Data center management has many aspects, from preventative maintenance to keeping the workplace clean. Below, we’ll explain some of the best practices management should employ for more efficient and effective data centers.
Maintain a Clean Environment
It may seem obvious, but we cannot overstate how important it is for a data center to be clean and free of dust, dirt, and other contaminants. Everyone knows that modern technology and machines do not like dirt and dust, so a filthy work environment can cause critical issues at a data center.
Daily cleaning of floors and workplaces is essential, but you should also perform frequent cleanings and inspections of areas like HVAC filters to ensure that no dust or dirt is traveling around the data center. While some may try to cut corners with tasks like janitorial work, cleanliness is critical to a data center’s productivity, so saving a few bucks on janitorial services could lead to high costs for data centers in the future.
Perform Frequent Inspections & Preventative Maintenance
Constant vigilance is critical for effective data center management, as issues can appear instantaneously. Data center management needs to stay as far ahead of problems as possible with frequent inspections and preventative maintenance of equipment.
Many data centers today are utilizing new smart monitoring technologies and systems. These monitoring systems use analytical tools to observe the function and degradation of data center equipment to anticipate maintenance needs and identify when components are near their failure threshold.
Organize With a Cable Labeling System
Quality organization and labeling are essential best practices for data center management. A data center has many cables in its infrastructure; you’ll make it much easier for the staff and management when all the cords get organized with a cable labeling system.
Every data center management team should devote significant time and resources to ensuring that the cable labeling system gets organized properly for efficient maintenance and repairs. An organized system means less time spent troubleshooting, less downtime, and more productivity.
Practice Good Data Hygiene
We already discussed how practicing workplace hygiene is critical for data centers, but practicing good data hygiene is also essential. While data storage capacity has improved considerably in the past half-decade, many data centers could benefit from thorough data cleaning.
Data experts predict that approximately a third of the data stored and processed at data centers is outdated or useless, and you can delete or archive it with little consequence. Cleaning out data storage of inconsequential data lessens the burden on the IT infrastructure and even means savings on cooling and electrical costs.
