APC by Schneider Electric is
urging companies to act soon to address the power management and converged
infrastructure implications of the Microsoft Windows Server 2003 phase out.

 The discontinuation of the
Windows Server 2003 will leave organisations that don’t migrate their servers
and applications to a newer platform at risk of losing valuable support. Not to
mention facing increased maintenance costs for legacy equipment, software and
operating systems and potentially violating industry compliance standards.

 While some companies have
already begun their Window migrations, many will wait until closer to the
migration on July 14 or even until after the deadline has passed. It has been
reported 11 million servers and applications are still running on Windows Server
2003 so it’s crucial that these businesses act now to avoid the issues
associated with the migration.

 APC by Schneider Electric
have identified four main areas that need to be addressed in order to avoid
issues as they upgrade to the new software.

 1.     Aging server equipment will need to be replaced

The phasing out of Windows
Server 2003 will require some businesses to implement new servers. While a rack
full of servers from 2005 may currently be connected to a UPS from 2008, the
same rack will soon be full of servers from 2015 and the legacy UPS from 2008
may not be a workable solution for new requirements. The legacy UPS may not be
as efficient or may be missing features that will prove critical to business
applications. Newer UPSs, such as the Smart-UPS On-Line, have been upgraded to
run at peak performance and ensure ideal compatibility with the latest servers
and IT gear. Additionally, with a UPS life expectancy of ten years, newer
servers will outlive older UPSs and an upgrade will eventually be necessary.

 2.     Consider upgrading UPS fleet

Legacy UPSs are not
optimised for the demands of today’s equipment. Businesses are already thinking
about compatibility as they navigate their Window Server migration, and
compatibility is key when running a fleet of UPSs and a complex IT
infrastructure. With newer firmware and other product improvements over the
past several years, it is important to implement technology that can match
advanced software capabilities throughout a data centre.

 3.     Check batteries for potential replacement/warranty
issues

UPS life expectancy
fluctuates greatly depending on five key factors, including placement, ambient
temperature, cycling, maintenance and battery chemistry and storage. As
batteries play an integral role in maximising the life of a UPS, it’s important
to understand the manufacturer’s warranty (two years is common among leading
providers), determine whether extended warranty coverage is appropriate and
change the batteries according to the recommended maintenance schedule to
prolong its life. When upgrading servers and data centre equipment, data centre
managers should check batteries to ensure they can support new technology.

 4.     Outsourcing of applications

Rather than upgrading
on-premise equipment, many organisations may choose to move their data
off-premise in the form of a private, public or hybrid cloud or consider
deployment in a co-located data centre. As a result, many IT departments will
need to rethink how they maintain availability of new and critical networking
equipment to ensure a constantly reliable connection to remote server data.