Major Data Center Irritations (the Short List)

Datamation content and product recommendations are editorially independent. We may make money when you click on links to our partners. Learn More.

Ugh! The data center is supposed to be a modern marvel of technology, gleaming and shiny. But the reality is far different….

If you’ve spent some time working in a contemporary data center, your mind might occasionally drift to the thought that Darwinism never made the great leap from plants and fish to data center designers. Design is supposed to evolve toward efficiency and order. Instead, it remains firmly cemented in the past with well-established roots in the communications industry. This list of 10 data center annoyances is a call to the future — a call for new design — a call for evolution.

It’s time to toss out those traditions and replace them with something that works. But, it isn’t all about technology. Some of the evolution in the data center requires people to walk upright as well: Remember, it isn’t a cave in which we dwell, it’s a data center.

1. Housekeeping

Have you ever seen the sign that reads, “Your mother doesn’t work here, clean up after yourself”? Before you disengage from a work area, clean up after yourself. Close any open cabinet doors (front and back), return tools to their owner or to the tool bin, and remove any trash you feel compelled to leave in cabinets or walkways. Please leave work areas clean and tidy. Your mother doesn’t work here.

2. ILO Setup

For those who must make the arduous trek into the data center, remember to set up the ILO (Integrated Lights Out) ports for all systems that you touch. ILO allows your remotely located colleagues the unique opportunity to work on those systems without the arduous trek. It also makes supporting those systems much easier. For the uninitiated, ILO allows you to control a system as if you had access to the console, including power-off and power-on capabilities.

3. Theft

You’d think that with secure doors, retina scanners and cameras everywhere, data center theft wouldn’t exist. You’d be wrong to think that. Your security paranoia should follow you into the data center. If you find you’ve misplaced an important piece of equipment or someone has helped you misplace it, report the missing equipment to data center security personnel. They can track all personnel who have entered and exited the data center to help you narrow down your search.

Read the rest at ServerWatch.