3 Tips for Successful Data Health Management in 2018

Jeff Klaus, General Manager of Data Center Solutions at Intel

Data is one of the most valuable assets for present-day companies, making data centers one of the most important pieces of hardware in their arsenal. As businesses become more data-driven and the need for flexibility, safety and efficiency grows, data center managers must implement a system to monitor the health of their data center to keep processes running smooth and effectively. Companies unable to complete these regular ‘health checks’ in real-time are exposed to costly downtime if an issue arises, increasing their overall vulnerability and business risk.

We recently partnered with Siemens to commission a study carried out by Morar Consulting which polled the opinions of 200 data center managers in the UK and US and found nearly one in ten businesses do not have a data center health management program in place. In order to prevent costly downtime in the New Year, here are three strategies data center managers can implement to achieve successful data health management.

Ditch Your Reactive Mindset in 2017

Taking a preventative, proactive approach to data center management is paramount in avoiding outages and mitigating downtime. However, over half (53 percent) of IT Managers don’t regularly perform checks with 37 percent reporting that health checks only occurred when something had gone wrong. These findings not only show that health management checks are not currently a priority within the enterprise although necessary to streamline processes across an organization. Instead, data center managers should take a proactive approach to their data center health to continuously monitor and flag issues within their complex data center environments in real-time. Plus, the advantages are clear – for those who cite taking an automated approach, 54 percent of data center managers’ report they are regularly able to identify and remedy issues within their data center within 24 hours.

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It Takes a Team

Implementing any new program is no easy feat, and requires buy-in and commitment from every individual within the department. When it comes to implementing a data health management strategy, it’s no different. The good news, however, is that each company has the power and flexibility to create a custom-tailored approach based on its staff, resources, and program goals, which requires every team member to know their role, direct reports, and daily routine once the program has been implemented. Whether your team decides to perform health checks on weekly, bi-weekly, or even monthly basis, data center managers at organizations large and small can spearhead the effort owning the performance check while delegating any required updates or repairs to other departments.

Let Your Data Work for You 

Perhaps most surprising, the survey revealed one in five data center managers still rely on manual processes with more than half using a hybrid of software and manual checking when assessing data center health. Thanks to advanced instrumentation in IT hardware, this doesn’t have to be the case. By implementing a successful monitoring solution, data center managers have access to systems updates in real-time, arming them with a holistic view of their data center environment. In turn, this could technically allow the 20 percent of data center manager who are currently conducting manual health checks to eliminate these processes and focus on higher level projects.

The New Year acts as an optimal time to revisit current strategies in place and look to overhaul outdated approaches to data center health checks with the goal of moving a once reactive function to a full fledge proactive program.

To learn more about how your company can be successful at data health management in 2018, download ‘The State of Data Center Health Management Strategy 2017″ white paper.

Jeff Klaus is General Manager of Data Center Solutions at Intel.