Migrating data from wherever it might happen to be to a data center is something many IT professionals have to do at one time or another, and for a variety of reasons. It doesn’t matter whether you operate a company-owned data center or collocate.
As companies go through mergers and acquisitions, and on-site facilities continue to age, orders are often given to migrate data centers and move everything to new environments. It doesn’t matter whether you need to colocate or move into consolidated, company-operated data centers, moving equipment, and data is a huge job. Further, it is not only time-consuming but costly. Before you start this process, get more information, but the best practices for moving a data center follow.
What to Move
It doesn’t matter how much or how little you decide to move from your old location to the new, moving time is a great time to phase out old equipment and trade-in rentals. Keep in mind that migration can be risky since one false move and something can get broken and the system may not be operable when you get to where you are going. Getting loaner equipment or having a service contract covering your migration period is a good idea since it can help smooth the transition.
Migration time would also be an excellent time to search through your contracts with software and hardware vendors to see what services they provide. It is also good to find out at this time whether any contracts can be terminated or can move with you. There’s a chance that there are limitations on compatibility issues or location. Since you are tearing things down and starting from scratch, it might be an excellent time to rid yourself of a problem vendor, try out new services, or negotiate for a better deal.
Space in your new location is also a prime consideration when moving to a new data center. Will you need to implement pods or aisle containment? Would it be possible to design an environment that would allow higher density? Migrations often allow for making decisions about what efficiencies can be implemented in a new location if something in the former space wasn’t working well.
Review and Inventory
Before any moving starts, make sure to take an inventory of everything to be moved. Make sure any new equipment is listed. Schedule backups, both physical and in the cloud. Also, be sure to notify any service providers, such as disaster recovery. Also, make sure that moving equipment will not violate any warranty.
Making the Move
Ensure that your move’s target date doesn’t coincide with busy business periods, such as a launch. The actual move should probably be done during off-hours, so ensure you have access to any area needed.
Before moving anything, make sure everyone who is involved knows their role in the move. There should be those who supervise the activity, digital teams that monitor systems, and the actual movers. Put together a plan to make sure the impact of the move is minimized.
Organize and pack everything sensibly. Make sure everything is labeled. Cables should be organized by types and lengths. Everything should be noted for where it is to be in the new locations. It is also a good idea to move non-critical equipment first.
Security should be a prime concern during the migration process. Know everyone who is assisting in the move. Track all equipment, and make sure to watch security logs. Moves can often become chaotic, so it would be easy for an unauthorized person to sneak past a security perimeter.
Testing and Documentation
Once everything is reinstalled, begin testing the systems. As this is done, check equipment to make sure everything is accounted for. Make sure all systems and applications are running correctly.
Perform a project audit to evaluate the success of the migration. Were you on target? Were the design specifications met?
Datacenter migration is a huge job. The points outlined above are intended to be broad brushstrokes of how to implement a move. Don’t be afraid to modify these steps to fit your situation. In the end, starting with a plan and ending with an audit is the best way to carry out an effective migration.