The COVID-19 pandemic has forever changed data center operations. Data center managers had to take steps to keep their teams safe and comply with pandemic-related restrictions while ensuring the availability of IT resources for work-from-home employees. Most noncritical projects were put on hold, with most maintenance and administrative tasks handled remotely.
One year later, many data center managers are looking to move ahead with needed upgrade projects and new initiatives. At the same time, they’re looking to minimize travel and the number of engineers and technicians who must go onsite.
Integration and configuration services can help facilitate this approach. Long used by large enterprises to streamline large rollouts, these services ensure that equipment is properly configured and ready for deployment. The “racked and stacked” equipment can be moved into place and turned up for testing with far less onsite effort than traditional IT implementations.
Challenges and Risks of Onsite Integration
Many IT solutions are architected using “best of breed” products, which must be integrated and configured before installation. Typically, IT teams would receive the equipment at the data center site, where it would be unboxed, set up, burned in and tested. Firmware updates and software images would be installed, configuration changes made, and the equipment mounted in racks and cabinets.
The unboxing alone can generate a lot of trash, and the whole process disrupts regular data center operations. Even before the pandemic, many data centers lacked adequate staff resources and lab space to handle integration and configuration tasks. If any equipment is “DOA” it could derail the entire project.
Some IT manufacturers and product distributors offer integration center services. Their facilities are designed for maximum efficiency in handling very large orders of products with identical configurations. SirviS offers “boutique” integration center services that are focused on flexibility and responsiveness.
SirviS Integration Center Services
The SirviS Global Integration Center in Englewood, Colo., features 10,000 square feet of space with open cabinets, test bays, workbenches and flexible power options including DC. The facility is secured with card access and 24x7 monitoring. Customers can access their equipment via a virtual private network.
SirviS will receive, unpack and inventory equipment, verify that all components are included, and check for proper licenses and registrations. The staging team then organizes and prepares equipment for testing and configuration and performs basic power-on and accessibility checks.
The SirviS team can custom configure hardware components according to precise specifications. Once configuration is complete, SirviS runs through a series of tests to ensure that all components operate properly.
Specially designed and purpose-built for core infrastructure projects, the Integration Center enables SirviS to deliver fully populated cabinets that are crated and shipped complete to the customer’s site. Its efficiencies are built upon nimble processes that can accommodate complex projects requiring rapid turnaround.
Beyond the Data Center
SirviS Integration Center services aren’t limited to data center deployments. With the rise of edge computing and distributed infrastructures, many projects involve implementations in multiple sites across a wide geography. SirviS is also adept at repetitive deployments of standardized equipment, including operating retail stores and other facilities that cannot afford downtime.
The Integration Center is staffed by certified engineers and technicians who are experts in a wide range of technologies. The SirviS team can handle implementations ranging from a handful of sites to hundreds of cabinets to be installed around the world. What’s more, SirviS takes a personalized approach to each project with a focus on delivering exceptional customer service.
Data center managers have had to rethink IT deployments to address pandemic-related challenges. Integration and configuration services can streamline any project in which timing and logistics are critical to success.
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