Through its consultancy services, Migration Solutions' consultants provide professional advice based on experience and in-depth knowledge of the computer room and data centre with an appreciation of the physical infrastructure, the operational requirements, the regulatory obligations and, importantly, the strategic benefit and value to the business.
Our computer room and data centre consultants are independent of any vendor or service provider and offer unbiased advice to our clients who are looking to design, refurbish, upgrade or build a computer room or data centre facility.
Complex Environments
Computer rooms and Data centres have a complex, multi-faceted role. As a specialist facility they place unique demands on the building environment in terms of heat, power and physical security and, as part of the IT infrastructure they provide challenges in terms of cost, location, and system security. For the business however, there are strategic and governance imperatives. For most organisations, the management of data accounts for the majority of the enterprise's value, and conversely, the management of data represents their biggest risk in terms of corporate governance and regulatory liability.
Migration Solutions provides unbiased computer room and data centre advice through its consultants to companies of all sizes covering such areas as design, handling ITTs, carrying out due diligence on our client's behalf, and holding workshops where appropriate to capture requirements.
It's not just refits, refurbishments or new builds where Migration Solutions can help. An overheating computer room or data centre can spell disaster to the servers located within the facility. It may not be a lack of cooling equipment that is causing the problem, but one or more of many factors - reducing air flow caused by blocking, poorly installed servers etc.
Migration Solutions has in-house capabilities covering computer room and data centre design, mechanical and electrical commissioning, data cabling design and air flow management.
The company offers extensive experience to support its Operational Consultancy whereby it creates robust and efficient processes and procedures, often based on the ITIL framework, to enable the efficient operation of the facility.
Professional Services offered by Migration Solutions include programme management, project management and strategic consultancy.
Data Centre Best Practice
Operating computer rooms and data centres enables us to design best practice into the facility from the outset. Not just the design of the rack layout, air conditioning and security, but ensuring that the facility will be easy to operate.
Having worked in computer rooms and data centres our consultants know what makes a good design. Working closely with our clients, every aspect of their requirement can be included, along with recommendations from us to produce a resilient, energy efficient, cost-effective facility.
Vendor Independence
Migration Solutions is vendor independent, and provides unbiased professional advice from the initial chat to the project management of the agreed work. Whether Migration Solutions is commissioned for an audit, design, due diligence of an existing design or managing the whole process Migration Solutions will ensure that the best solution fits the client's requirements.
Due Diligence
It’s not only new builds or refurbishments where our consultants can help.
Whether looking to move into a co-location facility, wanting a review of proposals from potential suppliers, or needing to review in-house design documentation, Migration Solutions can provide a detailed report and if required, a presentation given of the findings.
We can help with all aspects, looking at costs, suitability, regulatory requirements, resilience, security etc, as well as the migration of devices out of, and in to a new facility.
Strategic Data Centre Planning
Planning a new computer room or data centre is no easy feat. It's expensive and must be done cost effectively to provide the best return on investment. Decided on the right type and level of cooling, power and security are obvious. Migration Solutions will ensure that every detail of a new facility is discussed allowing informed discussions to be made. Is a new facility needed, or could an existing facility be re-furbished?
Facility Audits
From auditing a facility for its efficiency, to carrying out an audit in readiness for a move, Migration Solutions has the experience. In most computer rooms huge savings can be made by making a few inexpensive changes. Our award winning ERA (Environmental Report and Assessment) looks at all areas of the computer room from not just power and cooling, but includes areas such as protection, layout cabling, operation and policies. All of which can have a big impact on efficiency. The report highlights what can be done now - for nothing, and recommends what should be done in the short term and long term as it becomes necessary. Our ERA won the Information Age 2009 Data Centre Innovation of Year award.
Design & Build
Our consultants have designed and built computer rooms and data centres housing from a few racks to many hundreds of racks. No matter what the size of a computer room or data centre, the security and availability of the data that it houses is key to the successful operation of any business. Getting the right design from the outset will pay dividends in terms of running cost and operation for many years to come.
Migration Solutions’ specialist consultants have the expertise and knowledge to make this a reality.
Designed for Operation
Crucially, Migration Solutions not only designs computer rooms and data centres, it operates them. Knowing how to operate a facility enables the design to be built around how it will be used, and who will use it, in the ‘real world'.
This is important, giving appropriate access for operations staff, third part support engineers, and the facilities team ensures that they can do their work efficiently. The operations team need easy access from their debox/prep room to the facility. With CRAC (computer room air conditioning) units being placed in corridors outside of the main facility, engineers and the facilities team have access to the equipment without the need to enter the computer room. These may seem like small considerations, but these steps, along with others, make an enormous difference to the operation and security of the facility.
ITIL
Our consultants are ITIL accredited and can ensure that operation procedures follow these guidelines. Many of our clients are moving towards an ITIL based methodology.
Working closely with IT Managers, Facilities Managers and specialist Engineers Migration Solutions’ consultants will ensure that business critical data housed within mission critical computer rooms or data centres meets the highest standards both as a facility and operationally.