Data Center Relocation and Professional Mover Checklists

Updated for 2022:

Exponential data growth is a critical challenge for the IT industry. Every day, organizations face the daunting task of migrating or relocating their data centers. Companies might need to plan for a data center relocation because of potential cost savings, the need for more physical space, and security/compliance issues. Whatever the reasons, data center relocation is a high-risk operation and a big effort to tackle.

Data center relocations and migrations are inevitable. Modern data centers typically move three to five times, with 53% of companies expecting to move within the next few years, according to senior project manager Shawn Simon of National Computer Warehouse Services, LLC (NCWS).

Bij de meest voorkomende datacenter-verhuizingen zijn volgens Simon twee soorten werknemers betrokken:

1. 1. 1. 1. In-House Staff. In-house staff may move servers daily, but they are often not prepared for the difficult and fast nature of a massive server deployment during a data center migration or relocation. They should prepare for it in conjunction with professional movers and stay involved in the planning process.
         2. Professional Data Center Movers – Professional movers take care of the physical move, including handling servers that have been packed and prepared as freight, and all of the big items such as cabinets and furniture. It’s best to partner with an experienced company that has extensive knowledge of the intricacies involved in a data center move.

Involving in-house staff, including management, financial decision-makers, and facilities maintenance, can help avoid surprises and gain company-wide buy-in. Early in the process, establish and practice coordinating efforts between in-house staff and professional movers.

How To Choose A Professional Data Center Moving Team

Hiring professional movers for data center migrations isn’t like hiring residential or warehouse movers. Though you may come across some warehouse moving teams that claim they can help with data center relocations and migrations, contracting with a company that doesn’t specialize in moving servers and other sensitive IT equipment may not result in a good experience. 

One reason is because general movers don’t know how to safely disconnect and reconnect your servers and other devices. Another reason is that their moving equipment—usually warehouse lifts and hand carts—is not designed to move your sensitive, expensive hardware. 

To ensure the process of moving to a new data center is smooth and painless, you can use the following checklist to help you evaluate whether a potential moving company will adequately meet your needs. 

Once you’ve found a data center moving company you’re comfortable with, it’s time to dig into the details.

While all data center migration projects require some custom decisions based on the needs of your company, there are standard best practices that will make migration or relocation easier. This checklist includes important aspects that should be considered before the move:

Checklist For Data Center Moves

1. Project Planning

• For large moves, choose an experienced, certified, and insured moving company with data center experience.

• Zorg voor coördinatie tussen de verhuizers van het datacenter en de interne medewerkers.

• Ontwikkel een budget en een datacenterverplaatsingsblauwdruk, inclusief:
  
  • Tijd en moeite plannen
  • Kosten voor acquisitie, evaluatie en renovatie van nieuwe faciliteiten
    
  • Extra personeel
  • Na een tijdje
  • Verplaatsingskosten bedrijf
  • Risico-identificatie
  • Noodplan
  • Mogelijke vervanging of diversificatie van de server
  • Koelingsvereisten
  • Aanwinsten en aanpassingen van infrastructuur
  • Bedrading / bekabeling

• Plan alle implementatie- en herinstallatie-evenementen

• Controleer de inventaris van alle hardware en virtuele systeemelementen en merk op:

  • Toestand van de uitrusting
  • Grootte
  • Gewicht
  • Serienummers

• Bekijk en update het volledige systeemdiagram

2. Pre-Deployment Documentation, Warranty, and Insurance Coverage

• Bekijk de garanties van de fabrikant van de apparatuur

  • Huidige dekking
  • Mogelijke beperkingen die van invloed zijn op de installatie of verwijdering van servers

• Controleer en herzie interne verzekeringen

• Controleer en begrijp de verzekeringsvoorwaarden van mover

3. Pre-Server Deployment

• Bereid het doelservergebied voor

  • Netwerkverbinding

    • Internet connectivity
    • Indeling / serverruimte diagram
    • Netwerkbekabeling
    • Stroombeheer
    • Rekplaatsing
    • VPN's
    • DNS
  • Prepare in-house deployment staff

    • Training veiligheidsprocedures
    • Trainingssessie / repetitie van het serverimplementatieprotocol, inclusief:

      • Etiketterings- en verpakkingsapparatuur
      • Kabels
      • Rails
    • Koppel ervaren partners aan first-timers
    • Herinner het personeel aan de beschikbaarheid en het belang van de datacenterlift voor de server:
      
      • Installatie / verwijderingen
      • Vervoer
      • Positionering
    • Bewapen leiders met programmatijdlijnen en serverruimtediagrammen
    • Adviseer personeel en klanten over aanstaande systeemuitval
    • Plan de projectmanager om vanaf het begin tot aan de ondertekening op locatie te werken

4. Preparing In-House Hardware and Software

• Bekijk en update diagrammen en lijsten voor elk rek

  • Controleer de fysieke beschikbaarheid in de kast
  • Controleer of een veilig opgeslagen reservekopie
• Verify complete virtual assets backup

• Identificeer en plan upgrades die tijdens de migratie moeten worden uitgevoerd

• Inventaris alle hardware en virtuele systeemelementen

• Identificeer en verwijder onnodig achtergelaten kabels

• Controleer de beschikbaarheid van stoten, vocht en andere gevaarlijke verpakkingsmaterialen

5. Execution of Server Deployment

• Spiegel de stroomvereisten bij het veranderen van kasten

• Sluit servers, opslag en netwerkapparaten af volgens het vastgestelde protocol

• Inspecteer, reinig, repareer en inventariseer alle items voordat u de rekken opnieuw laadt

• Ensure project manager sign-off on hardware list and scheduled tests once all items are deployed and inventoried

Planning and Finding the Best Professional Movers Will Pay Off

Fortunately, while the actual move is fast-paced, it is also short-lived. Most of the effort lies in effective planning. Help yourself and your coworkers avoid as much stress as possible by investing time and effort in collaborative planning.

Skillful coordination and cross-device collaboration will minimize potential difficulties that could arise. Utilizing a specialized consultant or migration coordinator for the project can help your team avoid common pitfalls.

You should also keep veiligheid at the forefront during the entire moving process. A safe move is a smooth move, which, in turn, reduces the risk of downtime, injury, or damaged equipment. And starting early will give you the time to make sure every step is executed flawlessly.