Data Center Best Practices for Business

Data centers are composed of computer hardware, network devices, security systems and software delivery methods. The purpose of these centers is to store and manage the company’s data and critical systems, which requires reliable, efficient, evolving and secure systems.

Employee knowledge for data operations in business

You should ensure that your employees have the education and knowledge necessary to manage your data center operations. For example, consider sending your employees to a data center operations training course as they seek new, more advanced certifications.

Data Cleaning

Although you may not be concerned with your storage capacity running low due to new magnetic disc storage availability, you still need to clean your data. For example, data that is unused, redundant and obsolete should be removed from your systems to reduce your management costs. Cleaning this data out of your systems frees up computing and storage for more valuable, vital data, which will also reduce your power and cooling requirements.

Structure

You may be able to increase your data center’s performance by adjusting the structure of your racks, cabinets and cabling. For example, your system should support copper and fiber cables and offer co-engineered connectivity. Your cabinets should be scalable and adjustable so the airflow can be improved and cables are protected.

Consider investing in the most recent technology structure to meet your current needs. Your floor space should be used efficiently, but your structure should also include adequate space for future upgrades so you don’t disrupt your infrastructure to scale up your capabilities.

Evolution

Technology is changing often with the times and business competition is too intense,  so your data center should be scalable and easily adaptable to new equipment and support requirements. This adaptability will lower your evolution costs and ensures that you do not waste time upgrading your systems. However, you must be able to identify the ideal time to upgrade.

Data Management Platform

Your platform will determine if and how well your system works. For example, without a platform, minor problems may take significant time to solve and will disrupt your company’s operations. You can improve your IT infrastructure visibility through an appropriate management platform, which will allow you to monitor your power usage and traffic in real time.

Sustainability

Sustainability requires planning and may vary based on the resources and environment you have. However, you should always consider using sustainable resources to reduce the depletion of natural resources. Hardware manufacturers may provide cost-effective solutions that provide higher performance and efficiency.

As you prepare and upgrade your data center, consider implementing some industry best practices to improve the efficiency and scalability of your center’s resources.