When a business is bought by another or two enterprises merge to become one entity, it’s necessary to relocate the data center. As a matter of fact, data center migration can be a pain in the neck. This is because the systems and equipment that must be moved are quite delicate. There is a risk of losing crucial equipment or data. Besides that, some of the equipment can get damaged when the data center is being transferred to a new location. Most companies experience these challenges simply because they fail to plan for the migration. Below are the most important steps that should be taken before transition starts.
- Choose What to Move
It’s obvious that you will not have to carry all the old equipment and systems to the new location. Equipment that is no longer needed should be left behind to avoid crowding the new data center. It is therefore important you take time to identify the applications and hardware that will not be needed at the new center. If there is any new equipment that needs to be acquired before the new center is set up, you should buy it in advance so that you can test its functionality. And since there is no guarantee that your IT infrastructure will be safe during the transition period, you should plan to have a standby loaner equipment or contract service.
This will shield your business from unwanted outages as you prepare to replace the damaged hardware. These outages can cause your business to run into losses as customers will not be able to access the resources that they need. Once you have confirmed what needs to be taken to the new site, you should consider hiring a professional data moving company to handle all the logistics. This is because you can’t move equipment and applications of a data center the same way you move household items.
- Conduct Inventory Audit
In this step, you should prepare a list of the entire inventory that is at the data center. The list should include all the new hardware and software. In fact, you should confirm whether all the receipts and warranties that were issued when buying equipment and applications are still intact. If either of the documentation is missing, it’s advisable that you back up all the applications physically and in the cloud. This because the vendors will refuse to replace applications whose warranty is not valid or there is no proof of ownership. The advantage of backing applications in the cloud is that you can always access them from any location.
- Relocate the Data Center
You can’t wake up one morning and decide that you are transferring the data center. Make such unplanned transition can cost your company dearly. It’s advisable you schedule for the relocation to guarantee a smooth transition from the old site to the new location. The relocation should be done on days that are less busy to minimize the impact of the downtime. Besides that, the inventory should be moved in an orderly manner by beginning with the most delicate hardware and applications.
Any access codes and keys of the things that will be left in the old data center should be destroyed to prevent breach of data security. Even the hardware should not be spared because they might contain confidential details. Once all the IT infrastructure that includes servers, switches, batteries and applications among other things arrive at the new data center, they should be tested to confirm that they are still functional.
