Info Advantage Blog

Hardware refreshes are often a time of great turmoil for businesses, particularly because of the cost of new servers and the time it takes to migrate data from one location to another. Thankfully, with the advent of virtualized servers, businesses have a viable alternative to the outright purchase of expensive, new hardware solutions. Instead, a virtual server that’s hosted in the cloud offers not only a more immediate reprieve, but can also significantly reduce costs for your organization in the long run.

Server virtualization is the act of separating the computing resources of the server itself and allocating them within a cloud-like infrastructure, where they can be delegated and managed according to the specific needs of your business. Server virtualization is particularly helpful for organizations that have a limited budget and don’t have the time or resources to manage multiple hardware solutions, as it’s simple to outsource the care of a virtualized server environment to a third party.

Here are three major reasons why virtual servers are your next go-to IT refresh.

Virtual Environments
One of the major boons of using a virtual server is the ability to create multiple computing instances on the same virtual machine. For example, if you have a mission-critical application that only works on a specific operating system, your organization can have a virtual machine dedicated to running it. This prevents the need to purchase an entirely separate server unit just to run one application, and the cost of operation and maintenance along with it.

Save on Operating Costs
Another key benefit of virtualizing your servers in a cloud environment is that you’ll be hosting less hardware on your infrastructure. Servers eat up a ton of electricity, and you need to keep them cool with air conditioning in order to guarantee longevity. This in turn creates higher energy costs that can put unnecessary strain on your budget. With server virtualization, you can consolidate your infrastructure onto one device, rather than spread across multiple servers and network components, significantly cutting down on operational expenses.

Effectively Manage Resources
The convenient part of virtual machines is that you can manage their workloads through a cloud-based dashboard to optimize efficiency. You’ll be able to monitor workloads and adjust them in real time, so as to keep operations moving forward in the best way possible. You can do this remotely, or have a third-party provider do it for you, which is entirely dependant on whether or not you have the IT staff on-hand to handle it.

If you’re considering a hardware refresh for your server infrastructure, be sure to consider virtualization, you might be surprised by how much money and time you can save. To learn more, reach out to Info Advantage at (585) 254-8710.

Sometimes when your workstation feels bogged down, a relatively cheap and simple hardware update can make all the difference in performance. Adding more memory can be a game changer for your computer.

There are several factors that contribute to the speed of a PC:

CPU/Processor

The CPU handles all of calculations a computer performs. These days, consumer-class CPUs handle billions and even trillions of instructions per second. Dated processors can greatly influence the actual speed of a computer, but if your PC is fairly new (as in 1 or 2 years old, and possibly older for higher end builds) it's likely not bottlenecking your performance. Today, CPUs are equipped with two, four, or even more cores, which means the CPU can handle more calculations exponentially and consume less electricity.

RAM/Memory

Random Access Memory (RAM) is basically the short-term memory of your computer. When your computer is loading and running applications, they get stored in the RAM. The RAM is much faster than the hard drive, so your computer doesn't need to spin it's wheels looking for specific files and parts of applications. The more RAM you have, the more "stuff" that can be stored in it. The faster your RAM, the faster your computer can sift through the data that gets temporarily pushed into it. Once your RAM is full, your computer will depend on the hard drive to retrieve information, and that's where things get sluggish. Once you stop running a program, it will remove itself from the RAM to free up some space for everything else running.

Hard Drive

The hard drive is the storage device of a computer. For extremely high-end PCs, the hard drive is often the bottleneck. Hard drives, when compared to RAM, are very slow to access and write information. Once your computer needs to rely on your hard drive heavily for RAM, things are going to start getting slowed down. While it's great that your PC can rely on your hard drive in this way for those times it needs some extra memory, it is likely this is the cause of the slowdown. Unfortunately, because hard drives are mechanical and have moving parts, there's limitations to how fast science can make them perform. There are costly solid-state drives, but as a performance-improving factor on a standard workstation, typically solid state drives aren't the cost-effective answer.

There are software factors as well that can affect your PC speed. Malware and Spyware can bog down your system, and after a lot of use, temporary files can bog things down. Before upgrading hardware, you'll want to have a technician run a quick evaluation on your PC - it's possible a little cleanup can make all the difference in the world.

Otherwise, the next step is upgrading the RAM. RAM is usually relatively cheap, even to double or triple your existing RAM with faster, higher performance memory. Often the cost of the new RAM itself will be between $50 and $100, and more than likely less than that, and that's for a substantial increase, but it depends on your PC.

Is your computer running slow? Does it get bogged down by the time you have all of your day-to-day applications open? Contact us at (585) 254-8710 for a quick evaluation to see if a simple, cost-effective upgrade will help you perform your job more effectively.

If you’re constantly on the go, you are going to need a laptop that can keep up with your busy schedule. Many business professionals find themselves in need mobile computing to accommodate with busy travel; to check their emails, go over notes, or even finish up sales presentations. However, laptop batteries can only last so long without needing a charge, and that isn’t always a readily available option. Here are some times on how to extend your laptop’s battery life so you don’t have to worry whether or not it’s going to run out while you’re out doing business.

Adjust your Display and System Settings

There are a multitude of display and system settings that can be adjusted to lengthen the life of your laptop’s battery. For example, you can reduce the display brightness, turn off the screensaver, and set the laptop to hibernate rather than just go to sleep. Hibernation mode will make sure that the computer is not consuming any power while it is not in use. You can also turn off the WiFi or Bluetooth setting when not in use to give yourself a few more minutes of battery life.

Check Your Power Settings

Today, many laptops come equipped with an option of power settings to help optimize the laptop’s life and performance. In Windows, the Power Plan setting allows you to choose between standard settings or customized plans. MacOS systems use what’s known as “Energy Saver,” which will automatically adjust display or other system controls.

Don’t Overload Your Laptop

When you’re in a rush, it can be easy to leave up multiple tabs and applications for easy use. However, the time you save not closing out your apps will cost you in battery life. Having too many tabs open on your laptop’s browser can drain its power and slow down your productivity. Make sure you close all browser tabs and applications after you’re finished using them to save yourself more battery time.

Need an on-the-go laptop, but aren’t sure what features and specifications you want included? Contact the Info Advantage technology specialists at (585) 254-8710 today to talk about which model would be best for you and your business.

Servers are the backbone of many businesses, as it is responsible for the communication and the exchanging of data. Since there is so much relying on servers to run properly, it is imperative to keep them well-maintained to ensure that business will not be interrupted. Here are a few steps businesses can follow to make sure your servers will continue to run without any issues.

Backup Your Data

Regular back up is the first and arguably the most important step of server maintenance. In the case of disaster, such as server failure or a cyber-attack, backup can be used in order to restore your data with little to no downtime needed. Experts suggest that you do multiple backups, making sure to keep at least one outside of your business or network. One of the easiest and safest ways to keep your data backup safe is to use a cloud service, which can be maintained and connected to from anywhere that you can connect to the web. Along with data, it’s also recommended to backup any device drivers, along with the network configuration. This will make it much easier to restore your server in case of failure.

The Right Environment

If you have physical servers, you’re going to need to make sure you have the right environment. Your servers should be in a separate, air-conditioned room. This will ensure that they do not overheat, and that the noise won’t disrupt your employees. It’s suggested to clean the servers, and all of the removable media drives, on a regular basis. Keeping them clear of dust will help keep your servers running at their best condition and running properly.

Keep Everything Updated

An upgrade or patch may be the one thing that keeps your severs safe from malicious attacks. Make sure to keep a careful eye on any new updates, and make sure that everything is up-to-date. In addition to upgrades, make sure you keep all of the other systems that keep your server running smoothly. Experts suggest that businesses should check their security systems, server utilization, and user accounts frequently to make sure there aren’t any issues. In addition, it’s recommended to change any passwords you may use every 6 to 12 months.

Having trouble keeping your servers maintained properly? Call Info Advantage at (585) 254-8710 today to talk to a specialist about the best solution for your business.