Checklist for Decommissioning a Data Centre
Data Centre Decommissioning
Like any electronic equipment, your data centre will at some point reach the end of its life. When this happens, your hardware will have to be decommissioned and transferred to the next stage of its life, whether that be full disposal, transfer to another site or being sold. During a data centre decommission, it’s important that you keep track of the process as things can get confusing, quickly. There are many factors to consider and it’s absolutely vital that your data is protected at all points during the process. To help keep track of the process, we’ve made a comprehensive checklist for decommissioning your data centre to make the process as smooth as possible. By using this before and during the decommission process, you can minimise the risk of a data breach or loss.
Data Centre Decommissioning Checklist
Planning
Like any process, the first part of a data centre shutdown or decommission is planning. Establish a full plan of how you will tackle the project, complete with attainable goals that you may want to achieve. You should also have a clear timeline to highlight when you want certain individual projects completed by. This will all help your data centre decommission project stay on track and develop at the correct pace.
You should also specify your budget to ensure that you don’t hit any financial issues further into the project, and identify your backup systems to avoid potential data losses. Both of these can be absolutely catastrophic to a data centre company and can spell the end if not properly considered beforehand.
List out the tools, equipment and packaging that you will need during the process. This includes forklifts, shredders, pallets, packaging boxes and foam, labels, tools and more. All of your assets should have a clear plan for how they will be safely transported and stored to avoid breakages.
Assign and Delegate Work
The proper assignment of work is imperative to the successful development of your project. For smaller scale projects, you may be able to leave just one person in charge of the project, but this is not possible for larger scale projects. Here, you will need to assign a project manager, as well as individuals to head each separate task. Make sure everyone knows their role and understands the responsibilities prior to the start of the data centre decommission process.
Itemise Servers and Other Hardware
Things can get messy during a data centre decommission and it’s easy for your equipment to get lost in the process. To prevent this, all of your assets - including servers, other hardware and software - should be properly itemised. A complete audit of your equipment should be undertaken and overseen by a project manager to identify all the necessary assets.
A comprehensive inventory should then be made to track your equipment during a data centre shutdown or decommission, as well as a separate inventory for software. Once logged, it’s time to determine the next step for each individual piece of equipment, which could be taking it with you to your next site, selling or recycling. We will work with you during this process to provide the relevant support when needed.
Cancel Contracts and Licences
A small step but an important one; scheduled vendor maintenance contracts for equipment that isn’t being migrated to your next site should be cancelled. You don’t want to pay for a service you don’t use.
Backup or Erase Your Data
One of the final steps before the moving process begins is backing up and disposing of your data. Data is afterall primary function of a data centre, so it’s crucial that the proper care and consideration is given to protect it. Backups should be taken or properly disposed of if no longer needed. Employing the help of a specialist team with experience in erasing data is always recommended to ensure the process is carried out correctly.
Disconnect Servers and Dispose if Necessary
The final step; disconnecting and disposing of your servers. Begin by disconnecting them, ensuring that all your firewalls, subnets and software has been removed beforehand. You should then cut the power and remove the servers from their rack, ready for transportation or disposal.
Hardware should then be packed up and palleted accordingly, ready for the next stage in its life. During this process, it’s important to constantly coordinate with the relevant teams involved with the next steps of your data centre decommission. This could be your ITAD, transport company, IT team or any other party involved with the final parts of the decommission.
Finish the Decommission process
After the decommission process, it’s important to take stock of everything to make sure nothing has been missed. This involves updating your inventory to exclude disposed assets, checking all your receipts for destroyed items and assessing your finances.
Why Choose Infiniti for Your Data Centre Decommission
At Infiniti, we understand the challenges involved with stripping out and decommissioning a data centre and have over 25 years of experience in the sector. Our team of expert professionals can aid in every step of the process to ensure a secure and safe decommission process, with the proper care and consideration given to every project no matter the size or scale.Data Centre Decommission Experts
All of our engineers are qualified and adhere to the latest regulations and standards, with extensive knowledge of each individual piece of hardware and its unique decommissioning process. If you are interested in our data centre decommissioning services, contact a member of our team today to make an inquiry. Find our contact form on our contact page, or phone us directly on 01993 774444.
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