EDITOR’S QUESTION
DENNIS FRIZE,
WISETEK
UK MANAGING
DIRECTOR
hen it comes to
decommissioning a
data centre, IT Asset
Disposition (ITAD) is one
of the key processes
embedded into all phases
of a successful decommissioning. Broadly
speaking there are four phases when
decommissioning a data centre – planning,
inventory, decommissioning and handover.
W
1. Planning
• • Assign a project manager: It’s
vital that one person within your
organisation is in charge of dealing
with all stakeholders. This should
be a full-time job for all phases of
the decommissioning.
• • Realistic budget: Have a detailed
and realistic budget, in particular if the
32
Issue 02
decommissioning involves structural
changes to the existing building
due to your lease obligations.
• •
Timeline (data): What
is the migration date for
switching from the old
data centre to the
new one?
• •
Timeline
(building): When
do you have
to vacate
the building?
• •
ITAD vender:
Have you picked a
certified and compliant
ITAD provider to
decommission the
actual servers?
• •
Documentation:
Create policies, procedures and
processes for all stakeholders to
implement while undergoing the
decommissioning process.
• • Live decommissioning: If
decommissioning a live site,
make all stakeholders aware of
possible downtime.
2. Inventory
• • IT audit: Has your ITAD provider
performed a physical audit of all
IT assets?
• • IT re-use: Have you and your
ITAD provider agreed on what IT
assets may be reused within
your organisation?
• • IT resale: Have you and your ITAD
provider agreed on what IT parts can
be resold as ‘new’ supply equivalents
on the global market?
• • IT recycle: Have you and your ITAD
provider agreed on what IT parts can
be recycled?
• • Dependencies: Detail items such
as air and cooling equipment, power
equipment and cabling which will need
to be removed.
• • Commissioning: Hire tools and
equipment for physical logistics, or
ensure that your ITAD provider will
supply items such as hoists, trucks and
forklifts etc.
• • Staff: If hiring part-time workers
conduct background checks and ensure
that your ITAD provider conducts
checks on their staff too.
• • Back-up: Ensure a back-up
plan is in place for data on assets to
be decommissioned.
3. Decommissioning
• • Sequencing of works:
– On-site: Allow access, room
and power for your ITAD provider to
decommission IT assets on-site.
– Off-site: Allow your ITAD provider
to safely remove IT assets from the
data centre if destroying off-site.
• • Security: Ensure only vetted
personnel have access to the data
centre and its surrounds.
• • Health and safety (H&S):
– Ensure power is cut to assets
being decommissioned.
– Ensure ITAD provider has H&S
processes in place for what may be akin
to a building site.
• • Destruction: Ensure that
the proper method of destruction
is suitable for each type of IT
asset, such as erasing, shredding
or degaussing.
• • IT portal: Ensure that your ITAD
vender’s progress can be monitored by
a bespoke online portal developed for
the decommissioning.
4. Handover
• • Certification: Ensure ITAD
provider supplies certificates of
destruction and evidence of all
decommissioned assets.
• • Software licenses/support: End
licenses/support for disposed IT assets.
• • Packing: After the teardown is
finished and assets are redundant,
dedicate space to pack assets. Ensure
items for re-use and re-sell are clearly
marked and secured.
• • Environment: Your ITAD provider
must dispose of IT assets in line with
agreed environmental standards.
• • Re-sold parts: Coordinate with your
finance department and ITAD provider
to ensure that the agreed price is
received for re-sold parts.
• • Vacate building: If leaving your
data centre building, check with your
lease and make sure that it is in a
suitable condition to handover to
your landlord. If you are repurposing
the building, coordinate with the
contractors hired for this work
once the decommissioning phase
is complete. ◊
www.intelligentdatacentres.com