Data Center Management Tips, Strategies During an ‘Uncertain Era’

Amid the global coronavirus outbreak, many are wishing the “new n0rmal” would hurry up and get here. But according to a new report from Park Place Technologies, we might still have a while to go. And data center management and maintenance are top of mind for many data leaders.

“The global coronavirus pandemic revealed gaps in data centers’ business continuity planning. Faced with a rapidly changing, enduring, worldwide crisis—which confounded preparations designed primarily for isolated, short-term emergencies—IT leaders have come to realize the ‘new normal’ will remain a moving target for months to come,” the report states.

And data center managers are also working to prepare for predicted additional coronavirus outbreaks, as well. That said, this time of uncertainty is pushing many forward-thinking leaders to focus on infrastructure “future proofing” for a variety of potential crisis not considered in their prior contingency plans.

Park Place Technologies point out that these “blueprints” must take into account that today’s increasingly hybrid, distributed infrastructure poses particular challenges for data center monitoring and maintenance.

But fortunately, there exist both processes and technologies to help resolve pressing support-related issues in complex digital environments.

“By implementing appropriate risk mitigation and maintenance prioritization, adopting strategies to maximize staff availability, and investing in network resources and remote monitoring tools, data center leaders can withstand the next interruption, whatever its cause, reach, or duration, and thrive in our increasingly uncertain era,” the report states.

Day-to-day monitoring and maintenance has been difficult for data center managers during COVID-19 with the sudden shifts to remote work. And dealing with almost exclusively digital customer engagement put stress on existing infrastructure and consequently, support solutions, as well.

This paper outlines strategies for mitigating these data center maintenance issues, many of which are likely to continue for the foreseeable future, and ensuring uptime in the most difficult scenarios.

Planning for crisis data center monitoring and maintenance from the policy and staffing perspective through the entirety of the technology stack can seem like an overwhelming proposition.

The right partnerships can transfer a significant proportion of the burden off the enterprise, helping to relieve immediate pressures and enhance overall preparedness. Providers combining smart hands services and innovative remote toolsets can make the difference between surviving a crisis like COVID-19 and thriving in this era of uncertainty. — Park Place Technologies

The report address the below items specifically:

• Key considerations for risk assessments and maintenance prioritization

• Measures to help maximize availability of essential expertise

• High-impact network investments to improve agility, enable remote oversight and management, and cope with limited facility access

• Intelligent hardware monitoring solutions to bring predictive analytics and remote triage capabilities to data center

Download the full report, “From the New Normal to the Next Normal in the Data Center,” courtesy of Park Place Technologies, to learn more about data center management, monitoring and maintenance strategies to enhance resilience during COVID-19 and beyond.