A successful data transfer decommission doesn’t need to be difficult– but it does require some forethought.
Dismantling a data center involves getting rid of everything (their intangible data and the physical storage for it) in that center; and if you’d rather not tackle problems from the same DECOM for months or years to come, there are some basic goals to pursue.
We’ve detailed five of the key factors of a successful DECOM here.
The Top 5 Must-Haves for a Successful DECOM
Timetable and a detailed scope of work
A DECOM can hardly get off on the right foot if there’s no roadmap of where to go.
If you want your DECOM to be successful, you need to create a realistic timetable and a detailed layout of the work you intend to complete. Decommissioning is a labor-intensive process— when details slip through the cracks, mistakes are made. Mistakes in a DECOM are significantly worse than mistakes like forgetting five cents’ worth of change on register duty.
Remember: the more planning you do for your DECOM, the better.
Experienced technicians
In the DECOM sphere, experience matters. You should choose a team of technicians with hundreds– if not thousands– of successful decommission projects under their belts. It helps offer you peace of mind– and that contributes to smarter planning.
Make sure that the team you select is experienced in projects like yours. That means that it doesn’t necessarily matter if a team has worked five hundred colocation DECOMS– especially if your DECOM will be at a corporate location or dedicated hosting facility. You need to consider unique aspects of your project and look for a team of technicians equipped to serve your individualized needs.
Backup, backup, backup
We can’t stress this enough: backup becomes the name of the game at a certain stage in the DECOM process.
- Every backup should undergo tests and simulations
- Offers an opportunity to test disaster recovery plans
- Check for total functionality of all equipment
- Especially important for live environments
- Backup should be comprehensive
- And that comprehensive backup should be verified
- It’s impossible to be too careful with data
- Backup requires its own dedicated planning during the beginning stages of a DECOM
Well-planned packing
Even if every step of a DECOM through packing is flawless, errors here lead to irreparable damage. Make sure that you already have a dedicated, open space to pack assets in. The space should also have adequate packing materials (as specified in the planning stage) for every item.
Asset management software should be implemented here to track every stage of packing. Handoff protocol is critical for items marked for reuse. Items meant to be refurbished or recycled should be packaged and labeled for transport to their recipients.
A top-notch coordination and recovery team
Disposed assets must be recorded appropriately. Your ITAD provider should be able to confirm a secure chain of custody with ease. They should also be willing to provide copies of (or notice of receipt of) any sanitization certificates that may be necessary for hardware.
The coordination and recovery process entails a lot. It’s virtually impossible to sum up in the space of one article, but the ideal team should (at a minimum) provide:
- Itemized certificates of destruction
- Items set aside for destruction
- Items deemed as unrecoverable
- A clear picture of the total value recovered and returned to your IT budget
- Assistance with documentation review
- Proof of compliance with responsible recycling practices
Stratacore: DECOM Experts
Need help with a data center DECOM? At Stratacore, we’ve already helped customers like you with every step of the process. We’re the leader in the DECOM industry. Make the right choice when it comes to sourcing colocation services. If you want more information about how our team can help facilitate your DECOM, contact us today.
