REMOTE MONITORING DURING COVID-19
As the current pandemic wears on , many data centres are having to continue operations with reduced onsite teams , which has the potential to lead to oversights , system malfunctions and even up-time loss . In these times , ensuring that facilities management teams have remote access to status reports from critical systems is essential . In a recent article , Michael Fluegeman , Principal and Data Center Support Systems Manager at PlanNet Consulting , assessed the state of remote systems monitoring as the Pandemic continues to disrupt industry players . “ Newer equipment can push status , loading , and alarms to the building automation system and directly to PCs and smartphones when they are networked . Many devices provide too much information , which needs to be winnowed down to what is important . Getting remote status on older equipment can be more challenging ; upgrades may be available , but it may be more cost effective to refresh the equipment at the early range of reliable life expectancy ,” he explains , adding that , “ if you are going to rely more heavily on remote monitoring , find out whether there is enough bandwidth to allow for remote access and whether effective security protocols are in place .”
63 human error in the critical systems environment depends , in large part , on well trained staff ,” they note .
Unfortunately , the US and the UK are experiencing a well-documented skills shortage in the tech sector ( the data centre industry is no exception ), so companies may need to work on developing existing staff , while fighting even harder to attract new talent . “ This has engendered a culture where businesses must fight to attract and retain the best talent , leading to inflated salaries , longer recruitment times , higher training costs and a rise in temporary staff
datacentremagazine . com