Server Performance Optimization – Tips & Identifying Common Issues
Hardware Maintenance
Shahid
Published:
We’ve all been frustrated by websites and apps that lag or take a while to load. What’s extra frustrating is that it can be difficult to tell what exactly is causing the slowdown. It could be a network problem, a sluggish database, or a server that is not performing well.
Server issues are likely something we all have experienced at some point. This article explores the topic of server performance, identifies common server difficulties, and offers tips for overcoming them and improving server performance.
That’s why it’s important to consider why it may be wise to consolidate data centers and how to develop a meaningful data center consolidation strategy.
What is Server Performance?
Server performance refers to how well a server is handling its workload and delivering a user experience that’s either expected or contractually guaranteed. Server performance comprises factors like speed, response time, reliability, and efficiency. The specific metrics for server performance include measures of CPU usage, memory usage, disk inputs/outputs (I/O), and network bandwidth.
It’s always worth asking, “Why do we care about server performance?” It could be a matter of ensuring the end-user customer experience is sufficient. Or the performance of a server might be relevant to financial stakeholders, who might be concerned about data center efficiency or return on investment (ROI) on server assets.
Server performance is critical to an organization’s bottom line. A poor performance, perhaps even downtime, could cause a company to lose millions in revenue. Think back to British Airways in 2017, when physically damaged servers led to revenue losses of £80million (via The Independent).
What is a Data Center Consolidation Strategy?
A data center consolidation strategy is a set of guiding principles that shape a data center consolidation project plan.
It should align with broader business goals while clearly articulating the desired outcomes of the process; for example, decreased energy use or optimizing network performance. At the same time, the strategy should provide a foundation for the organization’s IT future.
Examples of data center consolidation strategies include:
Merge the systems running in four data centers into two while ensuring scalability and performance capacity to enable an artificial intelligence growth plan.
Cut power and cooling expense by migrating systems from two data centers into one, while deploying high-performing hardware that aligns with anticipated workloads.
Consolidate system administration teams, i.e., headcount, as part of a process of closing a data center.
Importance of Outlining a Data Center Consolidation Approach
Data center consolidation should not be an impulsive process. Doing it right means careful analysis, planning, and execution. The process will involve the participation of people from across the organization, as well as from external entities like co-location providers and consultants. Adopting the right data center consolidation approach is critical for success.
At the earliest stage in the process, before you even decide to consolidate data centers, it’s smart to gather the core stakeholders and try to figure out if consolidation is necessary, what its basic goals might be, and what, specifically, the project will involve.
What will the approach be? Will you start in small increments, migrating selected applications and data repositories to new hosting facilities, or will you plan a massive consolidation that takes a year to execute—completed with a big “cut over” moment? There’s no right answer, but it’s useful to think through your approach before you even start planning.
