Data centers are quickly becoming the brains behind just about every online operation.
If your business heavily relies on its data center servers, then it’s important to know the consequences of unplanned data center downtime.
In order to help you prepare for the worst, here are a number of possible outcomes of a data center crash as well as some tips for lessening the digital blow:
Data Center Dependency
Before the possible outcomes of data center outages are discussed, it’s important for your business to understand just how dependent businesses are on data centers.
According to Emerson Network Power, a whopping 71% of businesses rely on data centers to generate revenue associated with their online sales.
From e-commerce to regularly scheduled online payments to digital disruptions in the office, data center downtime is a giant headache for businesses.
If you want to ease the inconvenience associated with data center downtime, then your business should familiarize itself with the outage outcomes.
Workplace Disruptions
There are a number of computer system disruptions associated with data center downtime.
For starters, an unexpected outage can stop employees from accessing important customer data and company files, which thus brings office operations to a screeching halt.
In addition, a data center crash also affects your business at the customer end. When a data center goes down, so does your business’s website. This could disrupt your customers’ online interaction and, as a result, create reputational issues for your business.
Likewise, while your site is down, you’re also likely missing out on new business opportunities.
Lost Revenue
Workplace interruptions almost always lead to lost revenue, which is another outcome your business should prepare for during data center downtime.
As the following article shows, when it comes to the digital infrastructure of your business, “The financial and other costs of data center downtime” could disrupt online earnings for days and weeks after the initial crash.
On top of that, there are also revenue losses directly associated with workplace productivity.
When your employees don’t have full access to your business’s computer system, their hands are tied when it comes to a productive day at work. This, of course, means your business is putting more money out than it’s bringing in during the outage.
Causes Associated With Outages
Unfortunately, many of the causes associated with data center downtime are unpredictable.
Routine system maintenance is the best way to avoid a data center crash. With that said, common culprits include generator failure, IT equipment malfunction, overheating due to HVAC system failure within the data center, cybercrime, and natural disasters at the data center site.
Minimizing the Chances
There are a few precautions your business can take in order to avoid unexpected data center downtime. Regularly testing data center backup batteries and running backup generators will help ensure everything runs smoothly if the data center experiences power loss.
Likewise, having an outage protocol in place can help restore the data center faster. This involves having an IT support team and other resources on standby to help restore the data center when an outage does occur.
By keeping in mind the information above, your business will be as ready as possible for any data center disruptions that might take place.
About the Author: Adam Groff is a freelance writer and creator of content. He writes on a variety of topics including data management and technology.
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