The Attorney's Office Tools No server can function without power, so it is a must to


install a battery backup unit in your server closet. Tey will prevent your server from shutting down suddenly. Sudden shutdowns of servers can easily damage your data and cause extended downtime even when power returns to your building. Most battery backup units can begin the proper shut down procedure on their own should a power outage last a long time. Tis will prevent a power outage from causing damage to your system, even if the server is temporarily unavailable during the outage. Servers typically have a useful life of about 4-5 years.


If someone is managing your IT on a day to day basis, it is important that you periodically review with them the stability of your servers. Too much of your business is dependent on the health of servers, so if one of them fails and needs to be replaced, it could cause a huge amount of pain for your firm without an adequate plan. Taking the time to proactively plan server replacement and maintenance is essential.


PCs For most businesses, you can get away with using


fairly basic computers. I always stress that they should have sufficient memory (RAM) and that they are running professional and not home versions of the operating system (usually Windows). Other than that, most of the time you can get away with using simple PCs because processing takes place on the server. Tat said, certain work will require more powerful


computers. If for some reason you are doing anything with photo, video, or music editing, you will want to make sure the computer is powerful enough to handle that. Of course, if this PC is coming back to your home and will be used for games or other things, you will want to keep that in consideration before purchase as well. Unlike servers, PCs are much easier to replace. As such,


I usually recommend only minor upgrades over the life of the PC, which is about 4 years. Te problem with making substantial upgrades with an already old PC is that often times these investments turn out to be a waste, when an older machine dies even after it gets additional RAM or a new hard drive.


Recently, more of my clients want to use laptops or


netbooks to do their work. Fortunately, laptops have become much more powerful and compare quite closely to standard desktops in terms of price so they are often a good investment. Netbooks I recommend on a case-by-case basis. While they are convenient, they tend to lack the power to accomplish everything most businesses need. Like any other technology investment, you need to make


sure that you are not over buying or under buying PCs. A professional can help point you in the right direction.


Cabling, wireless, and Internet connections It is essential that you build a network that allows the


PCs and servers on your network to communicate quickly and effectively. Collaboration is impossible when all of the machines are on an island. Desktops and servers should really have Ethernet wires


(usually called Category 5 or Category 6 cables) run directly to them from your network closet. Hard wire connections fail far less often than wireless connections, and when connectivity is lost, so is data. Tere are professional cabling installers that will not only wire your office, but also make it look clean, neat, and organized. Organization is so important, because if a wire does fail, you need to be sure that your IT guy can quickly identify where the failure is taking place so the issue can be resolved. Disorganized cabling can sometimes prove to be a nightmare. Most offices often use wireless access points (often


called WAPs) in order to provide a wireless connection to the rest of the network. Tese are very inexpensive and can be deployed very easily. You may have heard of the standard called 802.11. Tis is a protocol for wireless communication (WiFi). Essentially, 802.11 allows older wireless cards to communicate with new WAPs, and vice versa even though the speed of communication may vary. Any laptop or netbook will have an 802.11 card built in, and many PCs will have it as well.


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