Servers are of the utmost importance to a dental practice. Cloud-based systems are becoming more common, but physical servers are still the route most offices take. While that transition slowly happens, it’s important to establish best practices for your office. We’d love to tell you everything you can do with a server, but sometimes you have to get negative to stay positive.
What is a server?
Servers are specialized systems with more advanced error detection and clearing. They are designed to provide services and automated processes to other computers, not to run active software day to day. Think of them as the brain: they do the thinking and remembering, but not the actions of the body. Workstations are the action points, like (bionic) arms and legs. Servers are critical to your network, so here are the things you should not do if you want a high-functioning practice.
01Don’t restart a server daily
Most computers work better with a daily restart. Servers do not. They have advanced error detection and clearing, provide automated services, and build up far fewer errors than workstations. They are designed to stay powered on, even when the office is closed. Only restart a server under the direction of your IT partner.
02Don’t unplug a server
Because of their specialized nature, servers need constant power, even when errors occur. The very last thing anyone should do is unplug a server without guidance from their IT partner. Unplugging causes a hard shutdown, and unexpected stops to running services can result in data loss and hard drive corruption. A hard shutdown should be the last resort, initiated only at the request of a trusted IT partner such as Darkhorse Tech.
03Don’t give a server inadequate power
Your server room is full of wires and blinking devices making your office function, and all of them, server included, need constant, adequate power. First and foremost, if your server and network equipment aren’t plugged into a battery backup (an uninterruptible power supply), address that as soon as possible. Inadequate power causes poor, inconsistent performance, and in a power interruption you could lose data.
Workstations can use a 425 to 450VA (volt-ampere) battery backup, but servers need more. A 1500VA battery backup is recommended for servers and lets you save and close programs safely if power is interrupted. If your server and networking equipment are on a unit under 1300VA, address it immediately. Higher-capacity units handle power fluctuations and the higher power requirements of this equipment. If your power supply is inadequate, contact your IT partner or Darkhorse Tech; don’t replace it yourself.
04Don’t place a server on the floor or carpet
It may be tempting to put the server on the floor to declutter, a Marie Kondo-approved tactic, but carpets build up static electricity. A static discharge can, and often does, short out a server’s delicate electrical components. If you need to touch the case, ground yourself on a piece of metal first.
Floors bring other risks: accidental kicks, tripping, and impacts can physically damage the system. A good knock on the case can be as bad for a computer as a hard hit to the head is for a person, and computer concussions are just as hard to recover from. Water damage is another concern. If the server room floods or leaks, your equipment has no life raft. Raising the server off the floor mitigates flood damage. Servers are expensive and not quickly replaced (read: downtime and lost revenue), so taking care of the hardware protects your investment.
05Don’t open the server case
Computers are self-contained environments that manage their own airflow and cooling, and the case is necessary for that to work, especially in servers. If you notice the server case open, contact your IT partner or Darkhorse Tech immediately. Don’t close it yourself; it may be open for a reason. An open case lets dust and dander into the fans, disrupts cooling and airflow, and generally interferes with normal function.
06Don’t mess with server drives
Most servers are hard to get into without tools, by design, to prevent accidental movement of internal components. Accessing those components is one of the biggest risks to your server. Like oral surgery, internal server work should only be done by a trained professional. Many practices have external hard drives connected to the server with high-speed cables; moving those cables without help can cause data loss and permanent damage to the drives and server. Contact your IT partner or Darkhorse Tech about any drive issue.
07Don’t update a server without guidance
Servers need updates, but their update process is very different from workstations’. Servers are extraordinarily complex and individualized for the practice they serve. Updating the operating system without investigating bugs and the impact on all office systems can severely damage the server and make it nearly impossible to use your practice management, imaging, and other third-party software. A general IT firm or individual consultant is unlikely to know how updates affect every piece of software a specific office uses, which is why a dental-specific IT partner matters.
08Don’t plug anything into a server
Brains have layers of protection, like bone, fluid, and skin. Servers should too, living behind protections including an actively managed firewall. Physical security matters just as much. Plugging in any device not cleared by your IT partner or Darkhorse Tech is a major risk. A USB drive, external hard drive, or even a mouse or keyboard could carry malicious code waiting to infect the system and bring your practice to a halt. Malware, spyware, and ransomware can infect your server in an instant, so never plug in a device you aren’t 100% sure of, even from a source you trust.
09Don’t get happy fingers with server buttons
Servers have power buttons, eject buttons, reset buttons, all sorts of buttons, and none should be pressed without guidance and confirmation. Reset and power buttons start a graceful or hard shutdown, which can cause damage and always takes your network down until the server is back. Restarts can take 2 to 10 minutes or more, and if an unexpected shutdown causes damage, its extent can’t be assessed until the server is back up, at which point remediation can take significant time.
10Finally, don’t use a server as a workstation
Servers are designed for automated data retention and retrieval and for sending services to the network: repeated tasks with minor variation, which limits background errors. Workstations input and retrieve data, rely on the server’s services, and are much more of a working tool, which brings more errors and memory use. That’s why we recommend restarting workstations at the end of every day, but not servers. Using a server as a workstation bogs it down with errors its built-in detection can’t clear. The slower the brain, the slower your workstations and your whole office.
About Darkhorse Tech
Whether you’re just starting out or a well-established organization, Darkhorse Tech has the experience and technology to help get you moving, cut costs, and streamline your operations with unlimited IT support. We help you do what you do best: provide top-notch care and service for patients, not deal with IT problems, time spent on hold with technical support, or complicated technical mishaps. Our additional security services include:
- Unlimited remote and/or on-site IT support of all your hardware and software
- Improved network performance and security
- HIPAA-compliant off-site and local backup service (Darkhorse Secure Backup)
- Managed antivirus, anti-malware, and anti-ransomware (Darkhorse Security Products)
- Compliance and security law standards
- Microsoft security patch management
- Vendor management: we will be on the phone, not your employees
- Secure, remote access to your office
- Firewall management
- Network management
- Long-term planning and budgeting
Contact us anytime to learn more about our dental-specific solutions and unlimited support packages. Read our reviews or call us today at 800.868.4504.
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