There are three main elements to preventative maintenance: design, maintenance
and preparation. The preventative maintenance process flowchart illustrates this.
Design
This involves setting up the network in such a way as to minimise the possibility of
component or network failure.
Examples
- Ensuring that servers have an uninterruptible power source
- Installing a firewall to keep the network secure
- Putting in adequate ventilation for heat-sensitive devices
Maintenance
This means carrying out periodic maintenance tasks on network equipment to
reduce the risk of early component failure.
Examples
- Keeping print heads clean in printers
- Blowing dust out of PCs
- Checking disk space and keeping track of system logs
Preparation
This entails putting systems in place to minimise the impact on the network
when components do fail.
Examples
- Maintaining a stock of spare equipment
- Keeping detailed documentation on network components so that they can
be quickly rebuilt
- Backing up critical data (and testing the backups)
- Knowing who is responsible for each part of the school network
