Several factors to consider when upgrading your server hardware

All IT administrators need to process outdated devices on a regular basis. The storage capacity that was procured a few years ago is no longer sufficient, and critical network equipment cannot provide enough bandwidth for a growing user base, or the server cannot run enough virtual machines to meet today's needs.

In this case, administrators will consider upgrading existing equipment or purchasing new systems. The following points are worth paying attention to when choosing a hardware upgrade or buying a new one.

The benefits of upgrades are limited

In many cases, upgrades can solve system problems. In general, you can add more disks to an existing server or systematically replace a small-capacity disk with a large-capacity disk to gain storage capacity. Virtualization reduces the capacity expansion by migrating LUNs without interrupting service.

Similarly, you can extend the life cycle of some servers by adding CPU and memory to the idle CPU socket or memory slot. Once again, virtualization can migrate all applications running on the server to ensure that the relevant services are still functioning when the hardware upgrade is implemented.

Upgrades are usually faster and easier than deploying new systems, but there are still many reasons to convince people to purchase new systems.

First of all, the administrator may have no choice. Some systems cannot be upgraded, or – after testing with the manufacturer, after discussion, the performance and capacity improvements brought by the upgrade are still unable to meet the demand.

IT products contain a limited lifecycle, and it is necessary to make technical updates before the manufacturer stops providing parts and support for obsolete equipment. For example, the supplier will choose not to renew the contract when the current service contract expires. With third-party support, it may be possible to use a carefully selected component in the secondary market to extend the lifecycle, but this is a serious and highly problematic practice that can lead to extended downtime and unplanned expenses.

New technologies bring new features

Whether purchasing is forced or for good reason, adding new technologies to the data center is very beneficial.

New systems can gain extra flexibility by providing redundant components such as dual power supplies or network adapters. Improved availability and reliability enable the new system to have the ability to meet business needs (reducing downtime and recovery costs).

More than that, new features and performance improvements brought about by technology updates will provide stronger support for the business.

For example, the latest CPU included in a server as a virtualized application is specifically designed to improve virtual machine performance. As a result, such servers are more powerful than earlier servers and can run more virtual machines for greater business benefit.

Similarly, older storage systems with 2G fiber-optic (FC) interfaces may be replaced by new devices with 4 or 8G FC interfaces for higher storage capacity and performance. This is important for storing virtual machine files and snapshots.

Finally, the biggest challenge for administrators is to select the product, not only to meet the current needs of the enterprise, but also to have sufficient scalability to meet the needs of the company's future development.

Considering Costs and Business Impact

The initial plan for an upgrade or technology update includes a cost analysis and a detailed assessment of the impact on the business.

While it seems that the associated costs will make IT budgets tight, and considering the cancellation of the new system plan, upgrading the old system can also incur high costs, especially when it comes to the need to purchase proprietary (and possibly discontinued) parts or systems. Not included in the service contract. The upfront investment costs of technology updates are often offset by the following rewards: considerable discounted prices, free support for a certain period of time, significant increases in staff training and system performance, and reduced demand for future purchases and upgrades. Therefore, organizations will find that the rewards of spending money to implement technology updates are objective.

One cost that may be overlooked during technology updates is the impact of the new system on workflow, strategy, processes, and production. In general, the introduction of new systems is a highly destructive – and painful process. The old system needs to be backed up, offline and removed. The new system will then be installed, tested, restored from backup and eventually configured for the relevant services - assuming no other errors or related downtime issues were encountered during the process.

Virtualization has greatly alleviated this pain. It allows new systems to be installed and configured in a production environment without affecting existing work systems. When the new system is configured, the existing environment can be migrated to the new virtual environment and tested with minimal effort through integration tools. Old systems can be revoked or reassigned within the allowed time.