Power on process – Server Room

Each company's server mix and network infrastructure will be different, but this list should give you an idea of how to structure a server room power outage procedure to organize a plan of your own.

Be prepared with the proper safety gear. (Make sure your server room has flashlights and some sort of emergency lighting solution, as this will allow you and your team to be safe while working in the dark.

• Consult the full list of the proper boot order for all servers and devices in your server room. (typically you want to start up your devices from the "outside in," meaning modems first, then routers, then switches, then servers and appliances, see Appendix 1)
• Consult a “test” checklist to make sure everything is running (bringing your network back online will be only one-half of the battle, the other half is to test that everything came back on and is reconnected to the network, see Appendix 1)
• Check that all of your systems and how they will need to be tested to make sure everything is back up and connected properly (a checklist should be prepared and maintained on an ongoing basis, see Appendix 2)
• When everything is confirmed to be working, inform your users (send a brief email to your users to let them know everything is back up and running and available)

(X) Make a plan for your UPS battery backup system

If you don’t have a UPS, or uninterruptible power supply you should invest in one. If you do have UPS’ for your server room it is best to make a plan of action for eventual power outages. Remember in the event of a power outage you may not have a computer to use to recall your plan, make sure to have a printed copy around just in case and there’s enough fuel to supply the alternative power source.

Appendix 1

The startup docementation should be like a step-by-step guide over hardware and fictive contact persons (including prof X)

so like

1: turn on cooling plus monitoring, (contact: xyz, phone jik)

2: turn on firwalls, (contact: xyz, phone jik)

3: turn on switches in order 1, 2, 3&4 (contact: klm, phone opq)

4: turn on routers, (contact: yyy, phone xxx)

and so on this with AD-server, NTP-server, DNS-server VM-server .....

Appendix 2

The checklist might include: sending test emails, pinging a remote site over the VPN, checking that your workstation can talk to the domain controller, check file server access, print a test page to every printer in the building, walk the floor and make sure all the workstations, monitors, network printers, and etc. have come back on.