Checklists and MOPs in Data Center Operations

Monday, October 24, 2022, 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM

Developing a high-quality Method of Procedure (MOP) is challenging, and poor quality MOPs pose serious risks to data center uptime and reliability. This presentation will discuss how to write, execute, and manage MOPs. The risks associated with poorly written MOPs are high. A well-designed MOP is a significant resource, while a poor MOP is a hazard and an avenue to accidents and incidents. We will review strategies for making MOPs more likely to be executed as intended, and how to avoid common pitfalls. Even the best quality MOP becomes hazardous if execution is poor or haphazard. The talk will cover proper execution of MOPs including briefing, the two-person challenge/response protocol, the significance of unanticipated system responses, and assessing the facility state after an unanticipated response. Data centers undergo change, and MOPs require constant maintenance and review. The talk will cover post-MOP debriefing, editing, and maintaining MOPs.