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Move a Data Center
Moving the data center is best described as a controlled disaster where minute-by-minute planning is critical to success.
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Your Challenge
- IT managers may only face a data center move once or twice in their professional lives, and therefore may have little knowledge of how to approach the project.
- Data center relocation requires thorough and rigorous planning that often involves input from multiple departments in the organization and third party assistance from consultants, contractors, vendors, and moving companies.
- Small and mid-sized organizations often lack the funding to hire all the third party agents necessary to perform a data center relocation and are overwhelmed by the complexity and detail required for the relocation effort, resulting in chaos, downtime, significant cost overruns, and ultimately loss of business.
Our Advice
Critical Insight- A data center relocation project is often undertaken as one large project but should be broken up into subprojects to make it more manageable and effective.
- Ideally, a data center relocation effort should be given 12-18 months from start to finish, however many companies are given much less time. Thorough and detailed upfront planning in the beginning stages of the project will identify issues early on, help to establish a budget, and save on the costs of third party assistance.
- Whether an organization is moving the data center from one to one, many to one, or to a co-location facility, the same process is applicable as each facility should be treated like an individual relocation project.
- Understand the critical steps and importance of detailed planning in a data center relocation by practicing meticulous project management.
- Involve executives, employees, and vendors throughout the project to effectively communicate strategies and solicit cooperation.
- Gather requirements and conduct assessments on the new facility to identify issues early on.
- Establish a set of criteria to help select the right vendor for the move.
- Prepare minute-by-minute planning, and practice the final run through with table top planning to ensure nothing is missed and ensure a successful relocation project.
Get to Action
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Engage in project management
Scope the project, create a budget, form the team and plan the plan.
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Conduct a thorough discovery
Inventory applications and hardware, declutter the moving plan, develop a migration strategy, organize moving bundles and analyze risk.
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Prepare move day planning
Select a mover, document a detailed migration strategy, and assess the go/ no go decision.
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Ensure seamless execution
Perform a final project review, complete the move, and perform testing.
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Close the project
Wrap up at the old facility, capture process issues, and debrief the project.
Related Solution Sets
Develop a Co-location Strategy
Successful data center co-location strategies are a function of cost and vendor selection.
Vendor Landscape: IP Telephony
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Build a Data Center
Building a data center is a complex and expensive challenge requiring specific design and engineering skills.
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Solution Road Map
Other Solution Sets in Facilities
1. Build a Data Center
Building a data center is a complex and expensive challenge requiring specific design and engineering skills.
Building a data center is a complex and expensive challenge requiring specific design and engineering skills.
3. Take a Strategic Approach to Maximize the Benefits of Green IT
An ad-hoc approach to Green IT is leaving money on the table.
An ad-hoc approach to Green IT is leaving money on the table.
5. Develop a Standby Power Strategy
Protect critical assets by determining the right standby power solution for the enterprise.
Protect critical assets by determining the right standby power solution for the enterprise.
6. Vendor Landscape: Uninterruptible Power Supply
A steady market power flow, a steady market growth.
A steady market power flow, a steady market growth.
7. Vendor Landscape: Data Center Precision Cooling
Don't lose your cool; identify data center cooling vendors for the enterprise.
Don't lose your cool; identify data center cooling vendors for the enterprise.
8. Move a Data Center
Moving the data center is best described as a controlled disaster where minute-by-minute planning is critical to success.
Moving the data center is best described as a controlled disaster where minute-by-minute planning is critical to success.
9. Integrate Global Data Center Facilities
Planning to take over the world? Successful integration of global infrastructure starts with people, process, and discovery.
Planning to take over the world? Successful integration of global infrastructure starts with people, process, and discovery.
10. Develop a Global Network Strategy
When the weight of the world is on your shoulders, don't leave it to chance, develop a strategy for the global network.
When the weight of the world is on your shoulders, don't leave it to chance, develop a strategy for the global network.
