Comprehensive Server Room & Data Center Relocation Guide

Your trusted resource for secure, strategic, and smooth IT infrastructure moves.

Introduction

Relocating a server room or an entire data center is a mission-critical task that must be handled with precision, planning, and professionalism. Ekkum Inc. provides detailed guidance and managed services for businesses planning such transitions. This guide outlines every major consideration, ensuring business continuity and security throughout the process.

Step-by-Step Relocation Process

1. Pre-Move Planning & Assessment

Before any equipment is touched, a full assessment of both the current (sending) site and the destination (receiving) site must be conducted.

• Site visits to assess space, access points, and environmental controls
• Evaluate elevator access, staircases, door widths, and weight-bearing capacities
• Review existing infrastructure (UPS, HVAC, Fire Suppression, Telco access)
• Verify the security profile: Biometric access, surveillance systems, and MFA
• Identify power and network requirements to ensure readiness at the new site

2. Infrastructure & Connectivity Planning

• Establish base networking infrastructure: routers, firewalls, switching, and CPE
• Provision and test Internet access, dedicated links, and redundant circuits
• Extend Layer 2 or 3 connectivity (via VLANs, IPSec, SD-WAN, MPLS) between sites
• Plan and document internal and external IP address migration
• If using public IPs owned by the business, configure BGP routing and AS peering

3. Asset Inventory & Backup Strategy

• Create a complete inventory of all physical and virtual infrastructure assets
• Define dependencies between servers, services, and network appliances
• Perform full system backups and store them securely offsite
• Identify mission-critical systems to prioritize during re-deployment
• Stage spare components in case of hardware failure during the move

4. Physical Relocation Logistics

• Hire bonded and insured movers specialized in IT infrastructure
• Establish a move manifest and permission-based handling procedure
• Maintain physical security at both sending and receiving sites
• Destroy any unused media as per company disposal policies
• Schedule the move during off-peak hours or business downtimes

5. Deployment & Post-Move Recovery

• Rack and cable equipment with attention to layout, airflow, and labeling
• Perform system verification, connectivity tests, and application checks
• Restore full cybersecurity controls that were relaxed for the move
• Conduct a risk review to address any post-move issues
• Update documentation: network diagrams, asset inventories, and DR plans

Best Practices to Minimize Downtime

• Where possible, migrate systems in phases rather than a full cutover
• Use real-time replication or failover environments for critical services
• Keep a fallback strategy if the new site setup fails validation
• Run daily operational calls during the move to track progress and resolve issues

Post-Migration Compliance & Governance

• Update all infrastructure and systems documentation
• Revise DR and Business Continuity Plans (BCP) to reflect the new site
• Verify insurance coverage and update to include the new facility
• Conduct tabletop exercises and DR drills with internal teams and stakeholders