How to maintain uptime over the holidays

The risk of unexpected outages or extended periods of downtime plagues businesses all year long. But it can be particularly concerning during the holidays when most employees are taking time off and inclement weather starts escalating. 

The importance of minimizing downtime can not be understated. It doesn't take an extended outage to do significant damage. For example, a study conducted by the Ponemon Institute earlier this year revealed that, on average, data center outages cost companies $8,851 per minute.

For network administrators, this data center monitoring can be particularly stressful during the holidays. Fortunately, there are simple steps you can take to minimize your risk of an unplanned outage and, in turn, maximize uptime – as well as your relaxation time this holiday season. Below are some tips to do so:

1. Clean and inspect equipment
Leading up to the holidays, it can be a chaotic time where many workers are mentally checked out. When this happens, it is easy to let things slip between the cracks and certain processes and procedures – like data center inspections and hardware maintenance – fall on the back burner.

However, taking the time now to go the extra mile to ensure all network and device tools and equipment are working properly will help reduce the risk that they will fail on you during the most inconvenient time (such as when you are trying to enjoy time with your loved ones). 

Also, it is helpful to make sure you have any and all replacement equipment and parts that may be needed to keep your data center up and running when your primary systems fail. 

2. Implement disaster recovery and incident response plan
Whether you alone are charged with the task of monitoring and maintaining your business' data center or have a team of IT personnel to work with, thinking ahead and implementing a sound protocol and plan of action in the event of a disruption can go a long way in minimizing downtime damage.

If applicable, make sure each employee knows what their particular roles and responsibilities are if an outage occurs – as well as how to execute each task. Knowing exactly how to respond in such event is key to resolving the problem as quickly as possible.

3. Invest in backup systems
The Ponemon Institute study found that the leading cause of unplanned data center outages is UPS system failure. Clearly, making sure you have an efficient UPS system – as well as other battery, generator and backup tools – in place and working properly should be the top of your to-do list before mailing it in this holiday season.

Dealing with an unplanned outage is one of the biggest nightmares a business can face at any time of the year, but particularly during the holidays. However, knowing that you have the proper secondary solutions in place that will kick on in the event of an unexpected downtime will bring you the peace of mind you need. By taking the aforementioned steps, you can greatly reduce the risk of having to deal with a loss of revenue, productivity, customer loyalty or any of the other unfortunate consequences associated with network disruptions.

Contact Custom Networks Inc. for to learn more about the data center tools and UPS systems needed to help maintain uptime during the holidays.