Let me ask you: how confident are you that all of your data is in your control? How confident are you that you have access to it as you need it? How confident are you that it is properly secured, wherever it is being stored?
These are all important, arguably critical, questions to know the answer to. They are also all questions that are best answered by storing your data centrally.
We’re not shy about sharing how important it is for a business to have comprehensive cybersecurity throughout its entire infrastructure. That’s why we wanted to share what some recent data has shown about the importance of having visibility into your infrastructure.
Spoiler alert: it’s really, really important.
Do you remember the day that you purchased your current workstation? Maybe it was last week, last month, last year, or several years ago. At one point, it was pristine, untouched by the demands of the workday, but those days have long since passed. Over time, your computer collects all sorts of stuff on it, from unnecessary files to outdated, unused software.
For this week’s tip, we’ll discuss ways in which your organization can cut down on the immense amount of digital clutter on your PC, ranging from how to organize the contents of your workstation, to what you can do with your old mobile devices and other unnecessary hardware you have lying about.
Organize Your Workstation’s Files and Network Drive
Is your desktop filled with all sorts of files and icons that make navigating your workstation more difficult than it should be? This is a common problem, and it’s important to stay organized so you can be productive, especially if you utilize an on premise shared network drive. Make sure that all of your employees know the proper protocol for storing files before they are allowed to upload files to the shared drive.
You can work with the business technology experts at The Connection, Inc for help if you feel your current system needs some work. Whether you need to better the organization process for stored data, or control who has access to things, we can assist you to make sure it’s done right, and backed up.
Remove Unnecessary Programs and Applications
As time passes, certain applications will lose their value. This is due to a number of factors, such as changes in internal policy, the size of your workforce, and so on. Perhaps you’ve found a better solution that suits your needs, but you forgot to uninstall the old one. Old programs that are no longer useful can take up valuable network space, and worse yet, they could become vulnerable if they aren’t kept updated. We recommend performing a network audit to determine exactly which applications are being used, and how often they’re accessed.
Properly Dispose of Unused Devices
When a device’s life cycle meets its end, or it’s simply outclassed by another, more potent device, it’s natural to replace it with something that better meets your organization’s needs. However, when you regularly refresh your hardware, you’ll wind up with plenty of extra devices just collecting dust. Even worse, these devices might be completely functional. You don’t want to simply throw away old computers, laptops, and mobile devices. This is bad for the environment as there are harmful metals and elements. It also puts your business at risk because your data may still be on the device even after deleting it. It’s best to have professionals purge the data and recycle old hardware.
That said, it never hurts to keep an extra workstation on hand just in case something bad happens to an employee’s computer in the line of duty. Still, all other devices that are no longer in use should be wiped of any data that’s on them (ask us if you have questions on how) before being recycled.
For more great tips and tricks, be sure to subscribe to The Connection, Inc’s blog.
Data migration is a sizable task. There’s plenty that could go wrong as you move your data from one server to another solution. As you transfer your data, it helps to keep a few considerations in mind to ensure the process goes smoothly while getting the biggest benefit from the time it takes you.
Why You May Need to Migrate Your Server
There are plenty of reasons that you may find yourself in the position where a server migration is necessary. If, for instance, your current server to be inadequate for your needs, or it is no longer working reliably, it is probably time to replace it. The same can be said if you’ve managed to fill it to capacity, or if the manufacturer is ending support.
Regardless of the reason, any server migration can be a hassle. However, approaching this task after properly preparing for it can help to simplify the migration process considerably.
Preparations for Server Migration
There are an assortment of practices that will generally benefit your success as you go about migrating your server.
Cleaning Out the Old
Your server migration process is an excellent opportunity to run an audit of the contents of your server and weed out anything outdated or redundant that is taking up more space than necessary.
Testing a Backup
With your server migration, safe is much better than sorry. There is the potential for an issue to pop up during your migration, potentially destroying or damaging your data. Testing your most recent backup before beginning the migration gives you the security of knowing that - even if something goes wrong - you haven’t lost your critical resources.
Establishing Security
Before you migrate anything to your new server, you need to make sure it will be protected once the migration is complete. To accomplish this, you’ll need to incorporate security measures into your new server, including firewalls, protections against Distributed Denial of Service attacks, and others. This will keep your data protected at all times, instead of leaving it vulnerable as these security measures are implemented after the migration is complete.
Leaving the Old Server Running
Once the migration process is complete, you don’t need to be too quick to take your old server out of rotation. Ensuring that your migration was completely successful will help you to avoid potential data loss, and if your new server isn’t properly functioning, not having the old server to fall back on could lead to downtime.
For more assistance with your data migration, reach out to The Connection, Inc at (732) 291-5938.
Regardless of where it is kept, your data’s security is of paramount importance. However, this doesn’t mean that the decision between leveraging the cloud or an on-premise server for your data storage needs isn’t an important one. For this week’s tip, we’ll weigh these options against each other to help you establish which is the better option for your business’ needs.
Cloud
The cloud offers quite a few advantages to those who utilize it as a data backup or storage solution. A major one is how cost-effective a cloud platform is, as the costs of maintenance and utility requirements are bundled into the service, and the only costs left are for storage space and the services that the cloud provider offers.
In addition, the cloud offers fully customizable scalability to your needs. Unlike an in-house platform, the space and computing resources available to you are fully adjustable. All you need to do is inform your provider, and they will adjust your service to best fit your requirements. Furthermore, the cloud also provides improved accessibility. Cloud-based storage allows you to access the data stored in your provider’s facility via most Internet-connected devices through either a browser or an app, providing you anytime access.
There are a few disadvantages to cloud storage, but your particular business needs may cause them to not factor in quite so strongly. However, speed can be a consideration, given your circumstances. If, for instance, you have a considerable amount of large files, or your Internet connection isn’t quite up to the task, working with the data you have in the cloud may not be efficient enough for business purposes.
Local Storage
Local storage allows you to access your data at increased speeds, but there are other advantages to it as well. A business that leverages an in-house infrastructure has increased control over their solutions, and as a result, more options.
This increased control enables you to design and manage your infrastructure in a way that saves money for your business. For instance, a single server can host multiple virtual machines, and your information can be protected by redundancy.
However, the initial costs are considerable because of the need to procure the requisite hardware and software, and scalability becomes a bigger concern. What’s worse, keeping all of your data in one place leaves you vulnerable. If a disaster were to strike, you could lose access to your data, assuming that your data survives. It’s also important to consider the fact that every several years, your infrastructure will need to be refreshed and upgraded, which would require another upfront payment to deploy the same platform.
The Hybrid
Many companies find both on-premise IT infrastructure and cloud hosting to have their own pros and cons. In cases like this they might use a hybrid of both. For example, hosting your email in the cloud but your line of business app in-house might be the best solution for your business. Your IT requirements, security compliances, and broadband speeds are all factors that come into play when making decisions about where your infrastructure should go.
The Connection, Inc can help you to make these important decisions regarding your business technology. Give us a call at (732) 291-5938 for assistance.
There are plenty of technical terms and solutions that, while heard of frequently enough, it may not be completely clear what they mean or refer to. A proxy server is an excellent example of such a solution. This week, we’ll examine this tech term and review how utilizing proxy servers can help your business.
Server units--you’ll find them in most offices out there, but they are all used for different purposes. Since well-maintained data is so essential to the success of many organizations, it’s important to keep your server units in proper working order. Today we’ll discuss the best ways to make sure your servers are in peak performance.
What Causes Server Room Problems?
Even some of the little problems facing server rooms can create considerable trouble for your business. Of course, we are talking about an excess amount of dust and other small contaminants. It’s difficult to control and tricky to clean, as it can be blown all over the place (including into server components). When lots of dust accumulates, it can act as an insulator, increasing the overall temperature of server units by about 30 degrees Fahrenheit. Just like the human body, an increase of temperature like this can be catastrophic.
Other contaminants include particles generated by humans, like skin particles and dander. Wear and tear from the devices themselves can also become a culprit in this regard, as belt debris and metal shavings can accumulate over time. By far the worst culprit is the soles of the feet. It’s estimated that around 80 percent of this damaging debris enters a server room in this fashion.
Mitigating Issues Through Maintenance and Prevention
Imagine how much damage could be done to your business if your server were to fail. All of the data you were supposed to protect is suddenly lost in a puff of smoke, despite your careful efforts to ensure it stays secure from both internal and external threats. Therefore, it’s extremely important your business keeps maintenance and prevention as a priority. This can be accomplished by adhering to strict cleanliness standards and keeping contaminants to a minimum.
Keep Things Clean
If you can keep your server room free of dust and grime, it’s much easier to keep it in proper working order. You should always leave comprehensive cleaning jobs to professionals, but you can take action now to minimize the chance of this dust influencing your server’s operations. For example, if your server room has people frequently coming and going, you can vacuum it to keep the floors clear of any contaminants. If cleaning your server components has you concerned, you can use an antistatic cloth to keep them clean, as well as cans of compressed air to blow dust out of the way of particularly important components.
Minimizing Contamination
You can also take certain measures to ensure the dust and grime that accumulates in your server room doesn’t become a problem. You can try installing air filters, as well as using an entryway room with special mats to keep grime and dirt from getting in. Other measures like hats and booties can be used to minimize the amount of human contamination that makes it into your server room. In fact… that’s the best way to keep your server room clean--just not going in at all.
To learn more about how The Connection, Inc can help your business take care of this important technology, reach out to us at (732) 291-5938.
Microsoft is the world’s most profitable software company, and if your business is like any of the millions of businesses that rely on Microsoft’s servers, you know they are both useful and secure. Occasionally, however, Microsoft will retire older software titles as they need constant care and support. On July 9, 2019, Microsoft will officially retire their SQL Server 2008 and SQL Server 2008 R2 operating systems. If your organization still uses this software there is no time like the present to get you systems updated, as losing support will be a major problem.
With cloud computing becoming a major benefit for organizations of all sizes, some have abandoned the idea of having on-premise servers at their place of business. This could end up being problematic, however, as data security and privacy of cloud-based resources have been known to be often less than reliable. If you are looking to host your own IT in-house, there are some issues you have to see to before you can start purchasing hardware.
Small and medium-sized businesses (SMB) have historically been restricted in what they can do with their technology infrastructures. However, there are now options that an SMB can leverage that enable it to accomplish more with their infrastructure - but this requires the SMB to have a plan in place.
In short, your IT infrastructure is everything that contributes to your business’ ability to store and use the data it has collected - including your network, your storage system, and the hardware and software solutions used to access them. In other words, it’s your business’ backbone, supporting your operations and allowing data to be transported where it needs to go.
It should go without saying that your IT infrastructure is a critical consideration for your business’ success. This means that you will need to dedicate the time and energy needed to devise a strategy for your IT infrastructure to follow.
In order to be optimal for your business’ needs, your revised infrastructure strategy should touch on a few best practices.
As you’ve needed to improve your infrastructure, it’s likely that it has grown based on the individual needs it had at the time. As a result, there’s a good chance that your IT infrastructure has a mix of technologies in it, which makes it harder to improve and update it later.
When designing your new infrastructure, you should leverage the modern standardization of software and integrations to create a centralized platform that enables data to be utilized across the business. This will help to simplify your IT and improve your workplace experience, often providing more functionality and flexibility for your users.
Speaking of flexibility, information technology is always adapting and changing, which means that your IT infrastructure needs to be able to accommodate these adaptations and changes. Considering your current infrastructure, ask yourself where your biggest speed constraints are, and how they can be rectified. Furthermore, are there any ways that you can consolidate your existing system to further limit your risks while advancing your processes?
When you really consider it, your IT provides a service to your operations, in that it enables them to happen. While this may be a simplistic view of it, it isn’t any less true. When designing your infrastructure, you need to keep in mind that it will be providing your entire business with the tools that it needs to function. Consider what you need your infrastructure to do, and what you will need it to do in the future, and plan it accordingly.
I want you to think back to the beginning of your business, when it was just you and maybe one or two other people. You may have had a hand in setting up your network back then… so why not do the same again now? Well, there are a few reasons.
First of all, consider your responsibilities. With any luck, your attention is commanded by the duties that your position leaves you responsible for. Can you really say you have the time to properly strategize your infrastructure, let alone maintain it once you’ve done so? Secondly, there is no denying that technology has changed. Would you rather try and tackle it yourself, potentially creating an issue, or would you rather entrust someone with experience to take care of your organization’s infrastructure?
The Connection, Inc can manage your infrastructure on your behalf, ensuring that it is optimized to your business’ particular requirements so that your efficiency can be improved. Reach out to us at (732) 291-5938 to learn more.
Most businesses nowadays require a server in order to operate properly, but these critical pieces of infrastructure aren’t immune to issues. Here, we’ll go over a few common reasons that you may experience a server crash.
Frankly, the server might just be getting old. Server hardware tends to have a lifespan of somewhere between four-and-six, some companies replace it sooner, and some try to stretch it out for as long as they can. When the end of this time approaches, the best way to avoid expensive issues is to replace it, as trying to push much further could wind up costing your business more in the form of downtime and disruption.
On top of your server, you have the other components in your infrastructure that, if they are having an issue themselves, can share that issue with the server and cause difficulties. Oftentimes, simply rebooting these components is enough to resolve your server’s problem… but if the issue persists, try calling The Connection, Inc for assistance.
Despite their size, servers are extremely vulnerable to the conditions around them. Too much heat, too much humidity, too little airflow, too much dust and grime, too much (or not enough) electricity being supplied to it; all of these scenarios could impact how well (or if) your server functions.
There are many ways to help mitigate these kinds of issues, like installing uninterruptible power supplies to enable the server to power down safely in the event of an electrical outage, or proper ventilation, fans, and other climate-control assistance to help keep things clean.
Of course, these aren’t the only reasons that a server might encounter problems… there are plenty more problems out that can have a marked effect on your company’s IT. The Connection, Inc is here to help you diagnose and deal with them all. To learn more about what we can do for your business, reach out to us today at (732) 291-5938.
Halloween is a time to conjure up things that give people the creeps. Scary sounds are just one way to send shivers up the spine. Sounds like, howling werewolves, zombie groans, chainsaws, and bloodcurdling screams are enough to make you want to run and hide. Yet, there’s one sound that’s the most terrifying of them all, and it’s coming from your server room!
How messy is your server room? When was the last time you took note of how many machines you have, and what each of them are contributing to your business’s goals? If either of these situations sound familiar, it might be time to take a closer look at your technology and examine how you can improve operations. One of the best ways you can do so is by eliminating unnecessary costs from unused and underutilized servers.
What’s the best way to preserve your important files for years to come? Questions like this are being asked more frequently in our data-driven society. Here are some best practices when it comes to long-term data storage.
If you host your own servers in-house, or in an off-site data center, you know all about the frustrations of keeping your hardware up to date and healthy. This also includes keeping your servers from overheating. These mission-critical pieces of hardware are known to produce incredulous amounts of heat, and keeping them cool only gets more challenging during hot, sticky summer months.
July 14th is an important date in the business technology world. Why? Because it’s a major landmark for users of Windows Server 2003. In just a few short months, Microsoft will no longer support this decade-old server operating system. Therefore, you must take steps to upgrade away from this server OS before it’s too late.
In today's technology world, a lot of businesses are opting to take advantage of virtualized servers. These offer various benefits, including the ability to consolidate your servers into a neat, controlled package. But according to a recent study by Symantec, virtual servers might not be as secure as once thought. In fact, they might not be any more secure than a physical server.
Everyone has heard horror stories about the spirits of the dead lingering in this world. Every culture on this planet has different beliefs about the nature of these spectral beings. Not much is known about these beings, but people still believe without a doubt that they exist. In regards to technology, ghosts do exist, in the form of ghost servers.
Everyone needs a tip occasionally. Therefore, we want to provide our followers with what we like to call, "Tips of the Week." These helpful tidbits are targeted toward helping you understand certain aspects of business technology. For our first tip, we will walk you through how to reorganize your IT infrastructure. For more tips, see our previous blog articles.
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