What is included in a Preventative Maintenance Program?

Petronella Computer provides preventive maintenance service programs to address the needs of businesses that may or may not have qualified computer technicians on staff. Basic equipment maintenance such as data backup, internal and external component cleaning and software updates is administered on a scheduled basis. By following a few basic procedures clients can greatly reduce the risk of data loss or hardware failure. The following information represents some of the procedures of a typical preventive maintenance program.

Data Backup
There are two reasons for data loss; either there was no backup or the media used failed to successfully capture the data. To reduce the possibility of data loss we require clients to maintain backups on Tape, CDRW, Jazz or Zip disk. Floppy disks have a high rate of failure and should not be used to protect vital information. Backups are verified during each service visit to ensure that critical data is being safely captured. In the event of a system failure data will be transferred to another working system while repairs are being made.

Anti Virus Protection
Clients are required to maintain a current version of an anti-virus software. Systems will be configured to automatically perform virus definition updates and perform full system virus scans weekly. The anti-virus software is configured to scan in-coming and out-going emails, the most common method of virus transfer. Anti-virus settings and definition files are verified during each service visit to ensure that data is protected from virus damage.

Firewall Protection
We utilize Cisco products for our clients protection in most cases as it allows secure access remotely and sets the standard for security devices.

Internal/External Component Cleaning
Dust is one of the leading causes of hardware failure. All moving components are thoroughly cleaned and lubricated during service visits. The case is opened and dust is removed from the motherboard and all system boards. The CPU fan, power supply fan and any other board fans are cleaned, lubricated and tested. All data cables are checked to be sure they are securely seated on system boards. CD and floppy drives are opened, cleaned and tested for data transfer. External components such as keyboard, mouse, monitor and printers are cleaned of dust and debris and all cable connections are checked. Connections to surge protectors or UPS are checked.

Software Updates/System Optimization
Operating system updates and patches are downloaded and installed to ensure that your system has the most current version of the OS software. Internet browser software updates or upgrades are preformed as software changes become available. Updated component drivers are installed as they become available or are required by system changes. Hardware configurations are checked to be sure that they are operating efficiently and without conflict with other components.

Defrag and scan disk maintenance programs are run to detect any problems that your hard drive may have. Specialty error diagnostic software is run on other system components to verify that they are in good working order. Hard drive file organization is checked and any misplaced files are moved to their correct data folders. Any temporary or unneeded files are located and removed.

Disaster Recovery Drill
We do a disaster recovery drill. While many businesses have backup solutions in place, many do not attempt to restore data from backup to ensure compatibility. We will verify that the data you are backing up is sufficient by restoring some files from your backup.

Power Protection Check
We check the battery level on your server UPS (uninterruptible power supply). Most UPS' today have a USB or serial connection to the server. If setup properly, you can check your battery strength, and also set it to shut down the server if the battery is low. The batteries in a UPS are similar to car batteries and last 2 - 3 years.

Event Log Audit
We thoroughly review your event logs, even when things are running great. You can avoid a disaster by reading the error and warning messages in your event logs.

Recommendations
When we are finished you will receive a detailed checklist showing what we did and listing any recommendations we may have. As an example, if we notice your hard drive is noisy and we feel it may fail in the near future, we would recommend replacing it and give you steps to take in the meantime to protect your critical data. This can save you time, money, and your sanity.

Customize Your Preventative Maintenance Program
We perform a needs consultation to review your current setup and then provide you with a custom maintenance program. Choose from monthly, quarterly, bi-annual or annual service schedules at discounted service rates. As a participant in one of our preventive maintenance service programs you can also receive discounts on all prepaid service hours. Prepaid service hours can be used for all labor services in addition to your Preventative Maintenance visits.

Petronella Computer Consultants, Inc. also provides a wealth of other resources available when you purchase a Preventative Maintenance Contract:

Computer Usage Policy: Do you have one?
We can provide you with a written computer usage policy for internet, email and general use of the computer. It spells out exactly what is acceptable PC usage at your company. You staff might produce more if they know it is against company policy to use online chat services or auction services at work.

HIPAA Compliance Questionnaire:
Are you compliant with HIPAA Regulation? A quick questionnaire available with our Preventative Maintenance Contract will allow you to make a quick assessment.