How to Properly Decommission a Data Center or Colocation Data Center

Follow these 5 Steps When Decommissioning Your Data Center

If you’re considering a data center decommission, it could be because your IT assets are outdated, your business and technical requirements have changed or your organization is moving your data center to the cloud.

No matter the reason behind your data center decommissioning, there are a few things to keep in mind when choosing how to inventory, remove and, if necessary, destroy or recycle your used IT equipment.

Create an IT Strategy

Typically created in tandem with business units like marketing, sales, finance or operations, your IT strategy determines what data center assets are no longer necessary or need to be upgraded. By having a full understanding of your business requirements, you can then determine your technical requirements and begin choosing which IT equipment is ready for decommissioning.

Inventory Current Data Center Assets

Once you have a thorough understanding of the assets you need to decommission, take a detailed inventory of your current data center assets and IT equipment, from servers to routers to switches and more.

Be sure to note the following:

• Make
• Model
• Asset Tag
• Serial Number
• Quantity
• Any damage or defects

Should you wish to sell your used IT equipment, this will make it easier for an ITAD partner to structure a detailed, clear offer and give you the most buyback value possible.

Choose a Certified and Insured ITAD Partner

Because a data center decommissioning is often a monumental undertaking, choosing a certified and insured ITAD partner is critical as they bring deep expertise and even the legal coverage to make data center decommissioning far easier and safer.

By working with a team of experts, you save time by having them handle:

• Inventory and packing
• Teardown and deconstruction
• Removal of server rack equipment
• Data destruction
• On-site or off-site hard drive shredding
• Wire/cable removal

If you’re utilizing a colocation data center, an ITAD expert can coordinate this removal on your behalf, greatly simplifying the process, especially if your assets are located in another state or region.

When considering an ITAD partner, always ask about their certifications, insurance policies and employee training as a number of often unknown risks and liabilities exist by working with inexperienced or unprofessional ITAD services, from steep fees due to improper disposal to damage to facilities and equipment.

Consider Reselling or Recycling Data Center Assets

When decommissioning your data center, you earn the opportunity to regain some of the residual value of the equipment, offsetting the cost of the decommission or new equipment.

And, if your equipment is a bit too outdated to be resold, a certified ITAD partner can safely and legally recycle assets in an eco-friendly, cost-effective way.

GreenTek Solutions offers buyback and recycling programs for the following brands and many others:

• Cisco
• Oracle
• Apple
• HP
• Dell
• Brocade
• NetApp
• EMC
• Juniper
• IBM
• Supermicro

Ensure Your Data Is Destroyed

The data stored within your data center equipment is critical, possibly containing sensitive company information and customer credit card information. Not only are there harsh legal fees and regulatory fines to consider by not handling data properly, data breaches also spell disaster for company reputations.

With GreenTek Solutions, you gain a full chain of custody report showing how your data is handled, all the way through to disposal or destruction. And, as an added layer of protection, GreenTek Solutions carries full insurance that protects even its clients from data breach damage.

Is your data center or colocation data center facing an upcoming decommission? Get in touch here or call 713-590-9720 for a quick, accurate quote.