
The top concern for any server room or data center, regardless of ownership, is security.
This naturally applies to the software you use to protect your equipment from outside access.
But it also includes the physical location of your server.
Find an area of the office that can be locked down so that only authorized employees can have access, preferably close to where the person administering those servers is located.
Keep the Room Cool
The sensitive components inside server equipment can easily be damaged by extreme temperatures.
Unfortunately, once multiple pieces of hardware are housed in a small space, the ambient temperature in the room quickly begins to rise.
Invest in a cooling system that keeps your room at the recommended 59 to 89.6 degrees Farenheit, as well as equipment that keeps relative humidity between 20 percent and 80 percent.
You'll also need to regularly have your cooling system checked and maintained to ensure it keeps working.
Have Top Tier Support
Even if you have a team of tech experts on staff, you won't have the benefit of the specialized expertise your server vendor has on salary.
Sign up for any top-tier support options that are available, even if it means paying a monthly fee.
If you don't have a tech team on hand, make sure you have a service on call that can help you if you have a software malfunction or virus.
You should also have a plan to keep your operations going in case one of your servers suddenly crashes without warning.
Have a Backup Plan
Disaster can strike any business, no matter where it's located.
Tornadoes, floods, fires, and other emergencies will leave a company stranded, without access to the data they rely on.
Make sure your data is backed up in a way that makes it accessible if your employees need to work from a remote location for a while.
You should also have a location planned for those employees to work temporarily.
Many businesses choose online cloud backup for their on-premise servers to ensure they'll continue to work no matter what happens.
Small businesses have many options when it comes to server storage for their files and applications.
While cloud services are ideal for many businesses on a limited budget, on-premise servers are definitely a viable option, whether your business has one employee or 1,000.
As long as you have a plan in place to support and secure those servers, you'll be able to grow your business while still having the peace of mind of knowing your data is safe.