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You might be interested to re-purpose your workstations from time to time to get more RAM, up to date CPU, and more storage capacity. Is it logical to replace a few years old workstation even if it is working without hardware problems? Most of customers do not know exactly when they should re-purpose workstation. Here are some guidelines to check what type of computers can be used in a company and how to boost up performance.

Servers
In order to perform particular jobs, servers are usually configured with various components. NAS requires enough space for storage, whereas database server requires more RAM. These are tailored to perform particular tasks, therefore, it is complicated to re-purpose workstations.

If you have changed old SQL database server and selected new model for high performance, old database server can be used for finance or marketing department by making some minor changes. Storage and RAM are the two upgrades that are based on simple procedure, but can improve performance level.

Less valuable upgrades are related to RAID card and CPU. A few servers may have system for CPU upgrade; however, most of them need new motherboards, which means to upgrade PSU and RAM as well. If you need to boost up performance, instead of upgrading the motherboard, buy new system to meet your needs.

It is simple to install new RAID card; however, old servers do not offer sufficient cooling to keep this hot-running RAID cool. It is important to match RAID card with hard drives to get required performance. Many customers prefer to re-purpose server without changing hardware. They get required results by using software (like FreeNAS).

Workstations:
Just like servers, workstations need to configure to carry on various tasks. Case capacity of workstations gives great benefit when these are selected for re-purposing. Unlike rack server, it is much easier to improve performance of components in tower case. Increasing storage capacity through controller cards is much faster.

If you are interested to have more storage (for mechanical drives), make certain that there is enough cool air through the case. Usually heat is unnoticed as it is difficult to measure, but it damages computer hardware more frequently. Sensors are used in a lot of workstation boards to check level of heat.

Laptops
Nowadays, laptops are used as preferable system to work in most departments. Laptops do not offer re-purposing like desktops due to various reasons. First of all, laptops cannot work just like desktop computers. These are good to be used for designing PowerPoint slides, web browsing and email. You might be able to upgrade the laptop’s RAM and hard drive, otherwise, laptops are not easy to upgrade.

Conclusion
It is good to evaluate risks as well as benefits associated with re-purposing of computers. If your company has replaced old systems and you need to use them in other departments to save some money, keep in mind that IT experts will need time to arrange old these systems to work. Conversely, a new system can start working as soon as it is deployed. In addition, warranty is a compelling factor which leads to buying new systems, as laptops need frequent repair services.

Redundant array of independent disks (RAID) stores data on multiple hard disks to improve performance. It is considered that RAID is one of the best solutions available for protection of valuable data. For software or hardware implementation, RAID supports single disk failure; however RAID is not perfect system for ongoing data security.

RAID level 1 works in a systematic way where two disks are available for storing similar data. In case, one disk fails, clients can use data from another disk. Drawback of RAID is that it cannot verify the corrupted disk thus unable to inform the system. If failure is not noticed, system will keep on working and copying data from the corrupted drive to the good drive. As a result, more problems are created due to this shortcoming of RAID. In IT environment, data security is obligatory for business continuity. Disaster can occur anytime due to man-made or machine or human errors. Some of the reasons are as follows:

Power outages
Improper shutdown
Virus infection
System freezes
Bad disk sectors
Hard drive failure
Improper eject before disconnecting storage devices

RAID Levels

RAID is available in various formats. When higher level is selected, it gives more satisfactory results than the previous levels. As compared to other levels, RAID 5 is acknowledged for reliable swapping and great performance. By using RAID 5, companies can take out corrupted arrays from NAS devices and servers anytime without switching off the system. RAID 6 has twofold parity structural design, which can cover data even if two disk drives are corrupted. In spite of parity features, RAID cannot be considered a perfect system for data protection.

Strategies for System Protection

If it is your priority to select RAID, you need to protect your system by following these strategies:

Apply Disconnection and Shutdown Procedure

Give training to workers how to disconnect storage devices and shutdown the system properly. They must know that not following this procedure could lead to data corruption.

UPS System

To cope with issues such as brownouts, surges and power outages, you must have an Uniterruptible Power Supply (UPS) that can work without any outage. In case electrical source is not available, UPS works as backup system for data protection.

Handle Issues Immediately

If there are problems in your system, restarting the system does not necessarily solve the issues. Instead, troubleshoot to determine the actual problems and solve the issues instantly.

Safe Surfing

Online world has malicious stuff which can affect the performance of your system. If you do not follow safe surfing strategy, malevolent websites could corrupt your data.

BDR Strategy

Backup and Disaster Recovery (BDR) planning gives surety of data protection even if hard disk fails. System without backup and recovery plan is always at risk.

RAID Recovery Solution

If your organization suffers because of corrupted data, there are chances to recover lost data by repairing the damaged disks. RAID recovery software rebuilds damaged arrays in configurations, software and hardware. For data security, companies can get data recovery software in commercial, as well as free versions. Perform the proper research and search online to select the right software for resurrecting the damaged data.