Top 10: Data Centre Management Best Practices

Share
Data Centre Magazine spotlights some of the best practices for data centre management
Data Centre Magazine spotlights some of the best practices for data centre management, as they seek to efficiently store and process critical data

Increasing numbers of businesses are turning to data centres as a service provider to keep their critical data secure.

However, with this transition comes a new set of security considerations that companies need to be aware of, meaning that businesses are having to learn what measures are best to take when it comes to protecting their digital assets.

Likewise, as data centre operators continue to enact growth strategies, they are also having to balance sustainability considerations, quality of service and customer satisfaction.

With this in mind, Data Centre Magazine highlights some of the data centre management best practices and the companies that use them.

10. Diversify your workforce

The data centre sector will benefit from greater diversity in the sector

No matter the sector, the most successful companies have more diverse teams. Within the data centre sector, having a range of people working within the company is able to offer new perspectives and more innovative ideas - something that the sector needs, on account of the continued technology boom.

Data4 is a critical example of a company seeking to do this. François Sterin, Chief Operating Officer at Data4 Group, previously told Datacenter Dynamics that the company has partnered with local suppliers to develop an academy to encourage greater diversity in the industry.

9. Asset management programmes

Creating a strong asset management programme is beneficial for data centres

Lifecycle management of a data centre’s assets refers to its building equipment and the building itself. This can sometimes be an afterthought, but creating a strong programme is beneficial for data centres becoming more cost-efficient and resilient.

Leading data centre investor JLL explains: “The first step is to inventory your building equipment and capture accurate data about age, condition, performance and other issues. 

“With robust data, you can determine replace-or-repair priorities and create an objective capital plan that optimises facility performance and improves your data centre TCO.”

8. Complete regular testing

Testing inevitably reduces downtime

Testing and drills are essential for maintaining the security of data centres. By simulating real-world events, data centres can identify and address vulnerabilities before they can be exploited by attackers. There are two main types of testing and drills that data centres can conduct, tabletop exercises (TTXs) and penetration testing.

As a leading data centre consultant, RPS Group carefully supports data centres by regularly helping them with testing to support the progress of their partners.

7. End-to-end encryption

Data encryption is vital for data centres

Data encryption is a vital component of data centre security. When it comes to end-to-end encryption, data is encrypted on the sender's device and is only ever decrypted on the recipient's device to prevent attackers from accessing sensitive data. 

On this, Nexus Group says: “Using secure protocols, such as SSL/TLS, for data transmission is essential. These protocols encrypt data sent over the internet. 

“This protects it from eavesdropping and tampering. Ensuring end-to-end encryption for all communications enhances overall data security.”

6. Security management

Cybersecurity strategy is vital to a data centre

In order to protect data centres from harm, industry leaders must implement a multi-layered defence strategy which includes physical security measures to protect the facilities from physical threats, such as theft or vandalism, as well as cybersecurity measures to protect data from digital threats, like cyberattacks.

“For data centre providers, the stakes are especially high given the breadth of sensitive data housed across industries and government agencies — and the cascading impact that a breach could create,” Jaimen Hoopes, Vice President & Product Management at Forcepoint, tells Data Centre Magazine.

5. Disaster recovery strategies

Data center disaster recovery is based on preserving and protecting the data within a business

Resilient architecture and up-to-date tested continuity plans are able to avoid potential damage and promote swift recovery of data centre operations should an incident occur. Likewise, crisis management plans provide clarity on roles, responsibilities and mitigation activities before, during and after a crisis.

Microsoft data centres and operations personnel prepare for disasters to provide continuity of operations should unexpected events occur. Each Microsoft managed data centre has its own business continuity plan, created by using the key subject matter expertise from CO+I Resilience Center of Excellence and Datacenter Operations.

4. Supplier selection

Determining which is the right data centre supplier is crucial

A data center supplier is a company that provides a facility for storing and managing data and applications for businesses. Data centre suppliers can also offer services such as network bandwidth, cooling, and security. It is important to strike the right balance of suppliers to successfully scale data centre operations.

Some of the leading data centre companies in the world include: Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud, Equinix, Digital Realty and CyrusOne.

3. Consider cooling options

Cooling is necessary to keep data centres operational

Cooling has emerged as a more sustainable solution for data centres. It controls the temperature inside the facility to reduce heat. From air cooling to liquid cooling, companies are utilising these new and improved solutions to keep equipment cool and therefore reduce energy waste.

Vertiv is one of the world’s leading data centre cooling companies. The company has a broad range of cooling solutions, including liquid cooling to enable higher chilled water, supply air and secondary inlet temperatures that can maximise the efficiency of data centre facility infrastructure.

2. Adopt realistic sustainability targets

Data centre companies are eager to make their operations more sustainable

Sustainability is one of the main buzzwords for the data centre industry in 2025. Whilst these facilities are essential for powering the digital economy, their energy-intensive operations have raised concerns about their environmental impact.

Ark Data Centres is one company within the industry that is eager to enact change. One of the company’s earliest and most significant steps was the implementation of fresh air free cooling systems more than a decade ago.

This approach has significantly reduced the energy required for cooling: one of the most energy-intensive aspects of data centre operations.

Read all about it HERE.

1. Use AI wisely

AI can be both a help or hindrance to the data centre industry

AI was one of the most significant trends in the data centre industry in 2024, with data centre clients very keen to keep investing in the technology. Data centres are now having to come up with new and innovative solutions to ensure that their facilities have the capability to provide enough power and energy for AI.

Equinix is one such data centre company looking to help the industry leverage this growth of AI. 

After the UK Autumn Budget was announced, Bruce Owen, Equinix’s Interim President of EMEA, explained via a LinkedIn post in 2024: “Our data centres align with the UK government’s clean energy priorities, helping reduce the carbon footprint of UK innovation [and] our high-performance interconnection services and climate-neutral data centres are optimised to support the rapid scale-up of AI, IoT and other emerging tech across regions, ensuring secure, equitable access to digital transformation throughout the UK.”


Explore the latest edition of Data Centre Magazine  and be part of the conversation at our global conference series, Tech & AI LIVE and Data Centre LIVE

Discover all our upcoming events and secure your tickets today. 


Data Centre Magazine is a BizClik brand

Share

Featured Articles

AI Data Centres: Can Water Companies Handle the Heat?

In the wake of the UKs planned AI infrastructure boom, concerns are being raised over the potential impact more data centres could have on water supply

This Week's Top 5 Stories in the Data Centre Industry

With data centre expansion dominating the headlines, we look at the leading stories to impact the industry during the first week of February

UK Planning Reform Green-Lights Data Centre SMR Potential

The UK government has removed restrictions on nuclear sites and has created a regulatory taskforce to speed up deployment of small nuclear reactors (SMRs)

How Verne Will Expand its Helsinki Data Centre for AI Growth

Data Centres

AVK Pushes Ahead with Europe Expansion with New Service Hub

Critical Environments

How Cadence Harnesses Sustainability to Remain an AI Leader

Technology & AI