Your data center needs to be redone, relocated, or renovated. Perhaps this is part of a disaster recovery effort. You want to make sure that your data is secure, the project completes efficiently, and all the complexities of data center decommissioning go according to plan.
You also want to save time and money by putting a data center decommissioning plan in place for smooth asset recovery. This will include steps for equipment removal, data destruction, and asset disposition.
By data centre decommissioning according to a clear plan, you can keep ahead of project pitfalls and money sinks. Without a complete plan, you might lose money by not leveraging retired equipment during server decommissioning.
In this post, we present a five-step plan for decommissioning that includes equipment removal, capacity planning, data destruction of corporate data (through secure erasure software), and asset disposition. We also encourage you to increase your ROI with steps for responsible recycling and asset resale.
That's what our clients like best about our comprehensive data decommissioning plans: they increase ROI during center decommission, provide onsite data destruction of sensitive data and enterprise data, minimize e waste, and use a secure chain of turn-key solutions.
Let's first get started with how to power down a data center and create an asset map for your facility.
Step 1. Power Down
Your first order of business in planning a data center decommission is to power down. Eliminate the flow of information and operation of your devices to prepare storage devices and storage equipment. During this process, you also want to make an accurate asset map of your center infrastructure and critical facilities so you can take stock of assets in later stages.
If you're working with a preferred ITAD provider, make sure that they can back up and secure your enterprise data and software licenses for brand protection. This first step is one of the critical components of a strong plan that will allow for minimal disruption during your digital transformation.
For example, our data center decommissioning checklist gives specific advice for this phase of disconnect. The checklist helps as a reminder, and following our process will ensure you are prepared for asset tracking as well as in-house compliance requirements of these critical facilities.
Step 2. Recovery
During hardware decommissioning, encourage your ITAD provider to rediscover the value of your equipment. On valuable it assets, your provider can perform data sanitization on data storage as part of their data destruction services. Rigorous data protection allows you to refurbish and recycle assets for a check or write-off at the end of your decommission cycle.
Step 3. Refurbishment
Make sure your ITAD provider that they comply with data protection regulations and can perform refurbishing and removal services themselves. After they remove servers, wipe their contents to safety standards, and project a value for the devices, you can focus on developing ROI through reselling.
Step 4. Reselling
Once you have removed hazardous materials as well as wiped and refurbished IT assets, you can focus on reselling your assets. In the United States, there are processes that centre operations go through in order to resell their assets. But, your ITAD provider or in-house team can also follow the appropriate regulations to resell assets for a check at the end of your decommission.
Step 5. Coordination
Once you have followed the steps to power down, recover, refurbish, and resell, you are nearly done with your decommission. If you completed the process with a competent provider, you should have saved time, conserved resources, and produced a return. The final step for you is to log the outcome of your decommission for internal and external audits and to prevent damage or loss during a possible relocation.
Pack up your data center, and make arrangements with your removal services and relocation provider. Finally, update your financial department and supervisors on the return you generated by refurbishing and reselling assets. Tell your company about your success and present the final check as a glowing outcome to a difficult, technical process.
Where do I get more information?
If you want more information about how to handle asset disposition and asset recovery for your data center, we offer a free download of our data center decommissioning checklist. Using our steps to equipment removal and centre decommissioning, you can guide your next decommission through five, simple stages.
Using our system, you can increase your return, and write yourself a check to close up your decom. If you follow our five-step process, you'll effectively remove equipment, refurbish assets, and resell servers and devices for a return. It also saves you time from learning how to perform a decom on your own, and it helps you avoid common mistakes in data center decommissioning.
Get ROI, and avoid project complications.
Download our checklist today.
For more information about decommissioning, get our professional opinion. We have hundreds of cumulative years of experience with decoms. Map out your next decommission with a free, inclusive quote. Call us at (888) 297-5524 ext. 108