The increasing proliferation of information across the internet has made data centre management a very important routine in any organization. The hyperactive style of professionals as they access their work on multiple platforms has even made the routine more important. Here are six tips to help you manage your data center efficiently.
1. Consider Safety First
Data centers and other systems that provide IT solutions in the organization have certain hazards that can harm the health of your workers. It is important you train your technicians on how to protect themselves against these hazards when they are performing preventive maintenance. Ensure they are familiar with the safety processes by documenting them in every maintenance procedure as well as organizing regular safety drills.
2. Maximize Storage Space
With the increasing exchange of information across different platforms in every data centre network, you can never have enough storage space. It is thus important to maximize the amount of storage to help you handle thousands of terabytes and petabytes of information in your organization. A good approach is using cloud-based storage platforms.
3. Perform Regular Maintenance
You need to perform regular maintenance not only in the data center network but also in other support systems, such as managed hosting platforms and computer interfaces. Performing preventive maintenance on the UPS as well as on the batteries reduce the likelihood of failure when a power outage occurs. The same should apply for other critical systems in the data center, like HVACs and generators. The Carbon60 Networks website provides a collection of online resources and information that may interest you.
4. Come Up With Infrastructure Documentation
You need to adopt a reliable documentation process for effective infrastructure management. Avoid using spreadsheets and word processing interfaces to track and record information. Doing so will cause a lot of problems, particularly when you have to refer to or retrieve specific documents. Instead, use tools or software that help you organize information without making it harder for tracking or retrieval.
5. Constantly Monitor Hardware Temperatures
Due to many processes data center infrastructures handle, there is no question of why you need to have an effective 24/7 cooling system. The hardware at the center can operate only under optimum temperatures. Higher temperatures can cause tons of problems, like down times, hand-ups, freezing and decreased performance. Monitoring temperatures on a regular basis and setting an alert system will prolong the life of the hardware and reduce the frequency of repairs.
6. Enforce Preventive Maintenance Compliance
Since the potential costs of downtimes in a data center are huge, you need to do preventive maintenance regularly and complete them in time. The best way to do this is to enforce preventive maintenance compliance. Set a 10 percent rule for technicians to ensure the work is done on time. This rule requires the work to be complete within 10 percent of the scheduled maintenance interval. For instance, if you have an interval of 30 days, the preventive work should be complete three days before the due date.