Secure Operation

Managing and operating a datacenter requires to follow tailored processes to reap expected results from the datacenter. While considering standard operating procedure (SOP); security in all the aspects is a most needed aspect. Datacenter SOP should be developed based on Standards like ISO 27001 and best practices like ITIL, which will provide the clear understanding on the control’s requirements such as Administrative, Technical and Physical. 

 SOP should have minimum following aspects in it; 

 Security of Datacenter 

 The datacenter should take all the required security measures to guarantee the confidentiality, integrity, availability of their client’s information, networks and services. Appropriate technical and organizational measures should be identified and put in place to ensure minimum level of security. 

 A comprehensive Information Security framework that includes the essential components such as but not limited to; 

 

 Risk Assessment and Management; 

 Configuration Management; 

 Change Management; 

 Incident Management; 

 Secured application acquisition, development and maintenance; 

 Business continuity plan and Disaster recovery plan; 

 Vulnerability assessment and Audit; 

 Internal and external penetration testing and 

 Legal and Regulatory compliance identifying, maintaining and monitoring. 

 

 Data Centre Team is solely responsible for security of the Data Centre Infrastructure, Network and Communication Infrastructure and Servers and Applications. The required minimum Service Levels and the management of Data center should include but not be limited to: 

 

 Measurement and Reporting of Service Level achieved 

 Service Level target for external Service Providers 

 Data Centre commitment on what must be provided to Customers 

 

 IT Infrastructure Resources Management: HVAC – Heating, Ventilation, Air conditioning (Cooling, Humidification, De-humidification) 

 

 Operations Parameter for Data Centre Room 

 Minimum required standby Spare Parts available on-site 

 Regular monitoring Duties and Responsibilities 

 Monitoring external Water Supply for HVAC Status and condition of UPS – Uninterrupted Power Supply 

 Minimum required standby Spare Parts available on-site Racks 

 Regular Duties and Responsibilities 

 Required Spare Parts available on-site 

 

 Internal Network and Communication Infrastructure Management 

 

 Core Switches 

 Cabling 

 

 Network and Communications management 

 

 Broadband connections 

 

 Servers and Applications management 

 

 Servers Management life cycle 

 Rack-Mounting of Servers and Cabling 

 Installation of Operating System 

 Installation of Monitoring Agents and connect to Monitoring System 

 Installation of Agents for Backup-System and configuring Backup 

 Regular Monitoring by Manual Checks and / or automatic Warnings and Alarm from Monitoring System 

 Infrastructure Applications 

 Domain Name Servers (DNS) 

 Central Authentication Server 

 

 Common ICT Processes      

 

 

 Day to day operations procedures 

 Emergency Reboot of Servers as and when required 

 Regular Reboot of Serves Scheduled / unscheduled 

 Onsite Spare Parts / Reserve Parts for Servers planning and making available 

 Replacing faulty parts / parts with limited life time in Servers 

 Regular Restoration Tests of Servers and Services 

 Access control Process for allowing customer / visitor Data Centre 

 Processing access Requests to locked cages / locked racks 

 Capacity Management for Data Centre 

 New acquisition / Project triggered processes 

 Adding / Modify new Hardware to the Data Centre 

 removing of Hardware and other Equipment 

 Software Life-Cycle Management of Data Centre related software 

 Third party / vendor of Support Contracts 

 Regular recurring processes 

 Data Centre Capacity Planning / Management 

 

 Disaster Recovery Planning 

 

 DR – Tests 

 Fail-over Test from public Power Supply to UPS  

 

 Asset management Resources: 

 

 Human Resources – Roles and Responsibilities 

 Shift / Rota Planning 

 Staff Technical Training and Certifications 

 Capacity Building