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8 reasons your business needs a
server | |
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Don't
be alarmed. It may never actually "blow up" —
which is to say, melt down and take lots of data
with it. But one day, sooner or later, it will
become obsolete. And for your business, that's
potentially an explosive liability.
The older
hardware is, the more likely that a failure and
loss of productivity will occur, In general, a
company can avoid big expenses by updating its
servers every three years. If it waits five years,
then there's a big risk of being compelled to
upgrade many components
simultaneously."
Ouch. |
| What
exactly needs upgrading? |
Most
small businesses tend to think of their server as
a whole, which is to say hardware (the computer it
runs on) and software (the application that powers
the server, such as Windows Small Business Server)
are one.
Talk to experts and you're likely
to conclude that this holistic approach to a
server is correct for most businesses. Hardware
and software generally age at about the same rate.
In other words, the machines need to be modernized
at roughly the same interval as the server
operating system is updated, give or take a few
months.
So is your server ready for an
once-over? Here are eight signs. |
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1. |
It
crawls. "When your server gets slow,
it's time for some new iron,” it recommends
taking a look at both disk and CPU (central
processing unit) usage. "When you're at about
80%, it's time to start looking around," Slow
servers, of course, mean a less productive work
force. Can you afford that? |
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2. |
It sucks up
your time. "If you're spending more
time on dealing with server problems than you
are willing to commit, it's time for an
upgrade," If you weren't working on a particular
server problem, how much money could you earn by
doing something else? |
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3. |
It's
noisy. "As fan drives and hard drives
age, you will notice they will become noisier,
This is typically a good indicator that hardware
failure is just around the corner. Computers are
like cars; they have only so much mileage before
they start falling apart." if you can't spring
for a complete upgrade when you hear funny
noises, at least make sure everything is backed
up. |
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4. |
It's out of
warranty. "When the only people who
know enough to support your server are retired
and collecting Social Security, you know you
have a problem..” If the manufacturer has
stopped supporting the hardware and software —
which means it's more than three years old —
then there's a good chance you need some kind of
upgrade. |
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5. |
Something
doesn't feel right. Maybe your hardware
specifications don't match your vendor specs.
"Maybe it takes longer and longer to do the same
function” If you, or your IT person, have a
sinking feeling about the server, chances are it
could be ready for an upgrade of some
kind. |
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6. |
There's no
more room. "If the requirement of the
software that runs on the server exceeds the
servers' specifications, then you need a new
server," small-business users shouldn't just try
to manage a space or memory crisis in the short
term, but to think about the company's long-term
needs. "Planning is the key," Will you be adding
more staff that will need access to this
machine? Will you be upgrading the software that
runs on the server in the near future? These are
questions that you have got to ask
yourself." |
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7. |
Its
performance is otherwise impaired.
"Does your server seize up often? Does the box
have problems resolving conflicts?" Even if
things run smoothly otherwise, these occasional
"hiccups" may be a sign that the server is
running up against the limits of its
performance. "Most businesses have a hard time
tracking these issues until it's too late. I
recommend monitoring tools that report on the
health and status of their servers. They provide
information for capacity planning and alerts of
trouble signs." |
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8. |
The big one
happens. "There usually isn't a
telltale sign that your server needs to be
upgraded, in terms of hardware, until a
catastrophic failure occurs" After a meltdown,
there's normally a "scramble" to replace
operating systems and applications. Frequently,
those are discontinued, or support has been
discontinued, and that's usually when a business
discovers that it should have upgraded long ago.
"It is much calmer to upgrade in a planned
manner than to scramble at the last minute to
resolve a crisis. | |
| One
last disclaimer: "Oftentimes there may be no signs
or warnings that are apparent to the users on the
network." But the time bomb is still
ticking. |
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