How to move servers without service interruptions?
If information is the lifeblood of a modern company, the process of moving servers to colocation data center can be compared to heart surgery. Everything must be done quickly, precisely, and in such a way that the circulation of information does not stop. If performed well, the move will go unnoticed by customers.
Work inside Greenergy Data Centers’ server room. Photo by Tõnu Tunnel.
There are different reasons for moving. As a rule, the common denominator is the attempt to increase reliability, efficiency, and quality. ‘We have experienced a situation in which a cleaner unplugged the servers. We literally started our business in a garage, and this incident made us clean up the resulting mess with our customers,’ notes Rein Post as he shares his experience. The main activity of the private limited company R8 Technologies, which he runs, is the digital optimisation of the operation of ventilation and air conditioning equipment. This helps companies from the Arab world and Europe, and soon also the United States, to save significantly on energy and costs.
‘Fortunately, we were forgiven because the incident took place at the very beginning of our operation. We then promised that nothing like this would ever happen again and moved our servers to a highly reliable data center,’ explains Post.
Servers equipped with uninterrupted Internet and electricity serve as a guarantee of the credibility of his company, and errors in the operation of the system are not permissible. However, there is only one data center in Estonia, the connectivity, cooling, and electrical systems of which are, in some cases, duplicated three times. This ensures that the risks are quite low. The R8 team also moved their servers there.
The process must be thought through in detail
What does the moving process look like? The first step is to think about what the needs are in terms of space and power for the servers and to conclude an agreement with the data center in this regard. For its part, the center shares plenty of information regarding procedures and security rules. In a neutral data center, you can also choose the Internet service provider yourself.
Once this stage is completed, a carefully considered moving plan is needed. ‘This requires a separate project manager who is responsible for everything and keeps an eye on everything,’ says Margus Danil, one of the leaders of cloud solution provider Storadera, discussing his experience. Since May, his equipment has also been located in Greenergy Data Centers on the outskirts of Tallinn.
Rein Post from R8 Technologies adds to that the importance of communication within the team. ‘The author of a plan is never able to think through all of the details alone. The more that things have been discussed with the team, the easier it is for other people to anticipate problems and offer solutions,’ he said, describing a proven practice.
It is worth remembering that unexpected things always happen and you must set aside additional time to perform all movements.
Although difficulties in the delivery of the new equipment resulted in preparations taking a whole month, it only took two days in the end to move and set up things in Margus Danil’s company. When to schedule the move depends on the nature of the business. For those whose principal activity takes place during the week, it makes sense to move on Saturday: this leaves you with time to react on Sunday in the event of any possible problems. Sometimes, it makes sense to choose night-time for this; however, in some cases, such as with Storadera, the operation of the servers must not be interrupted, which must also be taken into account when moving.
Moving to the data center in several stages
It often happens that when moving to the data center, existing equipment is insufficient and new equipment must be ordered. For this purpose, there is a temporary warehouse in the data center, where equipment is stored until it is installed.
In some cases, a multi-stage move can be useful. ‘We were in another data center before, from which we brought the equipment. First, we put the new equipment into operation, then we shut down the old equipment and brought it to the new center in three parts,’ notes Danil, giving an example of how to organise the work without any interruptions.
As the security requirements at Greenergy Data Centers are as strict as in an action movie, there is a set procedure for the delivery of equipment. For example, the licence plate number of the car and the personal data of the people participating in this process must be sent to the center the day before.
When the car arrives, it drives to the loading area, where the goods are unloaded. The car then drives away, while the employees of the center take the goods to a temporary warehouse, which no one from outside the building is permitted to enter. Employees are present in the center 24 hours a day, whether to receive goods or to support installation. Installation can also be ordered as a service.
Unpacking and assembling equipment
Once all the required items have arrived, the data center must move them to the unpacking and assembly area. There, the packaging is removed and sent for recycling.
In terms of unpacking, Danil’s team also learned a lesson. ‘There are all sorts of small details that may not be needed right away in the boxes containing new devices. We failed to check all of the boxes properly and sent them for disposal,’ he recalls. ‘But the system within the data center was accurate and as fast as clockwork; all waste was quickly placed in the compactor. So we had to procure some of the parts again later,’ said the leader of Storadera with a smile.
When the devices have been assembled, they are transported to their designated location and put into operation at the right moment.
‘In the end, it took us two hours to launch instead of ten minutes. Unexpected things happen and you just have to be ready for them,’ says Rein Post in hindsight. ‘But the men of the data center helped to find a solution for everything. Kudos to them.’