How to Minimize Human Error in a Data Center Facility

Without a doubt the biggest contributor of downtime in a data center is human error. If you are finding it hard to believe, then take a closer look into the insights delivered by Enlogic from their study pertaining to downtimes in data center facilities.

Nearly a third of the surveyed personnel confirmed that human error is the biggest contributor to data center downtime. And downtime can be costly. On average, a large company can lose close to 100,000 pounds in just a minute of downtime. On that scale, an hour of downtime can virtually push a company into bankruptcy.

So, how do you deal with human errors in a data center? Here are a couple of tips to minimize human errors in your data center facility:

Correct Indicators

Make sure all the equipment and machines in the facility have proper markings on them to illustrate the correct sequence of actions to be performed on them.

Strict Operational Guidelines

It is critical to have a user manual or usage guide for the entire facility. Ensure that this guide is available with all personnel so that they can refer to it at times of emergency, and respond in the most optimal way.

Periodic Drills

The response of staff at a data center facility should be periodically analyzed and evaluated by conducting mock drills and rehearsals of possible disasters that can occur. This would make them more prepared to face challenges as and when they occur.

Monitoring and Surveillance

Make sure the movement and whereabouts of each staff member is monitored carefully so as to prevent them from accessing unauthorized or sensitive information, which, if corrupted, can harm the entire facility.

The chances of you being able to completely eliminate human error in your businesses data center facility is pretty slim. This is where it may make sense to hand over this job to an established data center service provider like Lifeline Data Centers. Our engineers can guarantee your business continuity with over 99 % guaranteed uptime. Visit our website to know more.

Alex Carroll

Managing Member at Lifeline Data Centers

Alex, co-owner, is responsible for all real estate, construction and mission critical facilities: hardened buildings, power systems, cooling systems, fire suppression, and environmentals. Alex also manages relationships with the telecommunications providers and has an extensive background in IT infrastructure support, database administration and software design and development. Alex architected Lifeline’s proprietary GRCA system and is hands-on every day in the data center.