Why Is The Maintenance Of A Webhosting Data Center So Important?
Maintenance protocols play a key role in the operation and management of web hosting data centres. This article offers some ideas that can help data centre managers document maintenance policies.
There is an argument to be made for the claim that a data center is the lifeline of any webhosting business. Clients are storing files, more than any time before, that have to be kept safe and be served fast on demand via the web. A data center operation is where these issues hold most significance.
Modern webhosting companies have a lot of expectations to deal with. For instance, corporate website owners expect 99.9% uptime. Any webhosting company that fails to meet these expectations will be left struggling with a damaged reputation. Downtimes in servers may last for minutes, but reputations take a lot longer to rebuild.
Poor maintenance of data centers is not an option for a webhosting provider that is keen to ensure its future in the industry.
This has probably happened to you at some point: your computer brings up regular maintenance requests, such as a reminder to back up your data, or to update your antivirus. But time or money is an issue at the time so you ignore the warnings. A few days later your computer crashes and requires a lot more work, time and money to be fixed.
In a similar way, in a data center failing to follow procedures will lead to complacency regarding subsequent maintenance issues. If a manager only pays attention to maintenance procedures when a system-crippling problem comes up then it is usually late and the webhost’s reputation and profitability are on the line.
It is important that data center management stay on top of procedures and ensure that small problems are nipped in the bud before they turn into serious crises that affect the entire business.
In case you think the importance of regular maintenance is being overplayed, consider this – about 30% to 40% of downtime can be avoided through proper maintenance. These downtimes are caused by hardware glitches that timely maintenance can pre-emptively resolve.
Good Data Center Maintenance Protocols
Here are some ideas that can help with proper data center maintenance
Prevention
It is often said that prevention is the best cure. And though this is typically not in relation to data centers, it is still relevant here. Only through proper preventive measures can a data center avoid major problems down the road.
For instance, fire alarms should get regular check-ups to ensure the data center is well prepared to handle any relevant emergencies. Regular cleaning should also be done, with special attention to important areas where contamination could be a major issue.
Basically, all the hazard prevention measures put in place to control damage during a crisis should be checked regularly to confirm perfect working order. This includes fire-suppression systems, which would require tests twice a year, and air conditioning and cooling systems, which should get quarterly checks.
Spares should also be at hand in case some of the hazard prevention equipment has issues and need to be taken away before a replacement arrives.
While carrying out maintenance on the servers, using appropriate checklists that technicians can sign off, ensures accountability.
While carrying out maintenance on the servers, using appropriate checklists that technicians can sign off, ensures accountability.
Protection
The people working at a data center need to be protected. Therefore, webhosting companies should feel obliged to familiarize everyone working at the data center with the correct security procedures.
It is very important not to ignore the maintenance staff, as they will often come into contact with the equipment at the data center. While delicate, the equipment also needs to be handled with care so that it does not pose a health hazard to those handling it.
The employees therefore need to be wearing correct gear while handling these maintenance tasks.
The data center should also be cleared of any potential accident hazards. For instance, loose tiles, or cables lying along access paths should be taken care of to avoid accidents and injuries.
Cleanliness
It turns that in data centers, 75% of hardware failure can be prevented through cleanliness! And it’s not just about the data center looking clean. Plenty of unnoticeable dirt can wreck havoc to a data center’s equipment.
Handling this kind of dirt also calls for special cleaning skills. Consequently, management should find cleaning contractors who have experience in working in server rooms. Obviously, the cost implications can be a little prohibitive, but that’s nothing compared to the reputation risk and financial cost of trying to get the system back online after it has crashed and resulted in server downtimes due to dirt.
Poor performance can cost thousands of dollars every day. No amount of cleaning can cost that much, which underpins the importance of taking every data center maintenance task seriously, no matter how low priority or seemingly unimportant it might seem.
Webhosting is an industry where there is fierce competition between opponents to obtain and secure a larger share of the market. Implementing the best prevention, protection and cleaning procedures and allocating resources and funds on it is a wise investment.
This article is provided by Webhostingology, a New York based firm dedicated to searching and publishing the best webhosting practices as well as deals, offers and webhosting coupons. You can get details about Webhostingology’s student scholarship here https://www.webhostingology.com/blog/student-scholarship.html
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