Servers play a key role in achieving specific objectives for an organization. Performing server audits is important to look at any inefficiencies to see if you need to make an upgrade to better meet the needs of your company. Choosing to upgrade your servers requires a lot of planning, so keeping a few things in mind is essential to ensure the process runs as smoothly as possible.
Here are five things to remember before you upgrade your servers.
1) Back up All of Your Data
One of the first steps in upgrading your servers is to ensure a verified data backup is available before you make any changes. Problems can always occur during the upgrade process, which can potentially cause you to lose all of your data. Verifying data backups beforehand will give you peace of mind while also helping you avoid such a devastating scenario for your organization. It should go without saying that the task of backing up all your data should be delegated to a trustworthy, local IT company. Specifically, an IT company with a history, proper credentials, insurance, positive reviews, and availability to support you in-person.
2) Avoid Making Multiple Changes at the Same Time
Minimizing server restarts is often a top concern for your local IT professionals. However, making multiple upgrades during a single shutdown can lead to a wide range of problems. Trying to identify the source of any problems is nearly impossible to determine due to the multiple upgrades. On the other hand, it’s much safer to make one change at a time, whether it’s installing new cards, replacing memory, or adding new disks.
3) Monitor Log Files
Keeping a close watch on the log files is important to identify any potential problems during the upgrade process. These log files will display any error reports or other critical events that you need to monitor closely. Staying proactive can save you a lot of trouble and prevent a small issue from turning into a much more complex problem. You can also use several third-party monitoring tools for additional assistance. Don’t fret – monitoring log files doesn’t have to be your responsibility. Your local IT company will have this base covered.
4) Look at Ways to Optimize Performance
All of the work isn’t finished once the server upgrade process is complete. Instead, you will need to look at ways to optimize performance to ensure everything is work at the most efficient level. For example, you will need to make an update to the virtual memory settings of a server after you make a memory upgrade. Creating a detailed checklist beforehand is a great way to stay organized and avoid making any mistakes. Your IT professionals should take the time to understand your business – and your specific needs – in order to help you create this checklist.
5) Document All Changes
Maintaining log files by documenting any changes is another critical aspect of upgrading servers, however it’s not always standard operating procedure for IT companies – so be sure to specify this request. You will need to include a variety of information related to the update, such as which component was upgraded, the name of the vendor, and the manufacturer. Including warranty and support information is also a good idea. All of this additional information makes it easier to isolate any issues and make repairs for any problems that may arise.
Closing Thoughts
Upgrading your servers is a necessary process for any organization, and is a common service provided by local IT companies. Server upgrades offer a variety of benefits, such as improving performance, increasing reliability, and saving you money. Backing up all of your data, monitoring log files, and optimizing server performance are just a few things to remember to avoid any potential problems during this entire process.
But Wait – Do You Really Need to Upgrade Costly Servers?
Transitioning to the cloud offers a variety of benefits for small to mid-size companies. Cloud computing makes it possible to significantly reduce expenses and increase efficiency. Remote employees can especially benefit from the cloud, as they can work in real-time with other employees from home or any location outside of the office. A local IT service provider can play a pivotal role in optimizing cloud services to best meet the needs of your business.
Here are a few of the main ways your local IT service provider can help your company fully take advantage of the cloud.
Streamline Business Operations
Transitioning to the cloud without the help of a managed IT service provider isn’t always an easy task. An organization may have overlaps in the cloud, such as numerous services performing the same functions. A managed service provider can identify any service gaps or overlaps in the cloud for your business to create an optimal environment to maximize your resources. Streamlining your business operations on the cloud will use fewer resources and allow your company to operate more efficiently.
Automate Various Tasks
Your local managed service provider can handle numerous tasks on the cloud, which saves your employees a lot of time. For example, an IT provider in Edmonton can offer patch management, system monitoring, performance testing, manage data backups, and much more. A managed service provider handling all of these tasks on the cloud significantly boosts productivity by enabling your employees to focus on other areas of work.
Increase IT and Data Security
A major security breach is one of the worst-case scenarios for a small business. These data breaches can ruin your reputation in only a few seconds and cause you to lose the trust of your clients. One way to limit IT security concerns in the workplace is to partner with an IT provider to manage your resources on the cloud. An IT service company will monitor your servers around the clock while also implementing strong security standards to mitigate the impact of a cyber attack. A key advantage with cloud, is that you’re not restricted to using a local IT provider if you don’t want to. Foresight, for example, is based in Edmonton, Calgary, and Moncton, but provides cloud services and support for clients all over Canada.
Scale Your Services on the Cloud
Cloud technology makes it possible for your business to invest in additional resources to best meet the needs of your company. However, you can scale back your services at any time to lessen these costs. A managed IT service provider will analyze your data to understand how your resources are being used and if you need to make any type of changes to improve efficiency. Only paying for what you use on the cloud saves your business a lot of money.
Final Thoughts
Looking at ways to optimize your business on the cloud is an excellent investment that offers a wide range of benefits. A managed IT service provider helps your company take advantage of the cloud by streamlining your operations, automating tasks, and increasing data security. Scaling your services up or down on the cloud is also a great way to reduce costs and improve your bottom line. Now is a great time to use an IT service provider to optimize your business on the cloud.
In addition to servers and cloud services, Foresight offers a wide range of services to grow and sustain your business. We believe in offering proactive IT services that set your company up for success, allowing you to grow with adaptive technology that scales along with you. You can rely on our proactive services to keep your business always working at its best. No matter what your IT service needs might be, Foresight for IT has you covered. Whether it’s implementing and setting up IT systems, monitoring data security, or ensuring that you’re protected from data loss, there’s nothing we can’t do to help you grow your business.