The 7-Step Data Centre Shutdown Procedure

1. Scope Definition

Before embarking on any Data Centre shutdown, it is crucial to define the project scope. Here is what this step entails:

Define the Project Scope

Establish clear timelines: When will the shutdown occur? Are there any critical deadlines? We have seen examples where a hard date is imposed in a contract with punitive penalties. The customer could have avoided the penalties by accelerating their exit by employing more resources. That additional cost would have been significantly lower than the over-stay penalty.

Allocate a budget: Consider costs related to logistics, materials, and personnel, transport, processing, recycling, etc. Make sure that you work with an ITAD company that can give you all the costs that will be incurred.

Identify responsibilities: Who will oversee the process? Which teams are involved?

Consider Business Impact

Assess how the shutdown will affect ongoing operations. We see many situations where only elements of the Data Centre are being shut down and removed. In segregated environments this is not usually a challenge but in non-segregated Data Centres this then involves removing equipment in a ‘live’ environment. Secure ITAD supply IT Tech savvy resources who appreciate the importance and significance of working in ‘live service’ environments. Remember, it only takes one outage caused by the Decommissioning project to negate all the good work.

Evaluate potential risks and plan mitigation strategies. Build a risk register and start to collate the things that could potentially go wrong. Consider each risk individually and rank them based on their impact and their likelihood. If you are decommissioning within a ‘live’ environment then the most obvious risk is taking down a critical service in error. 

Ensure alignment with organisational goals. Many companies operate in regulated industries. This could be finance, medical research, food production, farming, or myriad other industries. Check with you Compliance Team and understand any Regulations around data protection, erasure, or destruction. For example, it may be a requirement to physically destroy disk drives rather than erase them.

2. Asset Discovery and Inventory

Understanding what assets exist within the Data Centre is fundamental. Here is how to approach this step:

Identify All Assets

Create a detailed inventory. This should include servers, storage devices, networking equipment, and other hardware. Include details such as make, model, serial numbers, and location.

Think about cabling. Does the cabling need to remain in place or does that need to be removed. Cabling can exist under-floor or above racks.

What about the racks. Devices will need to be de-racked so have a staging area where equipment that has been removed from racks can be placed before removal.

Inventory Tracking

Develop a tracking system. This will allow you to track assets throughout the whole decomm process including shutdown, de-racking and Data Centre exit. When the kit leaves your Data Centre, Secure ITAD take custody of the equipment and data residing on data-bearing devices so the risk passes to us. We use our secure vans and facilities to protect the integrity of your data until erasure or destruction.

3. Decommissioning Planning

A well-thought-out plan minimises disruptions and ensures a smooth transition. Consider the following:

Detailed Planning

Document step-by-step procedures for decommissioning. Who will be responsible for every aspect of the decommissioning. Asset Inventory creation, schedule, de-racking, de-cabling, packaging, transportation, data erasure, destruction, recycling, etc.

Address safety protocols. Consider handling hazardous materials, for example, batteries. Also check for environmental hazards, drops, stairway, loading bay, etc.

Plan for contingencies (e.g., unexpected delays or emergencies). Think about what could go wrong and how you might mitigate those risks.

Data Security

Prioritise data protection: Eradicate sensitive information from drives. This is discussed further in step 4.

Environmental Impact: Dispose of equipment responsibly (e.g., recycling or donation).

Logistics: Arrange for secure transportation and handling. Make sure that you engage with an ITAD company that understands and appreciates the important of protecting your data.

4. Data Eradication or Destruction

Protecting data integrity is paramount. Follow these guidelines:

Erase Drives

Use secure data wiping tools to erase data. Your data is your business’ most important asset. It is imperative that you do everything to ensure its protection. Secure ITAD can erase data at your Data Centre by employing the industry leading erasure software. HDDs, SSDs can be erased to NIST standards.

Destruction

Physical Destruction: Many customers choose the safety and assurance of physically destroying all the data bearing assets. HDDs, SSDs, tape drives, CD’s can all be physically destroyed. 

Where are the data-bearing devices in my Data Centre? Secure ITAD can identify all the equipment that contains data-bearing media and thus ensure that all data is correctly erased. This can include, Servers, Networks Switches, Storage devices, Backup Devices and any other assets that are in the Data Centre.

Maintain records of destroyed devices for auditing purposes. As part of the overall process a good ITAD company will be able to provide full tracking of assets that are removed from your Data Centre. Secure ITAD have our own portal into which we record all assets. We then process those assets through erasure, destruction or recycling and produce full reports at the end of the project. This provides you with an audit trail for all assets which can form part of your regulatory or compliance initiatives. 

Engage Secure IT Asset Disposition (ITAD)

Erasure and destruction should be outsourced to a reputable ITAD company. By engaging a specialist company, you will be mitigated from the risk of data loss which can have dire consequence including reputation damage, fines, loss of business, loss of IP, etc.

Talk to an expert

Ensure a seamless data centre decommissioning with expert guidance from Secure ITAD. Speak to us today for a tailored plan and compliant asset disposal.

5. Logistics and Materials Acquisition

Efficient logistics are essential for a successful shutdown:

Arrange Logistics

Coordinate transportation: Trucks, personnel, and handling equipment. How many loads will be required, where will it be loaded, are their special requirements, for example some equipment must be palletised. If items are on pallets, can they be loaded onto a truck by a loading bay or is a tailgate lift required.

Plan for safe loading and unloading. What is the access to the Data Centre, are there height or width restrictions, will the equipment fit through the doors, will the floor support the weight, are their other obstacles to be overcome. Structural changes to Data Centres often occur after large equipment has been installed. We have seen instances where a wall has had to be taken down to get a large piece of kit out!

Materials

Acquire packing materials: Anti-static bags, foam, and sturdy boxes. If items are being stacked on pallets, then pallet wrap will be required as will strapping equipment and materials.

Ensure proper labelling for easy identification. When items are packed make sure that labels are placed somewhere that will not be concealed. Unbelievably we have seen some companies label pallets near the bottom. This can be a real issue when you have 30 or 40 pallets and you are trying to find one!

6. Pack and Move

Safely transporting equipment requires attention to detail:

Packing

Safely pack Equipment:  Servers, switches, and other hardware. Ensure that any devices that are stacked are stacked correctly. Delicate ears (the bits that connect a device to a rack) are all facing the same way, so they do not become bent or worse. Make sure that everything is secure and will not topple over as soon as you move it. If it cannot be stacked, then put notice on top of the pallet!

Handling

Train personnel on proper handling techniques. Protect fragile components during transit. Screens should be taped facing each other, small devices should be packed into creates, laptops should be stacked on end, not flat. Heavy items at the bottom,

Minimise jostling and impact to prevent damage.

Tracking

Maintain a real-time tracking system for equipment in transit. All Secure ITAD vehicles are tracked in real-time. Vehicles are never left unattended if we have customer data onboard.

7. Equipment and Accounting Follow-Up

After the shutdown, wrap up loose ends:

Documentation

• Document the entire process: What worked well, lessons learned, and any deviations.
• Ensure compliance with regulations and internal policies. Work with your company’s internal teams to close the project. A top ITAD company will have provided you with all the reports necessary to present a full audit trail and compliance.

Equipment Tracking

1. Verify that all equipment reaches its intended destination.
2. Update the inventory (ITAM) to reflect the changes.
3. Lastly: SWEEP THE FLOOR! How many times have we seen vacated facilities that have been left in a mess! Semantics, but it shows something about the overall project.