3 Essential Data Center Resiliency Requirements

The resiliency of a data center can be defined as its ability to spring back or recover and resume operations when faced with a power failure or any other disruption in operations. It also defines for how long and to what extent a data center component can continue to maintain its services without impacting end users, despite a disruption. The overall resiliency of a data center, therefore, is determined by the collective resiliency of each of its components – including servers, digital infrastructure, application architecture, networks, and storage systems.

Data center resiliency is an important consideration to make while planning the infrastructure of a data center and while establishing its emergency/disaster recovery and data protection policies.

The first and most essential item in the data center resiliency checklist is hardware redundancy. Redundancy is nothing but the availability of adequate backups to ensure continuity; even if one component fails, the backup will take over. This is applicable across the data center – from a failed power supply being supported by a backup power supply to failed servers being able to retrieve data from backup servers.

Use Redundant Components

While redundancy was once the only surefire way to ensure resilience in former times, many more techniques have emerged today – making data center resiliency much easier and more cost-effective. One such technique is to carry out “What If?” analyses using a Data Center Infrastructure Management (DCIM) tool. By simulating different failure situations, you will be able to prepare your data center, both to prevent such situations and to know how to respond if they do arise.

Simulate Failure Situations

Prevention is always better than cure. Therefore, it is important to set up means to monitor your systems round the clock so that you can mitigate any unwarranted downtimes. One of the ways to do this is by installing a temperature monitoring system/sensor in your server racks. By setting off alarms or sending you mobile notifications when the temperature rises above a certain degree, you will be able to quickly address an issue before it causes disruptions. Click here for more tips on preventing unwarranted downtime.

Set Up Monitoring Systems

The resiliency techniques to be employed in a data center will depend on the workload it carries. Mission-critical workloads will require more effort to maintain resilience than others. If you need help with your data center, opt for a consultation with our experts at Hardy Racks today!