Server rooms are at the heart of any business and their efficiency is vital if a business is to run at their full capacity. For this reason, having a neat and efficient server room is an important consideration for all businesses that choose to host their IT services on their premises. In this article, we explore five tips that business owners looking to get the most out of their server room should consider.

Use the Right Equipment for Your Needs

One of the first tips for a neat and efficient server room is ensuring that the right equipment is being used. Using the right-sized rack for your server equipment is the first step in ensuring that the hub of your business stays neat and efficient.

When choosing the type of rack for your server room, things you need to consider include what your current business needs are, as well as what impact the growth of your business will have on your requirements. While it may be tempting to go big with your server rack, when it comes to neatness and efficiency, smaller racks that can be stacked when an expansion is required are more efficient and far easier to move should a business be forced to change their location in the future.

When choosing your server rack, it is important to take note of the size of the server components, as trying to fit a 23” component on a 19” may well result in a disaster while the converse will result in a server rack that looks disorganised right from the start.

Consider Installing a PDU

PDUs, or Power Distribution Units, are specially designed pieces of equipment that are fitted with multiple outputs to distribute power evenly throughout server racks. PDUs play an essential role in larger server settings as they not only guarantee that the right amount of amperage is delivered from an uninterruptible power supply, generator or utility source to each component in the rack, but they also collect valuable data regarding power consumption and usage. This data can be used to understand the efficiency rating of each component and allow IT staff the ability to make educated decisions regarding improvements.

There is a range of different PDU options available for purchase, including basic and metered PDUs. So, when choosing a PDU, business owners must consult with power experts before making a purchase. Companies such as Critical Power Supplies, who specialise in being at the forefront of emergency power and energy solution provision in the UK, have a team of experts on hand to provide 24/7 support and can recommend the right PDU systems for any business’s needs.

Use a Rack Cable Manager

In a large server room, good cable management can mean the difference between a job taking two hours to complete and an IT technician taking an entire weekend to sort out an issue. Rack cable managers, which are also called horizontal lacing bars, take a lot of hassle out of managing cables and can be used either horizontally or vertically. These units take up minimal space in the rack and allow for more efficient use of space, which helps to reduce the overall footprint of a server. Having a rack cable manager in place also gives server installers and maintenance staff space to work within the rack, ensuring that any work that needs to be done can be done quickly and more efficiently.

Colour Coding and Labelling Can Save Time and Money

Having a rack cable manager in place is only the first step in ensuring that maintenance of a server rack can be done quickly and efficiently. Having a labelling protocol in place in a server room also goes a long way in ensuring that the server room stays neat and efficient.

To simplify things, large data centres typically adhere to the ANSI TIA 606-B voluntary labelling standard which requires labels to be consistent, easy to read, durable, that they identify which physical location the cable is running to, and that records are kept regarding labelling protocols and physical locations.

Good Planning Prevents Poor Performance

Whether it’s planning where in the building a server room will be located, to how big the server needs to be, good planning is an essential step in preventing poor server performance in the future. Planning for the future will ensure that when a business inevitably expands, a server room expansion does not cause undue disruption. Planning how you position a server rack is almost as important as what server equipment you buy, as placing a server rack in an area with bad airflow or heat retention will only shorten the lifespan of the equipment. Correcting a bad installation is not impossible; however, with the right amount of planning before the first piece of equipment is even installed, businesses can ensure the long-term health and efficiency of their server room.

Ensuring that your server room is as neat and efficient as it was on the first day that it was installed may be no small task but, with the right amount of planning and know-how, businesses can get the most out of their server room.

Creating a business is such an exciting and fulfilling time of many people’s lives! Planning and creating through to implementing said plans, there’s nothing quite like it. While many people out there are in the process of creating business ideas and propositions, if you already have a business, you have probably considered at one point or another: how can I make this better? How can I improve on my empire? You are probably not the only one who has considered this, and that is where we come in! Below is a helpful selection of ways to modernise your business; from computer networks through to transforming the physical workplace, there is something here for everyone! Read on for more and leave feeling inspired.

Update Your Technology Infrastructures

This one is a bit of a given. If you have had your business for a fair few year, firstly, good on you! This year has not been easy on businesses big and small, so if you have got this far in one piece, definitely give yourself a pat on the back. It hasn’t been easy! Now, for some businesses, they have had their devices and technology for quite a long time, and have either not thought of upgrading them, or not had the time nor money to do so. Updating the equipment and devices that you are using within your business, will allow you to streamline the way that you are doing your job; after all, newer devices work faster and can process far more than older devices. This leads us onto the second point, which works in tandem with updated systems and devices…

Safe, Secure, Stable IT Systems

For those of you with older devices, you are sure to have come across the logistical nightmare once or twice: ‘this version no longer supports.’ Those words are not favoured among anyone in the working world and is certainly something that can slow down productivity in any workplace, while searching for a way to fix this issue. To ensure that you stay up to date with any new updates from software and programmes, updating your IT support systems will make certain that your business is secure and safe from outside forces. If you are the owner of a small or medium business, who is either unsure which IT systems to choose from, or are simply looking to outsource the job entirely, consider this IT support company. Based in the technologically driven city of London, Totality Services provide their clients with exceptional IT support. Whether you are in Manchester or Maidenhead, this London IT company will fulfil all your business needs. To find out more about how they can help you and your business, visit their website.

Transforming the Workplace

Drab and dreary offices are common to come by, particularly in big cities. However, don’t be disheartened if your dream is to work in a bright and colourful space! Transforming the workspace for yourself and your employees will certainly bring a smile to your face on a rainy day. It is no surprise, that experts have found bright, well-lit and colourful workspaces improve the morale and productivity of a workforce, which is what you want! Utilising your business’ colour scheme and logo throughout the workplace will really bring the whole thing together. Not to mention, the use of plants and other greeneries in a space such as this will help to lift spirits also; plants in the workspace have naturally been shown to improve the air quality of the area as well.

Use of Online Storage Systems

Long gone are the days of filing every piece of paperwork that we fill out in the office. The traditional filing cabinets that you see in noughties films and tv shows, have instead been replaced by their technological counterparts, the Cloud. Many businesses use a variation of the cloud storage systems, to safely and securely store important information and documents relating to their business. Furthermore, not only will using the cloud enable you to modernise the way that your business works but will also make it a lot easier for collaborations within your business; particularly when majority of us are working from home at the present time, and face-to-face meetings to collaborate are not permitted.

Regular Reviews

Finally, regularly reviewing the practices that your business uses will allow you to stay on top of the current business-based trends, and to assess what best practices to use. Modernising the workplace will streamline how things are done; allowing employees to work in a quicker but more effective way. Streamlining some of the work processes for employees can reduce stress levels, particularly if the workloads decrease due to more effective methods being used. Assessing what works best for your business and what doesn’t, on a regular basis will enable you to always have the best interests of your business – and employees – at heart.