Many businesses have on-site server rooms. Large, imposing, and often taking up an entire room in the office, these servers are the backbone of a company’s IT infrastructure. But therein lies the problem – they’re often tucked away in a forgotten corner of the office where they can go unnoticed and unaddressed until it’s too late. And that can lead to some severe consequences for businesses.
To ensure your business doesn’t suffer the same fate, here are five of the most common problems faced by companies with on-site server rooms:
Inadequate Temperature Control
Overheating servers is an issue for business owners because it can lead to data loss and downtime. The best way to counter the problem is to invest in an excellent server cooling system, such as racks with built-in cooling or a raised floor. The surrounding air near your hardware must be 60-80 degrees Fahrenheit to maintain optimal server performance.
Insufficient Power Backup
What’s even worse than a server going down due to overheating? A server going down because of a power outage. That’s plain inefficiency on the business’ part. No customer wants to see a “We’re currently down for maintenance” message on their screen, especially if it’s in the middle of the day. Businesses must invest in UPS (uninterruptible power supply) systems for their server room. They will provide a backup power source for your servers in an outage.
Too Much Jostling
Vibrations that disrupt a rapidly spinning hard drive or dislodge the boards and chips that make your technology function are just a few of the environmental hazards to be aware of. Even minor scratches to a hard drive, for example, can lead to data loss – the thing you’ve been trying to protect this whole time. To protect your servers from these types of hazards, consider installing them in shock-resistant racks or cabinets that will help to absorb any vibrations.
Not Enough Space
Small businesses often mistake putting their servers in a closet or crammed into a small room. But as your company grows, your need for server space grows too. You need enough space for your current servers and need to leave room for future expansion. When planning a server room, make sure to leave plenty of room for growth. Congested spaces also disrupt ventilation and airflow.
Intentional Malice
While it’s not pleasant to think about, businesses must also be aware of the threat of intentional malice. It can come in the form of a disgruntled employee who wants to sabotage your business or a hacker who wants to gain access to your data. Either way, it’s essential to have security measures in place to protect your server room from physical and virtual threats. Installing security cameras, alarms, and locks can help.
Conclusion
Surelock Technology provides cutting-edge solutions for server rooms of all sizes. We have experience in securing data systems for small and large businesses. If you are looking for reliable IT management in Sugar Hills, get in touch with us.
