Data Center Relocation Procedures, Server Move Lead Times, and Our Equipment Buy Back Program

Three questions come up on almost every first call. How does the move actually work? How far ahead do we need to book? And what do we do with the equipment we are not taking with us? This post answers all three.

Our data center relocation procedure

Every relocation we run follows the same four phases. The size of the job changes how long each phase takes. It does not change the order. You can read more on our relocation process page.

1. 1. Discovery and dependency mapping

   We inventory the hardware, the applications running on it, and how they depend on each other. Nothing moves until its dependencies are understood. We also review both sites: loading docks, elevators, door clearances, and the power and rack space waiting at the destination.

2. 2. Runbook and rollback planning

   Every phase gets a sequenced runbook with checkpoints, named owners and a documented rollback path. You see the schedule and approve it before any hardware is unracked.

3. 3. Staged cutover

   We move in stages, not all at once. For each stage, equipment is labeled, port and cable maps are recorded, and systems are shut down in order. Hardware is unracked, packed in anti-static protective packaging, and transported securely with chain of custody. At the destination we re-rack, re-cable to the recorded map and power on in sequence. Each stage is validated against its acceptance criteria before the next one starts.

4. 4. Verification and handover

   After the last stage we run post-move validation, deliver the documentation, and hand the environment back to your operations team.

How much lead time do you need to move servers?

It depends on the environment, and we set the target timeline with you during discovery. No single number fits both a few servers in a closet and a full facility. What we can tell you is what moves the date:

• How much equipment is moving. More racks and devices mean more stages and more planning.
• Your cutover windows. Moves that have to happen on nights, weekends or inside set maintenance windows take more calendar time than moves that can run straight through.
• Destination readiness. Power, cooling, rack space and network circuits need to be live before equipment arrives. New carrier circuits are often the longest wait in the whole project.
• Building access. Dock reservations, freight elevator bookings, security clearance and insurance certificates at both buildings all have to be lined up.
• Distance and borders. International moves add customs documentation and crating.
• Compliance requirements. Regulated environments need extra documentation and handling steps built into the plan.

Our advice is simple: call us as soon as you know a move is coming, even if you do not have a firm date yet. If a lease or colocation contract is ending, we work backward from that date with you.

Our buy back program

Most moves turn up equipment that is not worth relocating: servers due for a refresh, storage that is being replaced, switches at the end of their life, racks you no longer need. Paying to pack, ship and re-install that equipment makes no sense. Our buy back program lets you sell it to us and put the value toward your move.

What we buy

• Servers and storage: rack and blade servers, storage arrays and shelves
• Network gear: switches, routers and firewalls
• Racks, UPS and power: cabinets, PDUs and UPS units

How it works

1. Send us a list of what you are retiring: make, model, configuration, quantity and condition. Photos help.
2. We review the list and make an offer. Offers depend on age, configuration, condition and current resale demand, so not every item will have buy back value.
3. If you accept, the value is applied as a credit toward the cost of your relocation.
4. We remove the buy back equipment as part of the same project, on the same schedule as the move.

Why it pays to do it with the move

• You do not pay to move equipment you are about to retire.
• The move gets smaller: fewer racks to pack, ship and re-install.
• One team, one schedule and one chain of custody for everything leaving the building.
• The old site is emptied sooner, which matters when a lease is ending.

Before any buy back equipment leaves your building, we agree with you on how data-bearing drives will be handled under your security policy and write that into the runbook.

Checklist: what to have ready before you call

• An equipment list with rack counts
• Origin and destination addresses, and whether the move is domestic or international
• Your target move date and any hard deadline, such as a lease end
• The outage windows you can allow
• The status of power, cooling and circuits at the destination
• A list of equipment you are retiring, with photos, for buy back review
• Site contacts and building access rules for both locations

Moving across a border? See how we handle domestic and international relocations.

Frequently asked questions