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How to Maintain a Safe, Clean, and Efficient Server Room

When you walk into your server room, you see more than a collection of servers, switches, routers, and network cabling. You see the lifeblood of your organization.

Server rooms are critical environments in all businesses, as both employees and customers rely on them 24/7. When designed properly, they can easily accommodate staff and data outlets both safely and efficiently.

The question is, how clean and tidy is your server room?

Here's a rundown on how to maintain a safe and efficient server room, as well as how data centre cleaning services can keep your room functioning properly.

Let's get started!

Monitor the Room Temperature

One of the best ways to maintain a safe server room is to monitor the room's temperature.

Your server room's temperature should be fine if you keep the space at room temperature, or 20 degrees Celsius to 22 degrees Celsius, although a few degrees cooler or warmer shouldn't hurt. In addition, the humidity shouldn't be more than 50%.

This is important for maintaining a controlled server room environment. The more controlled the environment is, the more likely your equipment is to function correctly and remain high quality.

Organize the Room's Cords

Yet another way to maintain an efficient and safe server room is to be systematic when it comes to your cord organization.

In your server room, several cords likely connect a variety of machine outlets with other equipment. As a result, cables can easily become lost, tangled, and intertwined.

However, if you keep your cords short, this can help you to keep the space more organized. In addition, consider using colour-coded cables to differentiate between cords.

This will make it easier for you to track and maintain various cords in your server room. It will also make the room easier to navigate when equipment needs to be worked on or checked.

Utilize the Correct Equipment

Yet another way to keep your server room operating efficiently is to make sure that it has the correct equipment in the first place.

The right server room equipment will keep you from having to stack hardware haphazardly -- for example, on random shelves and desks. Use drawers and shelves that are specifically designed to hold your hardware by being mounted on your server rack.

Doing this will enable you to use your server room space efficiently.

Clean Your Server Room Equipment

Hiring a cleaning company is also a wise move if you're aiming to keep your server room safe and efficient.

A provider of data centre cleaning services can help you to remove dust that has accumulated on your equipment's surfaces and in the air. This is important because dust particles can easily find their way inside the equipment.

Your server room's machines draw in the air so that their internal components stay cool. When dust and debris are in the room's air, they may enter your equipment and insulate your machines.

This might cause your equipment to overheat, which can lead to costly damage and impact your room's performance over time.

Tips for Cleaning Your Room

Your equipment will operate the best if you consistently clean the room. So, try to give the room a once-over each week by wiping down the equipment.

In addition, you may want to schedule a big cleaning every year, like during the spring season. A cleaning company can clean inside your hardware using pressured air.

The more you take care of your equipment, the more likely it is to take care of your business for years to come.

Choose an Appropriate Room Location

You can furthermore make your server room more effective by allotting the right location for it in your business building.

No matter how big or small your room is, the room ideally shouldn't have exterior windows or walls. That's because this poses a major security threat. In addition, it makes your room's equipment vulnerable to natural disasters and extreme temperatures.

Also, keep in mind that your information technology (IT) staff will be entering and leaving the server room regularly. For this reason, it's best if the room is in a place that is simple to access. Your IT staff should be able to reach it without disturbing other people in your building.

Pay Attention to the Room Size

Choosing the right room size for your server room is also important for keeping your room operating properly.

For instance, make sure that your server room has enough extra space to accommodate expansion in the future. After all, in several years, you may grow your business by 20% or even double the size it is now. Plan for this projected growth by choosing a room that is bigger than you currently need for your servers and other equipment.

If your server room is currently too small, you may need to relocate it to another room in your building. Alternatively, you can invest in upgrades.

How We Can Help You with Our Data Centre Cleaning Services

Maintaining a safe, clean, and efficient server room is possible if you choose the right size and location for your server room. You should also use the right equipment in your room, organize the cords, and keep the room clean. This will help you to maintain an efficient IT infrastructure -- one that will propel your company forward.

Fortunately, at Hitches & Glitches, we take pride in offering top-of-the-line data centre cleaning services. Get in touch with us to learn more about our services, and schedule a cleaning today!