One of Procurri’s primary offerings is the maintenance of servers, storage and networking equipment worldwide. However, this service is often somewhat misunderstood and overlooked – with most businesses focusing their maintenance processes instead on individual’s hardware devices and the installation of new and upgraded software onto them. Here, our expert technicians explain how server maintenance works, and why it can be so critical.
What is Server Maintenance?
Server maintenance is the practice of systematically and routinely enacting tasks on servers to ensure that they are performing to their optimum capabilities, remain reliable and remain secure for users.
These tasks include but are not limited to:
- Running diagnostics across hardware – checking hardware status and using system monitoring tools to identify any concerns
- Completing security audits – mitigating potential security risks through regular reviewing of accounts, accesses and data
- Completing data back-ups – regularly backing up data to avoid any loss should an error occur
- Installing software updates – ensuring software is as up-to-date as possible
- Installing firmware updates – ensuring firmware is as up-to-date as possible
- Installing security patches – ensuring that any uncovered vulnerabilities are hidden and removed
- Monitoring network usage – monitoring the utilization of a network to ensure it can and will meet the demands at hand.
All IT hardware and software requires maintenance to keep it functioning as efficiently as possible, and given how crucial servers are to the operations of most businesses, it’s critical that they are well looked after.
What happens if you don’t enact proper Server Maintenance?
Servers running smoothly are crucial to the operations of most businesses as they provide the foundation for IT functionality for end users.
Negligence in incorporating thorough or appropriate server maintenance can result in severe consequences for the operations of a business; including:
- Downtime of systems and/or operations
- System crashes
- OS (Operating System) crashes
- Data loss or leaks
- Security breaches.
All of these issues hold their own risks – financially, reputationally and legally.
Perhaps the two most critical issues that can occur as a risk of insufficient server maintenance are downtime and data loss.
Downtime can cause huge financial losses and reputational damage to a brand – particularly if customers are made aware of any service disruptions. For most brands, even a small period of downtime can cause major problems. Even with the very best of business continuity processes in place to provide back-ups, downtime may have a staggering impact.
Data loss through security breaches can also cause significant financial penalties and damage to brand reputation. Some of the biggest data breaches include household names, such as Equifax, who leaked the personal data of over 147 million people in 2017; Marriott International, who compromised passport numbers, birth dates and credit card details of over 300 million hotel guests worldwide; and Facebook, who had over 540 million user records found on public servers in 2019.
How does Server Maintenance avoid these issues?
Regular and comprehensive server maintenance helps identify and address potential concerns before they’re able to escalate into a bigger issue. Checking in on the performance of server equipment can indicate where things may not be going right or could be optimized. Procurri even operates some maintenance programming on a proactive basis; monitoring the system to identify issues before they occur!
Well-maintained IT systems are also less vulnerable to security breaches. Installing regular security patches and updating security configurations help ensure any gaps are closed, protecting data and maintaining customers’ and stakeholders’ trust.
Peak efficiency can only be achieved on a server when it is properly maintained, as otherwise, as with all technology, it will begin to deteriorate over time. Keeping hardware as up-to-date as possible and ensuring it works to its optimal potential provides a seamless service for all users and the best possible experience.
Should an error or issue occur with a server, businesses are subject to a duty of care to their users and customers. This means that if they haven’t properly maintained their internal IT hardware, there may be legal and regulatory requirements to which they are non-compliant. This can have vast implications – including large financial penalties, reputational damage and even an order to shut operations down entirely.
How Server Maintenance can maximize ROI
Any IT hardware purchase delivers its best ROI (Return on Investment) when it works as best it possibly can, but a somewhat overlooked aspect of servers and their maintenance is that they’re not often considered ‘long-term’ hardware assets. Traditionally, servers have been replaced every 3-5 years with newer models, as part of a commercial cycle integrated by OEMs (Original Equipment Manufacturers). They sell on their servers and hardware with maintenance included for a set period. After this time, they stipulate that the hardware is ‘EOSL’ (End Of Service Life), and they withdraw maintenance and other support services for it – in the hope that the customer will buyer their newer product/s that still include maintenance, and replace it with them.
Needless to say, servers, storage and networking hardware are not ‘cheap’ bits of kit and so such a regular replacement cycle can prove hugely costly. However, businesses can use third-party providers such as Procurri to provide server maintenance services, and then will not be under the conventional time restrictions of OEMs. This allows businesses to continue to use their server hardware long past the point at which they’d normally need replacing – ‘sweating’ the assets to derive the most possible value from them.
Is Server Maintenance done manually or remotely?
Server maintenance can be a combination of both manual work enacted in a server room and remote work across virtual systems. Procurri facilitates both with our global maintenance program: expert Level 4 technicians available worldwide and remote support 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.
Physical manual work on servers may include:
- The installation of new hardware
- The installation of spare parts
- The decommissioning of old hardware
- Temperature control
- The cleaning of dust and debris
- Re-wiring
- Adjustments to physical hardware configuration.
Remote work on servers may include:
- Running monitoring tools and diagnostics across hardware
- Completing security audits
- Installing patches, upgrades and updates
- Completing data back-ups.
Tasks can be managed in-house by businesses (should they have the expertise and resource internally), or through the provision of a specialist firm such as Procurri.
Where’s best to get spare parts for Servers?
When server hardware fails, it doesn’t necessarily require full replacement, but instead spare parts can be deployed. However, when obtaining spare parts, businesses must use a trusted provider who can guarantee their quality and functionality once installed. Furthermore, of course, if hardware is older, it may be more difficult to source spare parts for them.
Procurri holds the largest stock of hardware in the channel internationally, and so can source and deploy even the rarest and most legacy of spare parts quickly. We hold new and packaged OEM spares, refurbished and recycled parts at warehouses around the world; available for quick deployment as and when required. This direct access to spare parts minimizes the risk of downtime and helps ensure seamless service to end users throughout.
How often should Server Maintenance be completed?
To be comprehensive, server maintenance is not something that should be scheduled in and enacted on a regular basis, but rather, form a continuous cycle of IT work. While there may be some maintenance tasks that can be scheduled monthly or quarterly, updates such as security patches should be installed as soon as they’re available without delay. With monitoring tools running continuously, sever maintenance can be a daily occurrence to keep systems up and running and to their maximum efficiency.
Why hire Procurri for Server Maintenance?
Procurri is an industry leader in global maintenance spanning server, storage and networking hardware. Our expert team can offer:
- 24/7/365 remote support with our ‘follow-the-sun’ service model
- Proactive support available to identify issues before they occur or escalate
- Full audit of hardware requirements and capabilities available with Procurri Genie
- Level 4 technicians available for on-site and remote support
- Industry-leading expertise from specialists
- Carbon-neutral operations, allowing you to list a sustainable supplier on your ESG reporting
- Coverage available in 100+ countries
- Customizable SLAs (Service Level Agreements).
Want to learn more about saving money, extending the life of your hardware assets and ensuring seamless service at all times? Get in touch with the Procurri team today!
