Most Common Mistakes Made When Running A Data Center
Running your own data center can be very beneficial, whether youre running it for just your companys server, or for an entire group of customers. But there are some common pitfalls that can occur when running a data center, and they can negate all those benefits. Here are some of the mistakes most often made by those running data centers, and how you can avoid them.
Ignoring virtualization
So many businesses are still relying on racks and racks of servers. This is necessary in some cases, such as when customers have rented out an entire dedicated server, and that space is theirs and theirs alone. However, if youre using dedicated servers for each individual task that you need them to do, youre wasting time not to mention space. Incorporating virtualization wherever you can within your infrastructure will provide all the benefits that this technology always does, namely allowing you to scale your resources only to what you need.
Not allowing room for growth
When some data center owners get a vision for their center, they implement it exactly the way they see fit and without giving a second thought to what happens should their company grow. This is a big mistake because if you cant grow, you wont grow and business will most likely stagnate. Whatever space you think you need, double it to make sure you can grow as much as demand will allow. Then make sure that space is made up of different areas that can be cornered off, so that you dont need to heat or cool the space unless its actually being used. In addition to just physical space, also make sure you allow for growth on your servers by installing enough RAM and disk space. Arizona collocation
Not budgeting for the future
There are of course, costs that are associated with running a data center and often, they can be expensive. Because of the initial investment, some data center owners budget only for what they need right now, the time when they start up their data center. But just like you need to take into consideration the physical space your center will need to grow, you also need to consider the future costs when it does. If you get more customers (and hopefully you will) youll need more servers, more power, and more of just about everything. And you need to budget for those extra costs today so it doesnt cause you stress tomorrow.
Poor layout
Sometimes data centers dont run efficiently or effectively simply because the space simply isnt laid out properly. If you cant walk properly through the aisles of racks, or you find youre always bending and twisting your arms to get to the wires in back of them, your data center isnt laid out properly. This can be costly just because of the time it wastes, but it can also be dangerous to the equipment. When things arent laid out nicely and organized, it can cause people to trip, plugs to come out of surge protectors, and servers to ultimately shut down. A good data center is a well laid-out data center.
Running a data center, either for your own servers needs or for those of customers, can bring with it many benefits. But to reap the full benefits, you need to know the most common pitfalls that often crop up when doing so, as well as how to avoid them.
Ignoring virtualization
So many businesses are still relying on racks and racks of servers. This is necessary in some cases, such as when customers have rented out an entire dedicated server, and that space is theirs and theirs alone. However, if youre using dedicated servers for each individual task that you need them to do, youre wasting time not to mention space. Incorporating virtualization wherever you can within your infrastructure will provide all the benefits that this technology always does, namely allowing you to scale your resources only to what you need.
Not allowing room for growth
When some data center owners get a vision for their center, they implement it exactly the way they see fit and without giving a second thought to what happens should their company grow. This is a big mistake because if you cant grow, you wont grow and business will most likely stagnate. Whatever space you think you need, double it to make sure you can grow as much as demand will allow. Then make sure that space is made up of different areas that can be cornered off, so that you dont need to heat or cool the space unless its actually being used. In addition to just physical space, also make sure you allow for growth on your servers by installing enough RAM and disk space. Arizona collocation
Not budgeting for the future
There are of course, costs that are associated with running a data center and often, they can be expensive. Because of the initial investment, some data center owners budget only for what they need right now, the time when they start up their data center. But just like you need to take into consideration the physical space your center will need to grow, you also need to consider the future costs when it does. If you get more customers (and hopefully you will) youll need more servers, more power, and more of just about everything. And you need to budget for those extra costs today so it doesnt cause you stress tomorrow.
Poor layout
Sometimes data centers dont run efficiently or effectively simply because the space simply isnt laid out properly. If you cant walk properly through the aisles of racks, or you find youre always bending and twisting your arms to get to the wires in back of them, your data center isnt laid out properly. This can be costly just because of the time it wastes, but it can also be dangerous to the equipment. When things arent laid out nicely and organized, it can cause people to trip, plugs to come out of surge protectors, and servers to ultimately shut down. A good data center is a well laid-out data center.
Running a data center, either for your own servers needs or for those of customers, can bring with it many benefits. But to reap the full benefits, you need to know the most common pitfalls that often crop up when doing so, as well as how to avoid them.
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