In order to ensure a successful operation involving a data center relocation the first and foremost step is to put in place a team of highly motivated and experienced professionals from the field of IT operations, data network operations and HR experts etc. To ensure that nothing is lost during relocation and no stone is unturned to ensure successful relocation, team should assemble and work out a strategy after discussing all the relevant aspects. Insurance as always remains an indispensable element of your moving process.

One of the most important aspects of data center relocation process is to develop an all inclusive inventory of all the components of your exiting data center and have a suitable label on them so that the installation at the new location is smooth and hassle free. You also need to check the currency of warranty of each and every component and if needed go for recertification of your systems. Items which have not been insured till now should be insured by buying extra insurance. This will shield you and your property from any damages, loss or theft during transit.

Discussion on insurance would be incomplete without emphasizing on the insurance contract. The fact is that a loosely worded contract is bound to leave enough gaps for the moving to secure escape in case they face any litigation. Therefore you need to confirm and reconfirm that the moving company has provided insurance for every item which is to be moved so that you remain relaxed for the entire process.

You need to make sure that all items have been covered under insurance and the moving company is one with good references and unblemished track record. The general practice is that moving company valuates each item and the amount paid by you to the company covers insurance expenses as well as other charges. You therefore need to familiarize with the terms of insurance, saving clauses of insurance, the premium being charged and various other clauses of insurance. To finish with, you need to SIGN a contract that contains clarity and comprehensiveness on each and every feature of the insurance to avoid any future litigation.

The Moving Company Should Be Asked To Arrange Insurance Coverage To All Your Equipment To Be Moved is a post from: Data Center Migration Pros

Since it is not viable to move a data center every now and then both in financial and practical terms, you need to identify space which can support your data requirement for at least next ten years. The proposed building should be a standalone building with sufficient provisions for security, power back ups and fire fighting systems.

To work round the clock, Data centers require uninterrupted electricity and any breakdown or fluctuation of power may lead to loss of precious data and closing of your business and services for longer durations. Experts therefore advice that you need to identify a location which has uninterrupted and constant power supply without any fluctuation.

The different cooling systems, UPS and other computer equipments require electricity and you need to calculate how much power these machines would consume at a point of time and take steps to bring your electricity supply at par with this requirement. Most IT equipments require much more energy than household gadgets. You also need to explore possibilities as to where you can cut back on unnecessary power consumption in order to improve the energy efficiency of your data center.

Servers invariably generate heat and it is essential to keep the atmosphere perpetually cool in order to ensure their longevity and productivity. This is another area which eats into power resources. Inadequate supply of cool air result in the systems breathing in the hot, used air inside the data centre resulting in quick burn ups. This is an added reason why you need to check the availability of power and verifying whether power inlets are switched on before selecting your new location. Shortage of electricity can hamper your future expansion plans too.

Availability Of Power Is A Major Factor While Deciding On A New Data Center Location is a post from: Data Center Migration Pros

Due to one-dimensional approach many business fail as they do not carry a Plan B in case their Plan A fails to work. This theory is holds good for a data center moving process. Before, during and after the process of moving, you may face unanticipated problems as the process of moving a data center is a very delicate operation. Therefore it is very essential to keep a back up plan to work in case the initial plan fails.

Relocating a data center in its true sense is more of a business process and not a technical one. Therefore, the whole project should be carefully planned to ensure a flawless moving. The communication channels between all the professionals should be kept open to ensure free flow of ideas. It may be worth mentioning that most of the projects have cost escalations and time overrun and in such cases acquiring the equipments and services can become a big problem.

Another difficulty in data center moving is the multiplicity of experts required to do the job. Man management is much difficult than moving goods. Things can go wrong at any stage of moving which necessitates thorough rethinking on your tactics and efforts. Migrating large networks has its own inherent risks and difficulties.

All the above difficulties require you to be flexible in your planning, strategies and attitude. Carrying a false notion that everything would work perfectly and taking things for granted is a recipe for disaster. Every detail has to be minutely checked and rechecked to make the moving project a success. For example, the door openings at the new location need to be checked vis–vis the size of your equipments and the strength of the floor to be ascertained with reference to the heavy load of servers and other equipments. You therefore need to take the mover with you while making initial inspection of the proposed relocation site.

Always Have A Backup Plan And Don’t Take Anything For Granted is a post from: Data Center Migration Pros

It is not as easy to move your data center as you move your home or household goods through various locations. From packing the things you need a well determined professional team constituting data center architects, electrical professionals, hardware engineers and a general contractor to look after all activities through the transportation and installation of systems to the new location.

You have to make sure that all the professional members involved in the moving project should equally contribute their best efforts to produce maximum good results to the work though the process is time consuming. There should be enough security and power supply systems at the new edifice accommodating the data center. For at least another ten years the new center should serve you before it out grows the existing requirements.

In order to assist you in efficiently migrating the existing system and its required equipments you need a perfectly professional team who can design the new data center and install all the computers and backup systems there.

For smooth transition to the new location, you need to schedule bi-weekly team review meetings to find out how much progress has been achieved and how the work has been going. These team meetings would help the team to take a holistic view of the process of moving and speed up the work. Keeping a status history of each task assigned to each professional involved in the process would invariably ensure that all the tasks are in progress on their tracks. It would also help in assigning new tasks and setting time frames for completing each action in a timely manner.

Be Sure To Schedule Biweekly Team Review Meetings To Ensure That No Loose Ends Remain is a post from: Data Center Migration Pros

The first step for you would be to compose a multi functionary project team to take care of the different parts of moving. An experienced project manager should head the team to coordinate the work of different professionals associated in the moving project. They would work endlessly to see that your data center is moved to another more capable and resourceful data center at some other location.

Many data center moving services make one common mistake and that is they transport the components and move data on weekends and general holidays just to save time and energy. This action is however laden with risks as it may require you a lot of other services like the support of vendors of equipments if there is any breakdown during transit.

Since you are moving a set of very fragile machinery and equipment which is akin to moving a patient on a lifeline there is likelihood of unforeseen difficulties occurring during the movement. It is therefore imperative that you fix the job on a regular working day so that you can find immediate relief in case of any problem. Your strategic planning should take this into account and discuss this in every group meetings so that you schedule the work on a regular work day and avoid moving either on weekend or on holidays.

Companies having experience in the field of moving data center are aware of the problems of moving a data center on a work day. They know that any problem or damage during transition may lead to insurmountable financial losses and miseries, loss of data and information which is very valuable etc. Still if you go otherwise, your audit after the move would paint a blotted picture and put you into huge financial losses.

Schedule Work Only On A Regular Workday – Otherwise, You May Suffer Due To Lack Of Support is a post from: Data Center Migration Pros

You have to shift your data center when the facilities at the place where you are now are not enough to accommodate efficiently all the extra equipments and computers. The limitations at the present location eventually slow down the process of development of the firm. These situations will make you shift your present location to a more convenient site. The new location will provide you enough space to accommodate all future technological expansions.

The process of shifting is always done step by step. Bear in mind that it is an awesome process to transfer the entire fragile systems and other machinery along with the presently working data. The working of the whole data center gets affected if any damage happens to the machinery during the transfer that indeed makes loss to working data. Now you need to seek the help of any professional company who is having much service experience to help you in this bulky effort of moving your lock, stock and barrel. Make a deal with one among the so many professional companies to help you in transferring your systems. Since you have to face a lot of pain, hardships, tensions and fears while shifting your entire data center from one place to another. The main concern is about the contract with the professionals.

Most of the companies have such a flexible terms and condition that will help them twist in adverse situation during transportation of the materials. Each line in the contract has its importance, so carefully read through the lines to understand even the hidden things lie between the lines. Make sure that there are no disputes arise during transportation. If there occurs any material damage while transportation, the contract should not let the company move about the situation and make the customer pay for his loss. You must have thoroughly gone through all the statements depicted in the passages of the agreement to understand the costs related to transportation project of moving your data center.

In normal cases, the moving company would agree to move the items specified to you to your new location without any material damage. All moving contracts would customarily be a comprehensive statement of agreement which promises that your goods would reach the desired destination without damage in a reasonable time frame at a specified cost. This is where a customer should be doubly cautious. The basic aim of getting all contracts finalized before moving is to make sure your items reach their destination safely. These contracts, if all-inclusive and well-thought out, can keep your mind stress-free till your goods are delivered, unpacked and installed at their new places.

Finalize Your Contracts Before You Start Data Center Migration is a post from: Data Center Migration Pros

Your primary goal will be to complete the move and have the datacenter back online as early as possible. Hence you should try to gain access to the new facility a few weeks prior to the move. By preparing the new facility well in advance all you have to do on the moving day is to plug the servers in and bring everything back online. It is good to initiate by measuring the server room and creating a floor plan that shows where each piece of furniture or equipment will be placed. You should also make sure that sufficient electric supply is there.

For a successful move it would be favorable to take an inventory of the hardware in your datacenter. It is easier to replace the machines that fall down during the move, if you possess an up-to-date inventory. It should be remembered to meet the insurance agent before you make the existing move and retrospect the coverage on your servers. Also it is better to formalize a deal with the hardware vendor so that he is at your arm’s length in case of an emergency.

You should perform a full, system state backup of each machine before shutting it down. Since the servers would be in an unstable position during the move, the backups are very important. While moving the backups should not be kept on the same truck as your servers.

Once you have reached in the new location plan the order in which the servers are to be brought back online. That will assure you to minimize the downtime for your mission critical applications along with locating critical problems quickly. By following all these you can ensure a successful move before the deadlines go up.

Successful Move: A Result Of Strategic Planning And Careful Handling is a post from: Data Center Migration Pros

Meet and give humble notice to your hardware vendors and Telco vendors before the actual process of move would be a welcome step as it makes it safe so that they will be better equipped to help in case of an emergency. You can also finalize a deal so that they will quickly assist you on the day of moving and the day which follows. It becomes necessary due to many reasons.

In fact the most important factor is that moving servers are workaholic with risk. You may have to replace a couple of hard drives possibly or may be a power supply or two after a move definitely. In addition to that, moves often take place on the weekends, especially at night. To find a vendor late at night on holidays would be quite difficult. So, to save precious time, option is to find a hardware vendor who should be kept on standby. You can ensure connectivity hassles free by keeping Telco vendors always ready to serve. Not to forget that a gap in service would bring about huge financial losses to the datacenter operator. Thus vendor support plays a crucial role in data center moving.

You should also discuss on the issue of problems, once the vendor agrees to promptly be at your help. While in the shifting process if all the servers are destroyed it is necessary to know how much of time it would take the hardware to get replaced the machines. As it may be a couple to days to get your insurance settlement check, you should get it cleared if it is possible to order the replacement machines before you get the insurance check.

Thus by ensuring proper vendor support you can be well prepared to overcome the perils associated with datacenter shifting. But you should cross check the credentials of several vendors before finalizing the deal so as to avoid inconveniences at a later stage.

Vendor Support For Your Rescue In Case Of Breakages is a post from: Data Center Migration Pros

It is the data center operators who must follow the normal code-of-conduct to keep back-up data to make sure no data is lost or damaged, even if the operations completely break-downs. If that’s not your habit in such case, before processing your data center location plan, you have to make your data back-ups.

Only making back-ups will not be helping, before moving , back-up data needs to be verified so, when you replace them in the servers and if the original data storage devices goes down or breaks down. As the moving company would never take your back-up data’s responsibility, you must need to be sure that it is done; otherwise, losing any data can totally crush your future business operation.

The datacenter moving company at your disposal would definitely be interested to know if you are in possession of backups of your vital data. They would also ask you whether these backups are tested for recovery. Creating a back-up data bank should, therefore, be factored in at your strategic planning stage itself.

In many ways moving a datacenter to a new location is always threatening prospect, while in transit components may get infected or damaged, quick and easy availability of spare parts may not be possible, it can be of concern to the moving team, as it will take long time in effectively completing your moving process. But if compared to the issue of data these matters are bit tiny to concern, replacing of components can be done, even can reduce the time gaps, but if your critical data is lost, then nothing can compensate it.

Verify Backups: Otherwise You May Be Forced To Despair Later is a post from: Data Center Migration Pros

Not to forget, however, conditioning and keeping the services in optimal serviceability is a big task considering that datacenter components are highly fragile and prone to damage even from adverse climatic conditions. They also require regular power supply. In order to handle these potential problems, power back-up and climate control systems like air conditioning are inevitable for the continuous operations.

While moving a datacenter to another location, you must make sure that the servers would be in working condition before being packed up and ready to work instantly when they are installed at the new facility. Just before shifting the servers rebooting them can be done simply and effectively. You have two modes to reboot the servers. First, is the main power supply on and the second, through the back-up power supply systems.

These are precautionary methodical steps assures you that the servers are alright. This step, if ignored in your relocation efforts, absolutely can grow into sources of dispute between the moving company and you. Never take anything lightly that can stop with, but you needed a full reboot with back-up power systems making your efforts possible that the new datacenter would start functioning at optimal levels of serving as soon as it is installed at the new location.

Datacenters can also be called as server farms, which imply that servers as they are the nerve centers of a datacenter. All the associated working organs like a power systems and backups, climate control measures and cabling works as a human heart working continuously to keep the servers fully operational. Never to be forgotten these points should be kept in mind at all stages of datacenter relocation. Major step towards ensuring the well being of your servers, is to rebooting your servers before you move them to other location, and also as such, the well being of your company’s profits.

Why To Verify That You Can Reboot Your Servers Before Moving Them is a post from: Data Center Migration Pros