Whether your organization plans on relocating, upgrading, or migrating to cloud, data center take outs and decommissioning is no easy feat. There are countless ways that something could go wrong if attempting such a daunting task on your own. Partnering with an IT equipment specialist that knows the ins and outs of data center infrastructure is the best way to go. Since 1965, our highly experienced team of equipment experts, project managers, IT asset professionals, and support staff have handled numerous successful data center projects in every major US market. From a single server rack to a warehouse sized data center consisting of thousands of IT assets, we can handle your data center needs. We have the technical and logistical capabilities for data center take outs and decommissions. We deal with IT assets of multiple sizes, ranging from a single rack to a data center with thousands of racks and other equipment. Regardless of the requirements you’re facing, we can design a complete end-to-end solution to fit your specific needs.
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But that’s enough about us. We wrote this article to help YOU. We put together a step by step guide on how to prepare your data center to be removed completely or simply retire the assets it holds. Like always, we are here to help every step of the way.
Make a Plan
Create a list of goals you wish to achieve with your take out or decommissioning project. Make an outline of expected outcomes or milestones with expected times of completion. These will keep you on task and make sure you’re staying on course. Appoint a project manager to oversee the project from start to finish. Most importantly, ensure backup systems are working correctly so there is not a loss of data along the way.
Make a List
Be sure to make an itemized list of all hardware and software equipment that will be involved with the decommissioning project or data center take out. Make sure nothing is disregarded and check twice with a physical review. Once all of the equipment in your data center is itemized, build a complete inventory of assets including hardware items such as servers, racks, networking gear, firewalls, storage, routers, switches, and even HVAC equipment. Collect all software licenses and virtualization hardware involved and keep all software licenses associated with servers and networking equipment.
Partner with an ITAD Vendor
Partnering with an experienced IT Asset Disposition (ITAD) vendor can save you a tremendous amount of time and stress. An ITAD vendor can help with the implementation plan listing roles, responsibilities, and activities to be performed within the project. Along with the previous steps mentioned above, they can assist in preparing tracking numbers for each asset earmarked for decommissioning, and cancel maintenance contracts for equipment needing to be retired.
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Get the Required Tools
Before you purchase or rent any tools or heavy machinery, it is best to make a list of the tools, materials, and labor hours you will need to complete this massive undertaking. Some examples of tools and materials that might be necessary include forklifts, hoists, device shredders, degaussers, pallets, packing foam, hand tools, labels, boxes, and crates. Calculate the number of man hours needed to get the job done. Try to be as specific as possible about what the job requires at each stage. If outside resources are needed, make sure to perform the necessary background and security checks ahead of time. After all, it is your data at stake here.
Always Think Data Security
When the time comes to start the data center decommissioning or take out project, review your equipment checklist, and verify al of your data has been backed up, before powering down and disconnecting any equipment. Be sure to tag and map cables for easier set up and transporting, record serial numbers, and tag all hardware assets. For any equipment that will be transported off-site, data erasure may be necessary if it will not be used anymore. When transporting data offsite, make sure a logistics plan is in place. A certified and experienced ITAD partner will most likely offer certificates of data destruction and chain of custody during the entire process. They may also advise you in erasing, degaussing, shredding, or preparing for recycling each piece of equipment as itemized.
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Post Takeout and Decommission
Once the data center take out and decommission project is complete, the packing can start. Make sure you have a dedicated space for packing assets. If any equipment is allocated for reuse within the company, follow the appropriate handoff procedure. For assets intended for refurbishing or recycling, pack and label for the intended recipients. If not using an ITAD vendor, be sure to use IT asset management software to track all stages of the process.