What is Data Center Decommissioning?
- Definition
- Data center decommissioning is the process of safely shutting down and removing IT infrastructure from a data center, including servers, storage, and networking equipment.
Data center decommissioning is the systematic process of shutting down a data center or removing specific IT infrastructure, including servers, storage arrays, networking equipment, cabling, and supporting systems like UPS units and cooling equipment.
A proper decommissioning project involves several phases: asset inventory and documentation, data sanitization or destruction of all storage media, disconnection and removal of equipment, and final disposition through remarketing, recycling, or a combination of both.
Security is paramount during decommissioning. Every device with data storage capability — from servers and hard drives to network switches with configuration data — must be sanitized or destroyed according to NIST 800-88 guidelines. A certified ITAD provider manages this process with full chain-of-custody documentation, providing certificates of data destruction for compliance records.
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