Network downtime is never good—when IT stops, business stops. IT failures and unexpected downtime are among the biggest issues in today’s digitally advanced business environment. Disruption, even if only for a few minutes, can have an enormous impact, regardless of the size of your network and the type of business.
The gravitas of an outage, Gartner suggests, costs a business on average around $5,600 per minute. Beyond the direct loss in revenue and sales which can be crippling, downtime has a ripple effect across multiple areas of your business resulting in:
- Inefficiency
- Lost productivity
- Bad user experience
- Damaged company reputation
These factors incur enormous costs, so it’s not surprising that network failure can effectively cause your business to shut down.
Understanding the deterrents to maximising uptime and proactively addressing these trouble areas is important. While downtime is an inevitable evil at some point, you can eliminate many of the frequent issues from recurring, and when an unexpected outage does happen, you’re better equipped to get your network back up and running as efficiently as possible.
So, the big question is: What are the common culprits that cause unexpected downtime and network outages, and how can you avoid them?
1. Human Error:
Unintentional human mistakes are the leading cause of outages. Given the complexity of network systems, this often relates to how systems, software and technology are configured and administered.
Even a simple mistake like pulling out the wrong plug can be the primary cause of an unexpected outage.
Many of these issues can be avoided through support from outsourced IT expertise, proper staff training and the implementation of the right processes and documented procedures.
There are also times when network admins make changes without considering all the “what-if” scenarios, which leads to an outage. These outages can be avoided by using automation tools and simulating network changes to study their impact rather than manually setting parameters.
IT failure and unexpected downtime, even if only for a few minutes, can incur enormous costs, sometimes obvious, but often hidden. Sometimes, a failure can effectively shut down your business.
2. Failed Hardware:
Downtime can often occur when new hardware is installed incorrectly or defectively, or when older hardware becomes prone to standard wear and tear. Most networks have a reasonable amount of redundancy built in, but it’s still common to see hardware that’s a single point of failure.
Server instability can also cause an outage - typically happening when IT teams attempt to marry new technology with old hardware and incompatible operating systems.
It’s important to keep your hardware up to date, replace it within its recommended life cycle, and stay current with software updates.
You can reduce the impact of device failure through regular monitoring, giving you 24x7 visibility to potential issues. Preventative maintenance and patch management will help extend shelf life and minimise the risk of unnecessary equipment failures from disrupting the entire network.
Hardware failures can never be completely dispelled, so it’s good practice to have a well-documented disaster recovery plan that will help minimise outage time.
3. Power Failures:
This can occur due to environmental issues (e.g., a lightning strike. Still, when problems like power surges or short circuits occur in routers and switches, it’s important to have a backup UPS (uninterruptible power supply) to prevent a power outage from shutting you down.
Ensure that one circuit can provide adequate power by itself and that the circuits have as few components in common as possible. Connect redundant devices to different power circuits to ensure a single circuit outage doesn’t shut down a service entirely. If prioritisation of backup power supply is required, focus on critical servers, network devices, and your network monitoring system.
4. Security Flaws:
Failure to frequently update to the latest OS or deprioritising proper patch management leads to vulnerability in a network.
With DDoS attacks on the rise, this creates opportunity for hackers to enter via the LAN or WAN, designed to overload pipes and take entire systems off line, all resulting in downtime.
Although less common, defective software stops working just the same. Applications and databases may become infected with viruses or malware as part of a phishing campaign, undermining network stability and rendering key business tools inoperable.
Whether you outsource cyber security or manage threats in-house, it’s vital to proactively stay on top of the latest cyber threats with appropriate security controls, technologies and processes.
Avoiding Network Downtime
Proactive Network Monitoring
An IT team’s worst nightmare is getting a call saying that their network is down, but a lot can be done to avoid network downtime and build infrastructure resilience. Proactively monitoring the overall health of your internal network and regular preventative maintenance go a long way to minimising the risk of failure—BEFORE you get a call to say that the network is down.
However, even with the best internal precautions in place, it’s not possible to avoid downtime entirely or predict exactly when an IT outage will happen. Once it does, the clock starts ticking—the longer it takes to resolve, the more it costs your business.
Know Who to Call For Help
Few organisations have the luxury of their own 24x7 Network Monitoring or IT Service Desk or even a designated ‘on-call’ IT engineer available outside the regular 9-to-5, so it can be a smart move to call on a specialist 24x7 NOC service provider who will provide a highly cost-effective safety net – providing as much or a little support as you need. This could be fully 24x7 or simply during ‘out of hours’ or weekends.
Ultimately, they aim to ensure your network is running smoothly and that any issues are identified and resolved as soon as they surface.
A Highly Effective & Cost-Effective Safety Net
An outsourced specialist Network Operations service provider can be a smart move to help you maintain uptime, build resilience and improve your organisation’s efficiency and effectiveness. It will be bespoke to your needs and provide as much (or as little) support as you need.
No business is completely immune to unexpected downtime, but a lot can be done to reduce the number of incidents, time and associated costs. andult and ultimately the revenue health of your business, including crucial factors such as brand reputation and customer loyalty.