In the high-stakes world of data centre operations, few scenarios carry more weight than executing data centre live upgrades. It’s the ultimate test of any technical team, where the line between a seamless project and a catastrophic outage is razor-thin. When failure directly impacts revenue and reputation, you don’t need a partner who promises caution. You need one that delivers certainty.
For Data Centre Directors, Operations Managers, and CIOs, the pressure is relentless. The business demands constant evolution – new hardware, greater density, improved efficiency. Yet, the core mandate remains absolute: the lights must stay on. This is the central conflict of modern data centre management. How do you change the engine while the plane is in flight?
Many will point to their processes and runbooks. And while process is vital, it’s only half the story. A process executed without a fundamental understanding – of the environment is merely a list of instructions. It cannot adapt to unforeseen complexities that weren’t documented in the original design.
In a live environment, anyone can promise caution. We deliver certainty.
This is where Keysource operates on a different level. Our approach to mitigating risk isn’t just about process; it’s about perspective. Because we design, build, and commission critical facilities from the ground up, our operational teams have a fundamental, three-dimensional understanding of every dependency in your data hall. We don’t just manage your risk; we engineer it out of the process from the start.
This design-led methodology is our core differentiator:
- The Operator’s Perspective: Unlike pure-play maintenance contractors who inherit an environment, we have the operator’s perspective from day one. We know why certain decisions were made during the build phase, giving us an unparalleled advantage in predicting how the facility will respond to change.
- Global Best Practice, UK Execution: As a part of Salute, we bring a wealth of global experience from managing high-risk migrations in the world’s most demanding facilities. This global intelligence is tailored and delivered by our expert UK team.
- A Proven & De-Risked Process: Our risk-managed delivery is a proven methodology, trusted by top-tier financial and colocation clients to handle their most critical complex cutovers and migrations without disruption.
From UPS Swaps to Cooling Enhancements: Types of Live Upgrades We Manage
Our deep engineering expertise allows us to perform a wide range of critical hardware and infrastructure upgrades while your facility remains fully operational.
This includes:
- Live UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply) replacement and capacity upgrades
- CRAC/CRAH unit expansions and retrofits in a live hall
- Live switch, router, and core network hardware refreshes
- High-density rack and cabinet deployment into an active environment
- PDU, RPC, and busbar cutovers without service interruption
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q1: What is the biggest risk during a live data centre upgrade?
A: The biggest risk is focusing only on the immediate task while missing the hidden interdependencies in power and cooling. Our design-led approach mitigates this by understanding the entire facility ecosystem, not just the single piece of equipment being upgraded.
Q2: How do you ensure zero downtime during a hardware upgrade?
A: Zero downtime is an engineered outcome. It’s achieved through meticulous planning, a deep understanding of the facility’s original design, and a proven methodology for risk management that has been tested in the most demanding financial and colocation environments.
Q3: Why is a design-and-build partner better for live upgrades?
A: A partner who designed and built the facility has a fundamental understanding of every dependency. Unlike a maintenance-only contractor, we don’t just follow a process; we anticipate challenges based on our intimate knowledge of the infrastructure, engineering risk out from the start.
Contact our team to arrange your technical walkthrough
Book a confidential, no-obligation technical walkthrough of your next critical project and let us show you how our design-led approach can protect your live services.
