How to Maintain Server Hardware

Technology is wonderful...when it works. Sadly, though, many of our favorite devices require special maintenance. Many of the things that we take for granted nowadays require heavy amounts of work to maintain. Websites can only exist when they have servers running properly. Setting up and running a server properly is a difficult task. Here is a list of basic procedures to help maintain server hardware.

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Compressed air Cleaning solution

1. • 1

     Always make sure the power is off: In the world of the web, things are constantly in motion. The good thing is that your website's proverbial doors are always open. The bad thing is that the servers always need to be up and running in order for that to be true. So, before performing any maintenance, make sure that you let people know that your website will be down for routine maintenance during certain hours. Then, make sure to remove the server components from the source.

   • 2

     Dust with compressed air: Dust is the bane of every computer hardware component. It is almost as bad as water. In order to prevent your server hardware from becoming too beaten by dust, use a can of compressed air to blow the dust off. Make sure to use short bursts, because long bursts can cause condensation. This would be like splashing water on your circuitry. Yikes. Don't do it.

   • 3

     Dust deeper with cleaning solution: Once the initial dust has been knocked off, you need to work on getting in deeper and making sure that each piece has been thoroughly purged of any extra dust and debris. If possible, use antistatic material for a cleaning cloth. Also, make sure to always spray any cleaning solution on to the cloth directly, and not on to the server components. This will prevent fluid damage to your components.

   • 4

     Use a good preventive measure: Maintenance of server hardware is a two-part motion. The first part is cleaning in order to maintain your server equipment. The second part is to take steps in order to prevent your equipment from becoming overwhelmed by dust in the first place. There are a number of static-free plastic shells out there that are designed specifically to make sure that your server hardware is kept well. It would be well worth the investment of time and money to check into one of these.

   • 5

     Keep to a good maintenance routine: In order to ensure longevity of your server hardware, as well as to establish a "same old, same old" attitude from your website visitors, it would be wise to develop a maintenance routine and stick to it. Make sure to notify anyone who depends on your servers that there will be routine maintenance days and times, so that they are not burning you in effigy. It would also be wise to consult your maintenance manual, as well as find some experts in the field who can add their expertise to this list.
     
     All of the above measures, when adhered to, will go a long way toward making sure that you will have the most life and usage from your server hardware.