Your business server has become the backbone of your company’s operations, but over time it inevitably starts to break down or requires maintenance that is more difficult and expensive than initially expected. Eventually, if you try long enough to keep your current server running with regular maintenance, at some point you start to consider replacing it rather than continuing to spend money on repairs. So when do you know when it’s time for a new or refurbished server? Consider these 5 signs:
1) The Current Server Has Been in Service for More Than Five Years
According the Gartner Group, one sign that a replacement is needed is if your current server has been in service for five years. In an updated report from 2012 called “Gartner Says Organizations Should Refresh Their Server Hardware Every 4.5 Years,” they recommend moving to new server hardware every 4.5 years, and if you have been running your current server for longer than this, it may be time to replace the old one with a new one.
2) Your Current Server Keeps Breaking Down or Fails Regularly
Even the best servers eventually require maintenance that is more difficult and costly than initially expected. This might be anything from failing hard drives to memory leaks that cause random shutdowns several times per week due to overheating – either way, continuing regular repairs on an older system will only result in recurring expenses instead of helping you achieve any kind of long-term savings or reduction. If this describes your business server, it might be time to look into the option of replacing the old one with an entirely new one.
3) Your Current Server Runs at Less than 65% Utilization
If your server room is full of idle servers that are only running at around 35-40%, you might want to consider replacing them with a smaller number of higher capacity servers or cloud services. There are various ways that you can utilize more fully your existing IT hardware by consolidating applications on fewer systems (or using less powerful servers), but once you get below this 65% utilization mark, even if some servers are still underutilized, there is no doubt that it would better to consolidate and run everything on fewer machines.
4) Your Current Server Is Outdated
If you are still running an outdated server, this is another sign that it might be time to start thinking about upgrading or refreshing your servers so they can continue to serve their purpose for years to come. Upgrading hardware every five years will help ensure that the business can maintain its uptime and avoid unnecessary downtime due to hardware failure. Updating software regularly will also avoid problems caused by out-of-date applications which may contain security vulnerabilities or other issues that need fixes.
5) The Cost of Maintaining Your Current System Is Significantly Higher than Replacing It
Although a new server doesn’t usually pay for itself overnight – especially if you compare the costs of a new server with those of trying to repair your current system – the cost of continuing to maintain an old server is often higher than simply finding a new system or refreshing your current one. For example, if your current server needs constant repairs and maintenance on top of all the spare parts you need to keep around to continue doing that, then it may be better in the long term to consider either buying a new server or investing time into upgrading or refreshing your existing equipment.
If any of these 5 signs applies to your business, don’t hesitate to contact us at Bridge IT for more information about how we can help you invest in a new server before failure results in significant loss. We also carry refurbished servers at affordable prices too.