When it comes to migrating a data centre, you can’t afford to make mistakes.
Data centre migration is something that businesses may need to undertake from time to time, for a variety of reasons, and with many risks involved. The migration process is complicated, because you have to transport a lot of critically important equipment, work with a number of different parties to ensure everything runs smoothly.
Although difficult, understanding what some of the common mistakes are and how to avoid them will let you better prepare. Preserving critical business data and getting a new data centre operating can be done without a problem.
Keep on reading to learn more about six common data centre migration mistakes, and more importantly, how to avoid them!
1. Lack of infrastructure assessment
One of the main things that goes wrong during a data centre migration stems from an improper initial assessment of infrastructure. When it comes to infrastructure, you need to thoroughly assess everything so you can move kit successfully. This includes things like knowing what you’re currently using and what you’ll need at the new location.
Taking a full inventory of what you have in place will help shape key decisions, not only in terms of what you’ll need to deploy at the new site, but also how this is handled to avoid any unnecessary downtime.
2. Unclear leadership
You must have a project leader. This isn’t something that should be overlooked. Unclear leadership will prevent your team from working effectively. There are many moving parts and variables involved in a migration task, so having someone with a top-down view to orchestrate things is critical.
Communication will play a major role in any successful migration process, so a project manager will help to ensure everything is running smoothly. They’ll keep track of everything and come up with solutions whenever the team faces a problem.
3. Lack of clear procedures
Alongside having a project manager, you’ll need to have clear procedures written out that everyone can follow. You should include step-by-step procedures for various tasks, including what equipment you’re taking and how best to move it.
This is something a project manager can come up with, but if you have a major role, you should also contribute your own know-how to the migration plan. If you happen to be the project manager, ensure that you’re thinking about all parts of the migration process so that you can include them in the detailed plan.
After making a list of procedures, make sure everyone has seen them ahead of time.
You’ll then need to enforce these procedures when you start migrating. Should someone fail to properly follow the procedures, you can give them a quick reminder of what they should be doing.
4. Not checking if equipment will fit
Before you start taking equipment to a new data centre facility, you need to check that it will fit. This is something that many people overlook when they start migrating and they find themselves without room for all of their hardware.
The best way to do this is to measure all of your equipment. You’ll also need to find if the new location’s elevators (if needed) can handle the weight of everything. Go to the new location, check out the hallways, and measure the size of the space you have available to you.
Buying new equipment before you’ve measured anything will run you the risk of wasting a lot of money. Always measure before you move anything or purchase something new. You’ll want to do this well before you start migrating so that you can make accommodations for issues in good time.
5. Underestimating the time required
Another thing that people drastically underestimate is how much time is required to migrate kit. Moving even comparatively small systems can take a considerable amount of time, particularly if not planned adequately in advance.
You’ll need to evaluate available manpower so that you can work around your team and migrate as quickly as possible. Consider assigning roles for the migration so that your team can handle various tasks at the same time.
If you come up with a data centre migration budget, you can prevent yourself from overspending or purchasing the wrong equipment. If you buy too many things, you can delay the migration process because you’ll have to try to send them back and get something new.
6. Lack of a backout plan
A backout plan is necessary for most things, especially when it comes to data centre migration. Should something happen that prevents you from migrating, you’ll need a plan that lets you change your strategy. This can be considered as a “Plan B,” typically centred around bringing everything back to your original location.
Whether you need to go to a new location or purchase new equipment at the last minute, these are things you need to consider when putting together a backout plan. Keep in mind that you should try to follow through with your original plan, the backout plan is just a last resort.
Now you’re ready for your data centre migration
Data center migration requires a lot of teamwork and coordination, so you can’t afford to make a mistake that will slow down the entire process. By understanding how to avoid these six mistakes, you’ll be better prepared to execute a successful migration.
We recommend starting with the creation of a suitable plan to follow with detailed procedures. From there, everything else will fall into place as you go through the process.
Get in touch with us today to learn about the expert assistance we can provide you in migrating your critical systems between data centres!