When a utility company decommissions a power plant, we call it “decommissioning.” But when we decommission a data center, what do we call it? Disposal? Demolition? Decommissioning? As the industry changes and evolves, so do the terms used to describe various stages of decommissioning. We will explore some of these terminologies in this article, as well as discuss best practices for decommissioning your data center.
Process of removing all components from an existing data center
It’s a critical step in the data center life cycle and a key component of capacity planning.
Data centers are typically decommissioned when they become obsolete or if they are no longer needed by their owner. In some cases, it may be more cost-effective to simply shut down an older facility rather than invest in updating it with newer equipment that meets current standards for power consumption and cooling needs (among other things).
The goal of a data center decommissioning
The goal of a data center decommissioning is to ensure that no sensitive information or proprietary material is left behind anywhere in the building.
This means that all hardware must be removed, including servers, storage arrays and related components. Any cabling should also be removed from racks and ceilings before they are disposed of, as well as any other parts of your network infrastructure such as routers and switches (if applicable).
The entire process should be documented in a report that includes details on what was removed and where it was taken. This will ensure that there is no confusion about what needs to be done next and how your data center decommissioning went.
Data center decommissioning should be planned as far in advance as possible
While this may seem like a no-brainer, many companies fail to plan for data center decommissioning and end up facing serious problems in the future. The reason for this is simple: if you wait until the last minute, you’re more likely to run into issues that could have been avoided with proper planning. For example, if you’ve hired new staff members who haven’t had time to learn about your company’s processes or policies before being put on an important project like decommissioning a server room, then they will likely make mistakes that could cost hours of downtime while they learn how things work at your organization (and possibly even cost money). Planning ahead also gives everyone involved more time to prepare so that everything goes smoothly once it comes time for actual implementation!
Ensure all critical applications are migrated from the equipment being decommissioned
To ensure that your data center decommissioning is successful, it’s important to make sure all mission critical applications have been migrated off the equipment being decommissioned. You also want to make sure that no sensitive information or proprietary material is left behind anywhere in the building. Finally, backup all data stored on the servers being decommissioned before removing them from their racks.
Once you’ve made sure that all data has been migrated to new equipment, it’s time to remove the servers from their racks. Use the appropriate tools for this task (usually a screwdriver and a set of keys), but be careful not to damage any of the sensitive electronic components inside your servers.
Aim to spend one-third of your time on planning and one-third on implementation
A good rule of thumb for planning an effective data center decommissioning project is to plan on spending about one-third of your design time on planning and another third of your time on implementation.
When it comes to planning, make sure you’ve got all the bases covered with these three steps:
- Designing the project–decide what you want to do and how you’ll do it
- Creating a list of tasks that need to be done in order for this project to be successful (this should include both technical and nontechnical tasks)
- Creating a timeline of important dates and milestones for the project Implementing
A thorough preliminary survey will help you determine what parts of your infrastructure still have value
Before you start the decommissioning process, it’s important to have a clear understanding of what you’re dealing with. You’ll want to review your data center infrastructure, IT infrastructure and physical infrastructure, as well as hardware and software inventory. This will give you an idea of what parts of your infrastructure still have value and which ones need to be disposed of during the project.
The preliminary survey can also help determine how much power is required for each piece of equipment in order for it to run effectively at full capacity–and whether or not there are enough outlets available on site. If not, then additional work may need done before moving forward with another stage in this process (such as installing new wiring).
If uncertain about hardware functionality, consider selling it rather than disposing of it completely after a shutdown procedure
If you are still unsure about what hardware is fully functional, consider selling it before disposing off hardware that has no value at all after a complete shutdown procedure has been carried through. You may be able to sell it to a company that can use it or refurbish it for resale purposes. In either case, this ensures that your data center equipment gets reused instead of going into landfills and adding to environmental pollution.
If you are planning to sell or dispose of your data center equipment, it is important to take the necessary steps to ensure that the hard drives on all of your devices have been erased. This will help prevent any sensitive data from falling into the wrong hands and being used for malicious purposes.
Use data center decommissioning services
Once you have identified what needs to be done, data center decommissioning service companies like Big Data Supply can help you plan for the future and identify your data center’s strengths and weaknesses. The best way to do this is by using a service provider that specializes in this kind of work. They will come into your facility with their own equipment, take apart everything that needs to be taken apart, remove it from your building and dispose of it properly so that no part of your equipment goes unused or unsecured after being removed from its home inside one of their secure containers.
When hiring someone who provides these types of services, make sure they have experience doing so; otherwise they may not know where everything goes!
Data center decommissioning services are a great way to go as long as you can find someone who is experienced in this kind of work. They will come in and take apart your equipment, removing all of the parts that need to be removed and then disposing of them properly so that no part of your data center goes unused or unsecured after it has been taken from its home inside one of their secure containers.
It is important to understand how much downtime may result from replacing one piece of equipment with another
You will want to consider the following:
- Replacing equipment
- Moving equipment
- Upgrading software
- Upgrading hardware
You should also be aware that your data center decommissioning process could cause downtime as well. For example, if you are moving cables or installing new cabling in your facility, this will require power outages which may cause service interruptions within your business or office space.
Conclusion
Data center decommissioning is a complex project, but it’s also an important one. If you’re planning on shutting down an old data center or building a new one from scratch, it’s worth spending time and money up front planning for this process so that everything goes smoothly when the time comes.