Time for an Upgrade?
The older your server hardware is, the more likely it is to fail. As a rule of thumb we recommend upgrading your servers every three years. Any longer and you may be playing Russian Roulette with your business critical information.
When it comes to upgrading your server you also need to consider upgrading the software that powers the physical hardware. Hardware and software generally age at about the same rate (give or take a few months).
Here are 8 signs that tell you an upgrade may be necessary
1. Your server is very slow to respond – slow servers mean a less productive work force. Can your business afford that?
2. You spend most of your time dealing with server problems.
3. Your server makes a lot of noise – as fan drives and hard drives age, you will notice they will become noisier. This is typically a good indicator that hardware failure is just around the corner. Computers are like cars; they have only so much mileage before they start falling apart.
4. The warranty has expired – Manufacturers warranty are nothing to be sneered at. A warranty is the manufacturers way of saying “I can only guarantee the effectiveness of this product for this period of time”. If the manufacturer has stopped supporting the hardware and software you are currently running this is a big signal that you should be considering an upgrade.
5. It is not compatible with new software – It might be that your hardware specification does not match the requirement for a new business application you may need to implement or the older server software conflicts with the new application.
6. There’s no more room – Will you be adding more staff that will need access to this machine? Will you be upgrading the software that runs on the server in the near future? Planning on purchasing new business applications? If so you need to consider if the amount of “space” on your current server will be sufficient for this.
7. Your servers performance is unstable and unpredictable – Does your server seize up often? Even if things run smoothly occasional “hiccups” may be a sign that the server is reaching its performance limits
8. Your server suddenly dies – This is the worse that can happen but in its own way is a sign that says “you should have upgraded your server” Sudden failure such as this often creates a scramble to replace existing operating systems and applications. Frequently, those are discontinued, or support has been discontinued, and that’s usually when a business discovers that it should have upgraded long ago. It is far easier to upgrade your servers in a planned and controlled manner.
If you would like to discuss an upgrade please call us on 0800 001 5942 or email vip@supremesystems.co.uk
