5 Steps For Setting Up a Server Room For Your Small Business

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A server room can be explained as a room used to store, power, and operate computer servers along with their respective components. It provides functional & environmental services to monitor enterprise class servers. They can be centrally accessed and managed via a server administration system, which is commonly located outside the room. These rooms are primarily used to execute enterprise applications which require large computer resources at run-time. These include applications like banking software, social media applications, or search engines. It is important to keep a host of factors in mind, before setting up a server room for one’s business, which are listed below.

Choosing the right location 

There is a multitude of factors to consider before finalising the location of a server room. Firstly, one must check whether the building structure would be able to hold the server’s hardware requirements. Another point to examine is whether there is enough ventilation. Larger server installations also need cooling facilities in order to function at maximum efficiency. Server rooms also generate excessive sound and noise which could potentially disturb employees, if they are seated nearby.

Proper mounting equipment 

A small business server infrastructure often begins life as a stack of hardware in a room. Keeping this equipment exposed can lead to malfunctions in the systems caused due to obstacles created by dust, spills, and other unforeseen accidents. Businesses looking to set up a server installation must invest in rack-mounted equipment which is specially designed to house server hardware. Specific shelves and drawers are also designed for mounting onto the server rack for this purpose.

Choose the right server 

There are different available servers that are uniquely designed to carry out different functions. Organisations requiring servers for file sharing, back-up, and remote-access control for a small number of employees can install the Windows Home Server Machine or NAS.

Efficient Segregation and Labelling

Even for simple server deployments, it is necessary to label and clearly document the respective server setup. Beginners or newcomers may initially find the setup of a server room complex. Proper labelling just mitigates the risks involved. It is also advised to maintain detailed and accurate notes on the procedures, processes, and instructions related to the server. This should be done in order to prevent loss of data in the situations of power outages or any other faults caused by variations in power distribution.

Wire Management

While it is not very appealing, the influence of cable management cannot be overstated enough. This is mainly due to the fact that almost every part of equipment on the rack is associated with Ethernet cables. A panel patch can be used to manage a bundle of cables. Patch panels can be complicated to install and will need you to strip the cable, knock it into the panel, and use a wire testing tool to validate the connectivity.

Cooling

 Standard forms of air ventilation may not be enough for a high-duty server room. High levels of temperature may damage components of the room, such as electrical switches and electrical sockets. Portable air-conditioning units can be installed to cope with this situation. There are models which are uniquely designed just for this function.