In the data center environment of a business with self-installed server equipment, the server refresh cycle is a key aspect of keeping up with modernizations and enhancements. If you want to remain relevant and competitive as a business deploying server and networking appliances, the server equipment will have to be refreshed from time to time.
A server refresh cycle is the general interval between installing new servers and associated hardware including networking equipment. The average refresh period is more or less five years. However, in the last ten years, we’ve seen shorter server refresh cycles in the industry as server technology has advanced more quickly and user demands can be quite high nowadays, also driven by fore example AI/ML applications.
Server Refresh Cycle: Questions to Ask
Why should your business upgrade and renew its servers while other firms just refresh them every three years? Upgrading hardware, phasing out servers, and installing newer hardware will increase the reliability of the server hardware and the applications deployed on them. Additionally, it will enable server users to benefit from the increased capabilities of the latest cutting-edge technologies. This may increase productivity, enhance energy efficiency, boost (web) application performance, and eventually result in financial savings for an organization.
When you’re responsible for choosing when to replace server hardware, you may ask yourself a few questions to determine if it’s time to replace your servers. What brand-new capabilities and features does the new hardware provide? Does the new equipment truly provide better processing speed, memory, storage, et cetera? To what extend will the new hardware enhance server system cooling and distribution? Will spending money on new hardware before the next server refresh cycle result in significant performance benefits and/or financial savings? You will have a better picture of where the company is in the current server refresh cycle after you receive the answers to these questions.
More reliability, higher performance, and quicker server speeds will sure be provided by newer server hardware. However, making the best choice in terms of performance and efficiency including the right financial considerations for your business requires understanding of where you are exactly in the current hardware refresh cycle. Grasping your organization’s server refresh cycle requires a thorough determination of the characteristics and statistics of your hardware and how they may affect your business operations. It will probably not be that easy, but when you succeed you will have a clearer understanding of what can wait and what will have to be improved in terms of server upgrading right away.
Determining Server Capacity Utilization
As part of your decision-making process in a server refresh cycle, it can be crucial to take into account the ‘tipping point’ of your current server infrastructure. This is the stage where the cost of maintaining and operating legacy servers surpasses the investment needed for new ones. These costs can take many forms, such as energy usage, physical space, cooling requirements, and maintenance personnel. Additionally, the risk of server failure increases with age, which can lead to business disruptions and unexpected repair costs.
Before initiating the server refresh, a comprehensive inventory assessment should be conducted. Knowing exactly what hardware is currently in use, its age, performance, and how critical it is to your operations can help in the decision-making process. This can be done manually, but there are also several software tools available that can automate the process.
One of the key metrics to understand is the capacity utilization of your current servers. If they are running close to their capacity most of the time, it may indicate that you need more powerful servers or more servers overall. On the other hand, if they are mostly idle, it might indicate that your server infrastructure is over-provisioned, and a refresh could provide an opportunity to downsize and save costs.
Server Refresh Cycle: Some Advice
Determining your present company and client demands will provide a good start to grasp a fitting server refresh cycle for your organization. Determining future company and client demands will also be helpful as server hardware requirements could evolve over time.
Repurposing legacy servers is another piece of advice that may be used in the context of a fitting refresh cycle for servers. Outdated servers could be able to be utilized for other aspects of your business operations rather than being thrown away. Previously high-end servers may now run less important applications.
Yet another piece of advice is to choose which components of your server hardware system are least and most necessary once you’ve covered all the bases and determined where these improvements are most required. Lastly, establishing a proper procedure and possible timetable for updating servers and accompanying (networking) hardware would be no luxury when you want to get a grip on your server refresh lifecycle.
Since server technology in the market is continuously renewed, your business may not be able to stay up. Sometimes it’s about incremental technology updates, but these updates can also be significant. Our final piece of advice is therefore to consider different possibilities that could be more practical and advantageous for your business. For your firm, employing dedicated servers with a hosting service provider may be preferable than replacing your equipment every three to five years. You can even ask for SLAs or insights into the server refresh cycles of the hosting provider being offered. Some hosting providers also allow you to have your own equipment deployed and then rent/lease it, while the service provider stays responsible for server management and refresh lifecycles. In addition, dedicated servers available in the market come in all kinds of management levels, ranging from unmanaged to fully managed dedicated servers and everything in between.
Conclusion
Mastering your server refresh cycle is a pivotal element in ensuring your business maintains its competitive edge and operational efficiency. While the process of deciding when to upgrade your server infrastructure might be complex, considering factors such as the server’s current capacity utilization, existing and future business needs, and the cost of maintaining legacy servers versus the investment in new ones can guide your decision-making. Exploring different server solutions, including dedicated hosting services and repurposing legacy servers, can offer practical alternatives to your business. Remember, understanding and strategically managing your server refresh cycles will not only equip your organization with state-of-the-art technology but also optimize your operations, enhance your performance, and potentially lead to significant cost savings.
