If you have a data center, you must maintain it. Conducting visual inspections, cleaning debris, and performing frequent repair work should be standard practice. This keeps all systems online and available for any of your hardware data needs. It helps shield your data center against outages, is proactive in reducing time spent on repairs, and ultimately saves you money. But even if you know the importance of maintenance, how do you properly maintain your data centers? We’ll explain below.
Inspect and Clean
You should run regular inspections on the equipment in your data center so that you can remain alert to problems before they become bigger issues. Inspections can help you mitigate repair work entirely because, in many cases, you’ll be able to catch problems early on. Cleaning the equipment in your data center also helps mitigate dust and debris from being caught in your hardware. In general, you should remove any dust and make sure any racks from data center rack manufacturers are clear of debris. Make sure raised floors are swept thoroughly and change any filters.
Run Tests and Repairs
Make sure you test all systems in your data center. This is another way you can catch problems before they become serious issues. Regular tests also prevent overarching system failure, which can be a disaster. System failure can lead to outages or even system meltdowns. This can become a huge problem since client and company data is heavily compromised when this happens. You may not be able to access customer data or retrieve data about the company following an outage. This is disastrous and can lead to a complete halt in your operations.
Keep Your Documentation Up to Date
Data center maintenance is a cinch when you write down the procedures you need to follow, as everyone can benefit from written instructions. This way, the next person who comes in to perform maintenance knows the proper procedure. Documenting your processes and procedures can effectively tell you who did what repairs and what process they used. Technicians will also know about previous issues that may have occurred during the last maintenance session. This streamlines your process overall. It’s an important step to properly maintain your data center for continued effectiveness.