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Business Value
Modern Business is Driven by Servers
Modern businesses are based upon an electronic foundation comprised of one or more servers. These servers
contain and manage critical applications and data that are the lifeblood of business, without which businesses
cannot function at a very basic level. Some examples of critical applications found on these servers might be
Exchange, SQL, SharePoint, or Active Directory.
Unfortunately, servers fail. It is not a matter of if a server will fail; it’s a matter of when. Without adequate
planning and preparation, server downtime can cause financial damage to organizations as the ability to
generate revenue is lost, and the company’s ability to meet regulatory compliance requirements is affected.
Planning for operational continuity and recovery from outages is rapidly becoming an urgent priority for all
types of businesses today.
Causes of Server Failure and Downtime
The danger of server failure is a reality for all IT professionals. There are a variety of events that can cause
server failure—and natural disasters are only one example. The list of possible causes of server failure includes
the following:
User Error - The most common form of server failure is user error. Users are people, and people make
mistakes. Whether it’s the end user downloading and installing the wrong application or visiting the
wrong websites, or the IT administrator setting down a cup of coffee at the wrong place at the wrong
time, the human element consistently leads the way among causes of server failure.
Planned Downtime - Planned downtime is another common cause of server downtime. Servers
require maintenance in order to perform at an optimal level over a long period of time. Sometimes
planned maintenance events can inadvertently lead to server failure when maintenance tasks, for
whatever reason, prevent a server from coming back online and operating correctly, or coming back
online at all.
Hardware Failures - When it comes to hardware failures, it’s not a question of when, but how often.
Hardware failures happen on a frequent basis. This can be due to defective hardware, equipment
maintenance problems, power-related issues, accidents, and other causes. The risk of hardware failure
becomes greater as the size and complexity of a data center increases.
Viruses and Malware - Other potential causes of system failure include malicious code designed
specifically to exploit security vulnerabilities in IT infrastructure. Both viruses and malware can put
servers at risk, even if security software is present and up to date. Some malicious code is designed to
destroy data, while others are designed to steal data, and still others are designed to secretly take
control of systems and compromise security over a long period of time.
Natural Disasters - Natural disasters are also among the threats that can cause system failure,
although they are among the most unlikely. Hurricanes, floods, fires, tornados, and other natural
events can certainly bring servers down and cause them to fail, and perhaps even physically destroy
them.
Cost of Server Downtime
The cost of server downtime includes tangible, direct costs such as lost transaction revenue, lost wages, lost
inventory, remedial labor costs, marketing costs, bank fees and legal penalties from failing to meet regulatory
compliance requirements or from not delivering on service level agreements, and intangible, indirect costs
including lost business opportunities, loss of employees and/or employee morale, decrease in stock value, loss
of customer/partner goodwill, brand damage, driving business to competitors or even bad publicity.