3 levels of systems maintenance

The systems maintenance is an activity that is becoming more and more important. Many companies, which increasingly depend on Information Technologies, have realized that a correct investment in maintenance can mean savings in the medium and long term, and that is why they increasingly need this type of professional services.

However, in order to have a better understanding of what this type of task is all about, it is important to know that there are different levels of systems maintenance. By the way, we should not mix them up with the different types of computer maintenance, which we talked about in a previous post. Let’s look at some more….

What are we talking about when we talk about levels of IT systems maintenance?

When we talk about maintenance levels, we make a distinction according to the elements of the computer system on which the maintenance tasks will be carried out. In this way, we differentiate them from maintenance types, which refer to the different times when maintenance tasks are carried out.

Thus, we will distinguish between different levels (hardware, software and documentation) and different types (predictive, preventive, corrective and evolutionary), and we should bear in mind that both will constantly overlap (for example, preventive hardware maintenance or corrective software maintenance may be carried out).

In this post we will focus on the levels of systems maintenance. As you can see, each one of them covers multiple tasks, sometimes with great technical complexity, so we are only going to look at them in a very straightforward and summarized way.

1. Hardware maintenance

It is the one who is concerned about the proper functioning of the physical components that make up the system. As you might expect, computers, peripherals, etc., are exposed to wear and tear and occasionally, to all kinds of accidents that can damage their components. Factors such as overheating, dirt (especially dust) and even simple use and the passage of time can damage a machine and cause a breakdown.

For these reasons, hardware maintenance work is carried out in several areas. On the one hand, we will find tasks aimed at preventing damage, by trying to avoid the sources that can cause it.

For example, one of the most popular ones is the cleaning of the system, especially inside, which helps reduce the presence of dirt and facilitates better cooling of the computer. Another of the tasks is the correct location of the systems. For example, in a working environment it is advisable to avoid harmful environments (sun, heat, dirt, humidity, etc.) for computer systems, because they could cause damage to their components.

Another common task is to check the resistance of the system under extreme conditions. If, for example, servers are to be used, they should be tested to see what temperatures they can withstand without compromising performance.

On the other hand, we will encounter maintenance tasks aimed at solving problems or avoiding them before they become more serious. Repairing or replacing components would fall into this category.

2. Software maintenance

This is the group of tasks that intend to guarantee the good functioning of the software of the systems and the integrity of the data they store.

Software maintenance tasks are so extensive that we will only mention some of the most common ones. For example:

• Configuration and update of the operating system.
• Database maintenance.
• Protection, detection and cleaning of malware (viruses, Trojans, spyware, etc.) that can be found on computers.
• Control of commercial software licenses.

3. Documentation maintenance

In addition to hardware maintenance and software maintenance, there is a third level of systems maintenance, less known to the non-specialist public, but highly relevant at the professional level. In this case we are talking about the documentation maintenance.

The documentation of a computer system is responsible for gathering information about the technical as well as usage characteristics of both the components that are part of the system and the system in general. Its maintenance will ensure that the documentation is up to date and available for use.

For example, tasks such as incorporating user manuals for the new software that has been installed, or registering the maintenance tasks that have been carried out will be part of the system documentation maintenance work.

It should be noted that, due to the complexity of certain computer systems and the rotation of the personnel in charge of their use and maintenance, it will be essential to have documentation that can serve as a guide for the professional to continue the work that is carried out on the system. In addition, the documentation will also enable other tasks, such as those related to the audit, and will even serve to explain to users how they can use it.

Is that all?

And so far we have seen in a very summarized way, which are the different levels of systems maintenance. Is this, perhaps, your job? Do you work professionally in this type of work? If so, I’m sure you have a lot to say about your work. Would you like to share your experiences with the readers of this blog? You can do this very easily by leaving a message in the comment section right at the end of this post. And don’t forget to leave a comment in the comment section down below! We will read all of them, so make sure you leave something down there! It will be quite helpful!

But before you start writing non-stop, how about taking a few minutes to get to know Pandora RC?

Pandora RC is a remote computer management system (remote desktop software), and the best part is that it’s looking forward to meeting you!

Do you want to find out what Pandora RC has to offer? Great then, you can check it out by clicking here.

Or you can also send us any queries you may have about Pandora RC. You can do it in a very simple way, using the contact form.

The Pandora RC team will be happy to help you!