Your business’s physical servers are the backbone of your IT network, playing a crucial role in maintaining efficiency and driving profitability. To make sure they continue to perform at their best and meet the demands of your operations, you may need to assess and upgrade your on-site servers regularly. Alternatively, it might be time to consider replacing them with a server solution better aligned with your evolving needs.
Every company is different, so how do you know when it’s time to upgrade or replace them? If you notice any of these signs, it’s time to take action to avoid disruptions to productivity and potential revenue loss.
| Read also: Physical servers: Pros and cons |
Your physical servers aren’t performing like they used to
The most obvious sign that it’s time to do something about your servers is a noticeable drop in performance. Slow performance, frequent errors, corrupted data, and other problems can stem from aging servers, putting your efficiency and security at risk.
While replacing your servers with newer models may seem like the easiest solution, it’s worth evaluating whether your current computing demands have outgrown what your old servers could handle. Upgrading to more advanced hardware can come with a hefty price tag. In this case, consider moving to the cloud where you can get access to high-performance servers without the significant upfront investment.
Your energy, cooling, and maintenance costs are up
Legacy servers use more power and generate more heat, increasing your energy bills and the frequency of maintenance, as heat causes severe damage to hardware.
If you’re concerned about increased energy costs, consider:
- Upgrading to physical servers that have a high rating for energy efficiency
- Using virtual servers to cut down the number of physical servers you need
- Migrating to the cloud with a provider that uses energy-efficient green data centers
You’re experiencing too much server downtime
Even well-functioning physical servers can incur more IT downtime than you are willing to accept. Downtime is costly, especially if you’re in sectors such as eCommerce where every minute counts, so you can’t let the wrong kind of servers slow you down.
Although good-quality physical servers may still perform adequately, they still require physical maintenance, manual upgrades, and power. During maintenance or power outages, your servers go offline, and your business loses money. If uptime is critical to your success, consider transitioning to a cloud network. With service level agreements guaranteeing 99.9% or higher uptime, cloud solutions keep your business online and running smoothly.
The server warranty or support has expired
Expired warranties or discontinued support for your servers are warning signs that demand immediate action. Outdated and unsupported servers are ticking time bombs. They can fail unexpectedly or become easy targets for cyberattacks, as they no longer receive crucial security updates.
To avoid these pitfalls, replace outdated and unsupported servers with modern ones. You may also consider switching to a cloud provider, who can provide ongoing support and regular upgrades as part of your subscription.
Your new software is incompatible with your servers
Upgrading your old software or adopting new tools is necessary to stay competitive, but your old physical servers might not be able to run these modern applications without extensive modifications. Forcing new software to operate on outdated, incompatible servers can lead to costly issues you simply can’t afford. Instead, invest in servers designed to support the software you rely on.
When choosing to replace or upgrade your servers, ask yourself:
- Which server types and architectures best support our operational tools?
- Are our servers optimized for the operating systems we need?
- Can our servers handle virtualization, automation tools, and modern APIs essential to our operations?
- If remote work capabilities are important to us, can our servers support a secure, dispersed network?
Experts tell you it’s time for a change
If you’re not sure when to upgrade or replace your servers, or what the best options are, that’s normal; you’re not in the IT business after all. Given this, you need expert perspective to let you know when the best time is to upgrade your servers to avoid costly mistakes and maximize your productivity.
Contact SpectrumWise, and our experienced IT consultants will analyze your network and help you make informed decisions that enhance productivity and future-proof your IT infrastructure.
