As a new year dawns, it is quite common for individuals to make both personal and professional resolutions. For many business owners and IT pros, that resolution might involve getting your server room organized and tidy.
In this blog post, the cabling experts at Connectivity will discuss some best practices in server room organization to begin implementing right now so that your new year begins effectively, efficiently, and productively.
Server Room Tips and Tricks
We regularly coach our structured cabling clients on many of the following practices:
Eliminate anything that isn’t useful: A messy pile of cables or drives stacked on top of your servers isn’t appealing or attractive. What’s more it can be hard to determine if they are simply spares or if they even work. Assess what needs to be pitched because it’s junk and then carefully store spare cables and parts. Additionally, if you have old servers or switches that have been decommissioned still hanging around, get rid of those, too. Their presence can make it challenging to identify what is connected and what isn’t.
Color code your cables: If this aligns with your company’s standards, then it is a great practice to pursue. Color coding cables will help you realize what cable goes where and what it is associated with, i.e., phones, data, etc.
Use Velcro for cable management: Tie up extra cable length and bundle them so they remain out of the way and not underfoot. Additionally, using Velcro in this regard will improve organization and make it all easy to see. Many organizations use zip ties, but with Velcro there is no cutting involved if you need to make changes, making it more efficient.
Use appropriate length cables: Jumping off at that last point, it’s even more efficient right from the get-go to simply use the right length cable upon installation. This way you can eliminate how much cable you need to wrap up—and allow yourself to not have to buy Velcro. Plus, when appropriate cable length is present, you will be able to logically follow a flow of where everything is plugged in.
Use PDUs strategically: PDUs, or Power Distribution Units, are essentially enterprise-grade power strips. When placed vertically against the equipment that needs powering, the distance cables need to travel is significantly reduced and it easier to understand where everything is plugged.
Document and diagram everything: On top of this, display your documentation and diagrams in a prominent place. Log your server room environment and include information like IP addresses and the names of devices. Also, note what the device is running. Additionally, this documentation should include vendor information as well as emergency contacts in case a bad situation arises. By having all of this information in a central location you will know who to call and easily be able to provide the vendor with the information they need to remedy the situation—which will result in less downtime and productivity losses.
Partner With Connectivity for Server Room Organization
This article offered a basic overview of what goes into proper server room organization. If one of your new year resolutions is to improve the operations of your business’s server room, then give us a call. We’d love to take a look at what you’re dealing with and develop a custom solution to help you be more efficient in 2023.