Miscellaneous
You have heard the saying “only as strong as the weakest link”. This philosophy can be applied to computer networking. Careful consideration when purchasing miscellaneous items for your network will eliminate having a “weak link” in your network. A weak link, often times, becomes a costly mistake. The miscellaneous items which need to be considered include switches, battery backups, data backup solutions, server room cooling, racks for the server(s) and network cabling.
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Switches:
- 3Com
- HP
A switch is a piece of hardware that joins multiple computers, printers and other devices together within one local area network. Each piece of equipment is connected to the switch via a cable that plugs into a port on the switch. So, when determining what switch you need it is vital to count each and every piece of equipment in your network. This count should include everything from servers and workstations to firewalls and digital cameras.
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UPS (Battery Backup):
- APC
A fluctuation in electrical power, that is undetectable by a human, is enough to corrupt data and create erratic behavior in a software application. An Uninterruptible Power Supply, also known as a UPS or battery backup, will insure your computers, workstations, servers and other network equipment always have a stable power source, keeping equipment safe through electrical surges, brown outs or a total loss of power.
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Backup Solution:
- CA Arcserve
- Cybernetics D2D2T (Disk to disk to tape)
- eSilo Offsite Backup Solution
- HP Tape Drives
Whether a file is accidentally deleted, a hard drive fails or a building burns, having a reliable, data backup solution will be the difference between catastrophe and inconvenience. When choosing a data backup solution, you must assess what your company’s data is worth. Should any of the events mentioned above occur, what would your company do? How long will it take to re-create the data and at what cost?
- Server Room Cooling:
The temperature inside a server is approximately 30 to 40 degrees hotter than the ambient temperature of the room in which it sits. As you add servers, the temperature in the room will increase. The hotter the core of the server becomes, the shorter the life expectancy of the server. By properly venting heat from the room and cooling the room that houses the server(s), you improve the longevity of your server. A server is an investment of your money. Why not protect it?
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Server Racks:
- APC
Racks are the place your servers and other network equipment are going to call home. Racks are designed to organize and secure the equipment and minimize the amount of valuable office space taken up by server sprawl. Racks do all of this while aiding in proper cooling, which promotes longevity of the equipments lifespan. Racks come in a variety of sizes and prices so, regardless of your company’s needs this is one piece that should not be overlooked.
- Network Cabling
The network cabling is what allows all of the computer equipment to communicate with one another and the outside world. One bad cable can bring an entire network down or create slow and/or erratic performance for one or more network devices. Network cabling should be run by a professional that can test and certify the cable meets the specifications required by your network. Why invest thousands of dollars in computer equipment only to cripple it with poor quality cabling?
Diversified Computer Resources, Inc. is well equipped to help you avoid any weak links in your network. Whether you are concerned with cooling your server room, protecting your server from a power surge or backing up your data, we have the experience to answer all your questions. We partner with proven professionals in your area to assist us in addressing any areas we do not personally cover. Contact us to take advantage of our free one hour business assessment. Why take a chance? Let us help you insure the stability of your network.
