Data centre migration can be a challenging project, but there are numerous reasons why it could benefit your company. Whether you require facilities with more advanced equipment or aim to position them nearer to end-users, a data centre relocation may be worth considering.
What Is Data Centre Migration?
Data centre migration refers to the strategic transfer of existing data centre assets – such as software, hardware, data, and applications – from one site to another. This process can involve physically transporting equipment, implementing virtualization, or even shifting to cloud-based platforms.
Make no mistake, this is a complex endeavor that demands careful planning, coordination, logistics, and, above all, specialized expertise.
To ensure an effective data centre migration, several crucial factors must be addressed. Some of the elements on a data centre migration checklist are:
- A new infrastructure (or an entire facility) that can handle the expected (or greater) capacity.
- Compatibility with both current and future applications.
- Thorough migration testing to guarantee seamless relocation and maintain business operations.
When Is It Time for a Data Centere Migration?
- Your data centre is not cost-effective
Power, cooling and heating, taxes, employees, equipment, security measures, and construction – the list of bills to pay goes on. The hard truth is that operating an in-house data centre is a significant expense when you factor in the elements mentioned above. For many companies, this option is not financially feasible.
This is why conducting a thorough cost assessment becomes crucial and is recommended as a start. There are alternatives worth considering – colocation, cloud, or hybrid environments provides a practical option by greatly reducing financial strain. Monthly colocation fees lower capital expenditures, ease future scalability concerns, and remove the financial challenges associated with constructing or maintaining an internal data centre.
- Security becomes more and more challenging
Data centre security is a complex, multifaceted issue. You need a detailed strategy that takes into account the compliance standards of the industry in which you operate, your customer base, and the types of data you collect and process.
A variety of physical elements play a role in establishing a strong physical security framework, such as video surveillance systems, two-factor authentication, biometric identification, reinforced walls, and so on. There is also the logical aspect of security in terms of network and information protection. Often overlooked as a threat to on-premises data centres, technology debt stems from weaknesses in outdated systems and legacy applications that can threaten data integrity. Partnering with a reliable data centre vendor can minimize these risks. Nevertheless, the degree of accountability taken on by data centre providers can differ, so you need to fully understand the areas of responsibility.
- You experience a shortage of qualified staff
The 2023 Uptime Institute Global Data Centre Survey reveals that the data centre sector has been experiencing a continuous shortage of personnel for more than ten years.
Migrating data centres to a specialized provider alleviates that challenge by offering access to technical experts, a variety of IT professionals, and specialists in data centres. Furthermore, you won’t need to invest time and resources in finding specialized engineers and management personnel to oversee data storage.
- The list of compliance requirements gets longer each day
During the planning phase of a data centre migration, it is essential to prioritize compliance. The array of standards, directives, and regulatory agencies is extensive and crucial.
Generally, healthcare companies, financial organizations, and technology enterprises encounter the most stringent compliance requirements. Some of the compliance standards these sectors must adhere to, are: SSAE 18, SOC Reports, ISO/IEC 27001: 2013, HIPAA/HITEC, PCI DSS 4.0, GDPR, and more.
- Your DC’s current location exposes it to the risk of outages
One of the few certainties in data centre sector is the inevitability of unexpected disruptions. Whether from power outages, natural disasters, severe weather, human error, or technical malfunctions, data centres simply can’t take any downtime.
Unfortunately, these are not rare occurrences – over 80% of DC managers have reported experiencing some form of outage in the last 3 years. Selecting a location resilient to natural disasters mitigates that particular risk. Additionally, opting for a migration destination with established infrastructure, redundant systems, security and standard certifications, and multiple power and network options is a reliable way to safeguard your data.
- Physical infrastructure begins to outgrow the facility
With limited resources like property size, staying flexible is hard, right? Typically, one of two scenarios comes to fruition: either your current physical infrastructure can no longer keep up with growth, or you realize that your data centre space could be better allocated, for example, to core business operations.
Non-essential assets can be outsourced through colocation, while key data can be migrated to a dedicated facility. Data Center as a Service provide excellent scalability, customization, and flexible resources to avoid overburdening in-house systems and to maximize the use of available space.
- It’s impossible to further lower your DC’s carbon emissions
New regulations like the EU’s CSRD and the US SEC Climate Disclosures require companies to improve and report on environmental impact. Growing pressure from investors and customers also drives the need for sustainable data centres.
Running an in-house data centre makes it challenging to lower carbon footprint, often requiring significant investments in renewable energy. To better meet sustainability goals, focusing on improving efficiency through IT optimization, upgrading to high-density computing, and – finally – migrating your data centre may be the most effective.
Bottom Line
Recognizing the signs that it’s time for data centre migration is critical to long-term success. From rising operational costs and security challenges to evolving compliance requirements and the need for greater sustainability, migrating to a more advanced facility or data centre services provider can improve efficiency, mitigate risk, and support your company’s growth. By proactively addressing these issues, your organization can ensure a more resilient, scalable, and cost-effective data infrastructure. So your focus can be on the growth itself.