As you know, correctly maintaining your data center is critical. The importance of data centers to business operations is continually increasing. The better you can maintain your data center, the more efficiently it will run and the lower your overhead for things like electricity. You can then pass those savings on to customers and gain a competitive advantage. Plus, you’ll minimize downtime, and your customers will trust you with their sensitive information because of your impeccable data center maintenance.
If you let the maintenance of such a sensitive area suffer, you risk losing both time and money, damaging your client relationships and server security, and essentially putting your entire organization in jeopardy. There’s no way around it: If you are responsible for a data center, you must keep it properly maintained to keep your company legitimate, secure, and profitable. But what exactly does proper maintenance entail?
The Key Component to Proper Data Center Maintenance
One of the most critical components of proper data center maintenance is cleaning. You must have a thorough data center cleaning procedure to keep your data center up and running optimally.
The importance of data center cleaning goes beyond simple building hygiene. The heavy, heat-emitting equipment in data centers is kept cool (and therefore functional) because the plenum beneath the raised floors blows cool air upward. As that plenum becomes coated in dust and debris, it becomes less and less functional. And not only is it unable to cool as effectively as when it is clean, but it also blows that dust and debris back into the data center and potentially into the machinery, causing further issues.
Proper data center maintenance begins first and foremost with a strict data center cleaning procedure.
Why a Structured Data Center Cleaning Procedure Is Important
Data centers are controlled environments. They have their own sets of standards that must be adhered to. Without implementing a specific and intentional data center cleaning procedure, you might not tick all the boxes that need to be ticked to keep your data center at peak performance.
Not only should your data center cleaning procedure include step-by-step instructions for cleaning the subfloor and plenum, but it should also include procedures for cleaning the regular floor, all other surfaces, and the tape library. On top of all that, all cleaning products and equipment must comply with Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standards. Finally, you also have to consider safety risks caused by things like the removal of raised floor tiles and the use of water around the high-tech equipment.
Without a systematic, established approach to data center cleaning, you might do more harm than good.
How to Establish the Needed Procedure
If you’re feeling a little overwhelmed at the thought of keeping up with your data center’s demands, don’t worry. We’ve created a thorough Data Center Cleaning Guide to help walk you through the process. It covers everything from general guidelines to recommended training to a deep cleaning outline.
Don’t spend any more time worrying about how to properly maintain your data center or establish a thorough data center cleaning procedure. Download your free Data Center Cleaning Guide to help get you started.
If wrangling your data center particles feels intimidating, it may be wise to consider hiring professionals. Cleaning services like Pegasus exist to meet your critical need for a data center cleaning procedure. We specialize in controlled environments and do more than just clean - we are a partner you can trust.
