Solution
Data center move or hardware refresh
Move or replace racks in waves, with a baseline, a method of procedure and an audited decommission.
Quick answer
What is the answer?
Run a data center move or hardware refresh as a staged project with a written scope and a method of procedure for each change. Baseline every rack first, stage and test equipment before it moves, install in waves while the old estate keeps running, and decommission only after sign-off. Evidence and a closeout report prove each step.
WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE
The situation.
The lease is ending, the hardware is out of support, or the business is consolidating. Whatever the reason, you have racks of live equipment that must end up somewhere else, or be replaced by newer kit, without taking production down.
The risk is not the heavy lifting. It is the unknowns: a cable nobody labeled, a server that was never in the asset list, a dependency that only shows up when a link goes dark. Your engineers who know the estate are remote, and the people at the facility are following the operator's rules, not your plan.
A good move starts with a baseline of what is installed, who owns it and what depends on it. From there it is a sequence of small, reversible changes, each with a written procedure and a person who can approve it.
What goes wrong when it is handled badly
- Undocumented equipment or cabling is found during the move, when there is no time to investigate.
- A change window is missed because power, space or cross-connects were not confirmed in advance.
- Equipment is racked without testing first, so faults appear only after cutover.
- The old estate is turned off before the new one is proven, leaving no way back.
- Retired hardware leaves the building without a recorded chain of custody or data sanitization.
- Nobody can show afterward what was moved, where it went and who approved it.
HOW WE HANDLE IT
How we approach it.
STEP 01
Baseline the racks and write the scope
We record what is installed, where it sits and how it is cabled. The written scope lists tasks, exclusions, change windows and the people who approve each step.
STEP 02
Write a method of procedure for each change
Each move or swap gets a step-by-step procedure with checks and a rollback point. Your team approves it before the engineer touches anything.
STEP 03
Agree access and logistics in advance
We register engineers with the facility and book docks, lifts and access windows. Equipment is received, inspected and staged before the day.
STEP 04
Install in waves and keep the legacy estate running
Engineers rack, cable and label new equipment, then test links and power. Your team cuts services over in the window you set.
STEP 05
Decommission and close out with evidence
Retired equipment is removed only after your sign-off, with asset tags and custody recorded. You receive photos, test results, updated records and a closeout report.
What you receive
- A rack baseline with asset tags, positions and connections
- A written scope and a method of procedure for each change
- Photos of racks and cabling before and after each wave
- Test results for links, power and device boot checks
- A decommissioning record for retired equipment
- A closeout report with updated asset information
Services that apply
Related case studies
Case studies are representative scenarios, not client projects.
QUESTIONS
Common questions.
How do you plan a data center move?
What is a method of procedure?
Can we keep production running during a refresh?
Who handles the facility's rules?
What happens to the old hardware?
Get started
Need engineers on site? Tell us where.
Tell us the sites, the scope and the timeline. We reply with a written plan.