~@ Good Data Center
MAKING IMPROVEMENTS
It is probably unnecessary to improve all items on the checklist. In addi-tion, a center may need improvements in areas other than those listed. The purpose of the checklist is to stimulate thought about data center housekeep-ing.
140 DATA CENTER OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT
Excellent Good Fair Poor
(never (sometimes (usually (always
Item happens) happens) occurs) occurs)
1. Surplus or broken furniture in data center
2. Tapes, canisters, straps on top of drives
3. Disk covers on top of drives 4. Printouts or card decks scat-tered at random in the data center
5. Dusty equipment or furni-ture
6. Operator and maintenance manuals not stored in proper place
7. Newspapers and maga-zines at the console 8. Dirt or food stains on the
floor
9. Paper clips, rubber bands, tape rings on the floor 10. Surplus disconnected
equipment in the data cen-ter
11. Extra floor panels in the datacenter
12. Floor panels not in place (and no one working on in-stallation)
13. Broken equipment 14. Personal appearance of
op-erators a. Dress
b. Sense of purpose c. Presentation of answers
to questions
d. Attitude toward visitors 15. Trash in the area 16. Fire drill information not
posted and current 17. Smoking in the data center
Figure 13-1. Data Center Appearance Checklist
GOOD HOUSEKEEPING 141
Excellent Good Fair Poor
Item
(never happens)
(sometimes
happens) (USUall~ (always occurs occurs) 18. Visitors not questioned upon
entering the center alone 19. Secure areas not secure 20. Tape library disorganized 21. Equipment or supplies in
ac-cess ways
22. Obsolete information on bul-letin boards
23. 1/0 areas cluttered 24. No pattern to equipment
lay-out
25. Spare parts not stored prop-erly in data center 26. Equipment covers not on
equipment
27. Printers in use with covers up
Figure 13-1. (cont)
An improvement campaign may occasionally require extensive outlays of time and money. For example, it may be necessary to rearrange the equipment to facilitate a logical, orderly work flow. Such large expenses may not fit into current data center plans; however, many improvements can be made with minimal costs through a sincere commitment to the project. How much can be done depends on the need for improvement and the resources available.
Action Plan
Housekeeping improvements can best be accomplished through a team effort. This is an opportunity for all personnel to be involved in a project in which the results are noticeable. The first-line supervisors and personnel in each functional area and each shift should also be involved. The role of project leader should be assigned to a person on the floor. The DCOM should develop a plan including lists of actions to be allocated to the different shifts and functions. Figure 13-3 is a sample action plan; names and estimated dates of completion should be added for each task on the list.
The initial action plan should not contain an overwhelming number of tasks. As the effort gains the support of the employees, however, other tasks should be added. The DCOM can use existing company policies and award systems to give recognition for positive actions. Awards for time- or
money-142 DATA CENTER OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT
Excellent Good Fair Poor
(always (usually (sometimes (never
Item occurs) occurs) happens) happens)
1. Are floors cleaned on a reg-ularbasis?
2. Are printer ribbons changed according to a schedule?
3. Is tape drive cleaning part of the operators' routine?
4. Is air conditionin9- mainte-nance schedule ? 5. Does the center adhere to a
regular computer mainte-nance SChedule?
6. Is an underfloor cleaning pro~ram performed annu-ally.
7. Is the halon system checked periodically?
8. Are fire drills carried out in an orderly manner?
9. Is there a maintenance schedule for noncomputer equipment (e.g., tape clean-ers)?
Figure 13-2. Data Center Maintenance and Safety Checklist
saving suggestions, mention in the organization newsletter or bulletin, and, most important, personal thanks and positive comments help to emphasize the importance of the cleanup effort. Some type of competition between shifts may also be helpful.
Shift Turnover Procedures
One of the major obstacles to a clean environment is the reluctance of people to clean up after someone else has left the area in poor condition. This is particularly true in a multishift environment. "This is the way I found it"
becomes the common complaiPt, and soon everyone accepts the disorder as notmal. One strategy for counteracting this tendency is to make housekeeping part of the shift turnover procedures. The DCOM can assign each shift some specific cleanup tasks and create a turnover check-off sheet listing the items that must be completed. Housekeeping items that should be perfonned daily or on a less frequent but scheduled basis should be added to the turnover log (see Figure 13-4). Once a clean area becomes the nonn, it will be a matter of pride for employees to keep it that way.
GOOD HOUSEKEEPING 143
1. Announce cleanup and improvement DeOM project.
a. Publish intent.
b. Request suggestions and participants.
DeOM 7
2. Select team members on each shift.
Select functional representatives.
3. Develop initial action list. Action teams 10
4. Select immediate "quick kill" items. Action teams 11
a. Remove excess furniture and 14
equipment.
b. Install all equipment skins. 17
c. Return all tapes to library at end of 17
shift.
d. Order tape storage rack. 10
e. Install tape rack for storage of 33
temporary tapes near drives.
1. Add housekeeping status to turnover 10
5. Review vendor maintenance procedures. log. DCOMand 15 administration
6. Generate vendor-related action list. Action team and 20 DeOM
7. Add valid suggested actions to list. DeOM Weekly
8. Publish status. Action teams Weekly
Figure 13-3. Housekeeping Improvement Plan
VENDOR COOPERATION
Equipment vendors may be partly responsible for sloppy conditions. For example, vendor representatives often neglect to put equipment kick plates in place on installed devices because the equipment will be moved again in the near future. Such shortcuts should be discouraged; the DCOM should only accept complete, timely equipment installation and maintenance from ven-dors. In most cases, the vendors will follow the standards set by the DCOM.
In addition to supplying contracted services, each vendor should pay proper attention to the physical appearances of the center. Floor panels not in place; spare parts, cables, or manuals left lying around; or disconnected equipment not removed promptly are inexcusable from a vendor. Such care-lessness only occurs if the DCOM permits it. The DCOM should provide vendors with the center's rules for maintaining the environment and should clearly outline what is expected from the vendor to comply with these rules.
Cleaning Services
The center should have a schedule for cleaning services, whether they are provided by a vendor, a building cleaning service, or the company's own
144 DATA CENTER OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT
Media
Tapes stored properly?
Disks stored properly?
Disk covers in place?
Cards or trays stored properly?
Other _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Equipment
Operator cleaning routines performed?
Maintenance completed as scheduled?
Equipment orderly and in proper location?
Other _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Miscellaneous
Turnover logs complete?
Facility cleaning schedule complete?
Manuals and training aids returned to proper location?
Comments
Outgoing Supervisor Incoming Supervisor
Figure 13-4. Shift Turnover Log-Housekeeping Procedures
maintenance department. The DCOM should discuss the cleaning process with the cleaning service and make the center's expectations clear. There should be a mutual understanding of how, what, and when cleaning will be accomplished. All environmental and safety systems, such as air condition-ing, fire prevention systems (e.g., halon, sprinklers), and power systems, should have preventive maintenance and test schedules.