Managing a thriving data center can be a tough job, and the larger your center is, the more daunting the task can feel. Many things can go wrong while maintaining this type of facility. However, if you keep reading, you’ll be more than prepared to handle any challenges. Here are some of the common types of data center malfunctions and how to fix them.
Internal Problems
Internal issues are inevitable when it comes to maintaining a data center. Despite our best efforts, life can throw us a curveball in the form of our own employees and infrastructure. We could have an employee steal information from our center through passwords and emails or, worse, unleash a virus on your entire center, wreaking havoc.
Equipment failure is another serious issue. Power surges, software malfunctions, and system overload can cause your data center to completely halt operations. Too many changes and updates at once can also overwhelm your center. Additionally, hoarding old equipment is a problem that some companies have, especially when they want to save money. This can cause issues with sustaining proper power measures in your data center. It can lead to further outages and problems down the line, which is a major type of data center malfunction that should be fixed.
Internal Solutions
Personality plays a crucial role in why someone goes “rogue.” The best solution to protect yourself is to get a sense of your employee’s character during your interview. Watch them and how they interact with others. It’s important to gauge whether your employee is trustworthy or will shut down an entire data center for days.
Prevent equipment failure by using high quality power strips to effectively distribute and manage power levels in your cabinets. This will prevent internally based outages from occurring frequently. Alternately, having a backup generator is a huge help and could be mandatory for a thriving data center.
External Problems
External issues usually center on natural disasters and people attacking your infrastructure from the outside. A good example of this would be a hacker outside your organization who wants to steal sensitive information. Another good example is a flash flood compromising your database or, more likely, a storm throwing out your power.
External Solutions
Solutions to these problems are simple. To avoid hackers getting access to the data in your data center, you could use software to create firewalls and take various other cyber security measures. Many data center rack manufacturers have a variety of handle options for locking the cabinet doors, making it less easily accessible. You can also use keycard locks to limit who can get into the room entirely.
Backup generators can solve most problems with power outages during storms. It’s a must for every data center to have an adequate amount to run the data center if needed.
This isn’t an exhaustive list; it would be wise to heed the tips above. Ensuring your data is safe should be your top priority for you and your clients.