A company server failing can be disastrous, especially if it’s a web server and one that generates sales for the company, but it’s equally damaging if it’s an intranet server, as the cost to the business could prove to be massive.
Server failure can lead to downtime for the entire business; if employees can’t access the intranet and everything on it such as CRM and CMSs, then it’s a waste of time and money for them to be in the office at all. Likewise, if the web server fails, not only does this send the wrong message to customers both existing and potential but, depending on the business you’re in, it can lead to a loss of sales.
With that in mind, today we’ll take a look at some things to watch out for that suggest that your server may be about to die on you.
#1: It’s getting old
OK, so perhaps this is a given, but the older your equipment is, the more likely it is to fail. Couple this with older software, which perhaps isn’t supported in the same manner as newer server software and it could fall over at any given moment.
Older software tends to get less support in the way of updates and this means that there’s an increased risk when it comes to security and the hardware that it supports. Many SME owners tend to think that a server and its software are not interchangeable, but upgrading to the later versions of server software can be a good idea, depending on whether it’s compatible with the hardware.
#2: It’s slowed down to a crawl
Servers should be the highest performing piece of computer equipment in the office. If it has suddenly slowed down and the intranet isn’t performing as a result, then this suggests a problem. Ask yourself:
- Is the machine clogged up with old data that could be archived or deleted?
- Is the storage on the server over 80% full?
- Is it subject to freezing and needs rebooting often?
A good clean up could do the job and it’s a good idea to get a professional in to do this if you don’t have dedicated IT staff. However, it could also suggest that a piece of hardware in the server is about to fail, especially if it’s very glitchy and suddenly prone to overheating.
#3: Network ‘bottlenecks’
If the server has slowed so much that your intranet begins to experience bottlenecks due to high bandwidth usage, then this could suggest a few things.
1.) Malware
2.) Packet collision causing multiple errors
3.) Problems with the network interface cards/cabling
Server issues can be difficult to diagnose, as sometimes intermittent problems occur and so it’s difficult to determine the exact cause. If it’s something as simple as overloaded storage, then this is simple to remedy. However, if it’s caused by malware which has travelled around the network, then this could represent a serious problem.
Hardware that’s beginning to fail, such as an overheating CPU for example, can be very difficult to diagnose without the necessary equipment and expertise. Have you ever had issues and brought in a consultant to solve the issues and they have suddenly seemed to go away? That’s common and akin to going to the doctor and feeling that your symptoms have suddenly disappeared.
Troubleshooting and SLAs
Hardware components that need troubleshooting in order to discover what’s causing the problem can be costly and result in a lot of down time. Ideally, especially for smaller businesses without IT staff, you should have an SLA (Service Level Agreement) in place so that you can call out your IT service provider and have him/her come out within a certain period of time.
However, this in itself isn’t a stand-alone solution, as it’s addressing a problem after it occurs. According to server hosting provider Ho Lee
, in an interview with Microsoft’s Christopher Elliot: “Most businesses have a hard time tracking these issues until it’s too late. I recommend monitoring tools that report on the health and status of their servers. They provide information for capacity planning and alerts of trouble signs.”
Monitoring Software
Along with having an SLA in place, it’s necessary then to ensure that the server is monitored on a constant basis so that you can be alerted before the problem arises. This results in less downtime, as you can then bring in your IT provider before disaster occurs. He will be able to look at the monitoring software and see quickly where the issue is occurring and address it before it comes to the server falling over.
This of course results in less downtime as many service providers, given the opportunity, can arrange to fix server issues with little downtime during the main hours that your business operates. Giving your provider access to the monitoring software remotely is also a good idea as he will be able to keep an eye on the system and alert you to potential problems.
Additional points to remember
Servers can be costly in terms of hardware, but investing in low-end hardware is likely to cause problems in the future. A server going down can be much more costly to a business in numerous ways, so it’s necessary to think about ROI when buying server equipment.
Likewise with server software. Legacy software is likely to be unsupported so the server won’t have the ability to have the latest updates installed to protect from outside interference and further support the hardware. Although I’m not suggesting that you should buy the best of everything every year, when choosing server hardware and software, it pays to think about future-proofing.
If you do have dedicated IT staff, then it’s likely that they would recommend all of the above, including monitoring software. Where this sometimes breaks down is in capital outlay and the finance department not seeing the bigger picture. It’s the job of IT to ensure that the finance and any other necessary department understand the cost to the business in the event that a server fails.
William Thompson
William Thompson is the Marketing Manager at Power Admin, a server monitoring software business in the Kansas City area. You can find him on Google+ and Twitter. William has been a professional in website design, digital marketing and 3D/graphic design for over 20 years.