Data Center Decommissioning Guide Scope, costs and project planning.
Data center decommissioning retires servers, storage and network equipment through planned data sanitization, secure removal and documented reuse or recycling.
ITAMG provides these services across all 50 states. Use this guide to understand what a decommissioning project includes, compare provider proposals and plan the work around your data, equipment and site requirements.
ITAMG has operated since 1999 and holds R2v3, NAID AAA and RIOS certifications.
What this decommissioning guide covers
Data destruction and secure equipment removal
Compare media treatment, de-racking, transport and chain-of-custody requirements.
Decommissioning costs and asset recovery
Understand service charges, resale credits and the inputs needed for a useful project quote.
Project planning and provider evaluation
Set the scope, assign responsibilities and specify the evidence needed to accept the work.
Decommissioning consultation
Plan your data center decommissioning with ITAMG
Discuss the services your data center project needs, from data destruction and equipment removal to asset recovery.
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Certified: R2v3, NAID AAA, RIOS. NIST SP 800-88 is the sanitization guidance ITAMG works to, not a company certification.
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In this guide
Explore the data center decommissioning guide
In this guide
Explore the data center decommissioning guide
Understand the services, plan the work and compare providers. Go straight to the question you are working on.
Service scope
What data center decommissioning services actually include
Data center decommissioning services cover the work required to retire IT equipment, protect its data and remove it from the site. A complete proposal identifies the equipment, each service, the responsible party and the records you will receive.
The scope changes with the project. A hardware refresh may retire selected servers while the data hall remains operational. A colocation exit may remove all customer-owned equipment from a cage. A complete facility closure can also involve electrical, mechanical and building contractors.
Workload migration
Move or archive the services and information you need to retain. The application owner approves the replacement environment.
IT equipment decommissioning
Retire the approved hardware, apply the required data treatment, remove the equipment and document its final destination.
Facility decommissioning
Specify specialist disconnections, infrastructure removal and restoration separately from the IT equipment work.
| Service | What the work entails | What the buyer should receive |
|---|---|---|
| Discovery and scoping | Reconcile the asset list with the equipment on site; identify ownership, data-bearing media, access restrictions and items that must remain. | An agreed equipment inventory, exclusions, site plan and schedule assumptions. |
| Project coordination | Sequence approved work around migration, change windows, facility rules and other contractors. | A project plan with responsible owners, required approvals and a process for scope changes. |
| Data sanitization | Apply an approved, media-appropriate method at the agreed location; manage failures and exceptions. | Device-level results, sanitization records and the resolution of failed or unsupported media. |
| De-installation and removal | Identify the released equipment, de-rack it, segregate retained items, package it and move it through the authorized route. | An equipment removal list matched to the approved inventory. |
| Secure logistics | Control storage, collection, transport and receiving, including every change of custodian. | Handover records, shipment identifiers and a receiving reconciliation. |
| Reuse, resale and recycling | Route each asset according to security policy, ownership, condition and recovery potential. | Disposition records, recycling documentation and the agreed financial settlement. |
| Project closeout | Resolve inventory variances and confirm both the equipment outcome and the contracted site condition. | A complete evidence package and documented acceptance. |
Use this table to define the services and deliverables in your statement of work. Name the responsible parties, equipment and sites; list exclusions and access assumptions; and agree milestones, acceptance criteria and how changes will be approved. Use ITAMG’s ITAD RFP guide to define requirements and compare provider proposals.
Specify which data center facilities and infrastructure are included
Identify whether racks, cable trays, UPS systems, batteries, PDUs, cooling equipment, fire suppression systems and raised flooring belong to you or the facility operator. Specify what stays, what leaves and who is authorized to disconnect it. Structural demolition, refrigerant handling and electrical work require their own scope, appropriate specialists and applicable permissions.
For your data center decommissioning project, discuss the required services with ITAMG. You can also explore data center recycling services for more detail on downstream equipment processing.
Business benefits
Benefits of data center decommissioning services
Professional decommissioning services can reduce data exposure, release occupied space and recover value from retired IT equipment. Coordinating the work helps your team track what was removed, how its data was treated and what happened to each asset.
Reduce exposure from retired data-bearing devices
Keep an inventory of drives and other media, approve their treatment and retain the results. This helps your team identify missing devices or failed sanitization while they can still be investigated.
Evidence to request: media identifiers, treatment results and resolved exceptions.
Release data center space and avoidable operating costs
Remove the agreed equipment and meet the site handback requirements. Your team can then complete the separate lease, rack, support or service cancellations that stop the relevant charges.
Evidence to request: site acceptance, cancellation dates and the costs actually ending.
Recover value from reusable IT equipment
Assess servers, storage, networking equipment and components before their final disposition is decided. An approved resale or redeployment route can preserve useful equipment value while meeting data-security requirements.
Evidence to request: an equipment assessment, commercial terms and the final recovery credit.
Add capacity for the decommissioning project
An external provider can supply removal crews, handling equipment, transport and reporting. Your team can focus on workload transitions and approvals, with the division of responsibilities written into the plan.
Document responsible reuse and recycling
Track reuse and recycling separately so the environmental report reflects what happened to the equipment. Any energy or emissions estimate needs a stated baseline and method. The equipment disposition section explains which records to request.
Project costs
Data center decommissioning costs and pricing
Data center decommissioning costs depend on the equipment, labor, site access, data treatment and required facility work. Compare service charges and recovery credits separately so you can see the expected net project cost.
| Cost driver | Why it changes the price | What to clarify |
|---|---|---|
| Labor and access | Dense racks, heavy equipment, escorted access and restricted work windows change the work required. | Shifts, mobilization, minimum charges, waiting time and extra visits. |
| Data treatment | Media type, volume, method, location and exception handling affect resources and throughput. | Per-device charges, on-site setup, witnessing and failed-media treatment. |
| Packing and transport | Destination, protection requirements, load configuration and site constraints affect logistics. | Packaging, crating, freight, insurance and storage. |
| Facility work | Cable removal, specialist disconnections and restoration extend beyond equipment collection. | Exact handback condition, contractor boundaries, permits and disposal streams. |
| Processing and reporting | Testing, sorting, reconciliation and requested evidence create work after pickup. | Included reports, delivery dates, recycling charges and additional services. |
| Recovery credit | Model, configuration, condition, ownership and current demand determine resale potential. | Guaranteed purchase price or estimate; deductions, settlement timing and unsold inventory. |
Fixed-price, hourly and recovery-sharing proposals
A fixed project price needs a defined scope and a written change process. Time-and-materials pricing needs rates, assumptions and spending controls. A recovery-sharing or consignment proposal needs a clear definition of sale proceeds, allowable deductions and when the owner is paid. These are contract structures to evaluate, not interchangeable promises.
Ask for an itemized service total and a separate recovery credit. Compare the basis of that credit: a firm purchase offer commits to different terms from a forecast or a share of future sale proceeds. Check deductions, payment timing and responsibility for equipment that does not sell.
Assess the costs and benefits of decommissioning
Compare the full project cost with any net equipment recovery and operating costs your organization can stop. Include internal work, migration, lease obligations and transition overlap where applicable. Use a stated time period and distinguish confirmed savings from estimates.
Use the IT equipment depreciation calculator and disposal planner to compare book value and quoted recovery after disposal costs. Book value is an accounting measure, not a resale quote.
A per-rack price is only comparable when the equipment and included work are equivalent. ITAMG’s guide to selling decommissioned data center equipment explains how to assess the recovery portion.
Asset recovery
Reuse, resale and recycling of data center equipment
Retired data center equipment can be redeployed, resold, returned to its owner or recycled. The right route depends on ownership, security requirements, equipment condition and whether there is a viable use or market for it.
Redeploy equipment within your organization
Check that the receiving team can use and support the equipment. Specify testing, configuration, sanitization requirements and acceptance at the new destination.
Resell equipment or recover components
Record the configuration that drives value: processors, memory, drives, network interfaces, accelerators, licensing constraints and condition. Obtain an assessment before authorizing treatment that removes a resale option.
Return leased or third-party equipment
Confirm title, return instructions, data treatment and condition requirements. The ability to remove equipment does not establish permission to sell it.
Recycle equipment that cannot be reused
Specify the processing route for items without a viable reuse outcome. Request disposition and downstream records appropriate to the equipment, rather than relying on a collection receipt.
Resale potential changes with configuration, condition and market demand. Age alone is not a valuation. Storage devices that fail sanitization need an approved exception route; the remaining server or array may still have recoverable components.
Request evidence of reuse and recycling outcomes
Reuse extends an electronic product’s life; recycling can recover materials for further manufacturing. EPA describes how these routes can reduce waste and demand for raw materials in its electronics stewardship guidance. For your project, ask for the quantities assigned to reuse, recycling and other disposition routes, along with the records supporting those figures. A collection weight alone does not establish the final outcome. Any carbon-saving estimate needs a stated baseline, method and equipment scope.
R2v3 addresses responsible electronics processing, including environmental, health, safety and data-security practices. Confirm the certified facility and the activities covered. Certification alone does not establish a project-specific zero-landfill result. See SERI’s R2 overview, server recycling services and ITAMG’s data center asset recovery guide.
Data security
Data destruction and sanitization for data center equipment
Data center data destruction and sanitization services must match the storage media, information sensitivity and approved equipment destination. Choose the method, treatment location and evidence requirements before any device is released.
Data remanence means information left on storage after an attempted deletion. Formatting a volume or deleting a virtual machine does not establish that the underlying media has been sanitized. Inventory loose drives, SSDs, backup tapes and embedded storage in networking or management equipment, as well as the media inside servers and arrays.
| Method | What the method does | What to confirm with the provider |
|---|---|---|
| Clear | Logical techniques protect against simple recovery through the device’s normal interface. | Whether this assurance level is sufficient for the data and destination. |
| Purge | A stronger treatment makes recovery infeasible using advanced laboratory techniques; some approaches preserve reuse. | The supported technique, device conditions and validation evidence. |
| Destroy | Treatment makes recovery infeasible and leaves the media unusable for data storage. | The physical technique, media suitability and required assurance. |
These are planning summaries of NIST SP 800-88 Rev. 2, published in September 2025. The publication guides a sanitization program; it does not certify a vendor or a device.
Cryptographic erase requires suitable encryption and verified control over the keys being eliminated. Ask how the provider confirms that the media supports the selected technique, records completion and handles a failed or unverifiable result. Deleting an account or losing a password does not demonstrate cryptographic erase.
On-site vs off-site data destruction
| Decision | On-site treatment | Off-site treatment |
|---|---|---|
| When it fits | Your policy requires treatment before media leaves, or you need an agreed witness arrangement. | Your policy permits controlled movement to an approved processing facility. |
| What to scope | Space, power, access, equipment setup, witnessing, operating hours and daily throughput. | Secure staging, custody transfers, transport, receiving checks and the processing deadline. |
| Records and controls required | Media identification, approved methods, result checks and exception records. | The same method and evidence controls, plus an accepted custody route for unsanitized media. |
ITAMG provides on-site and facility-based data destruction under its NAID AAA certification. Agree the treatment and its location in the scope. See ITAMG’s data destruction services and its introduction to NIST media sanitization for supporting detail.
Equipment and transport
Data center equipment removal and secure logistics
Data center equipment removal includes de-racking, packing, secure staging, transport and reconciliation at the receiving facility. Chain-of-custody records document who controls the equipment at each handover and help account for every data-bearing device.
Equipment approved for removal
Approved asset list and rack location.
Secure staging
Identified devices, containers and manifests.
Controlled transport
Recorded custody, carrier and destination.
Equipment checked on arrival
Received inventory matched to the shipment.
Prepare the equipment removal route
Confirm loading reservations, lifts, floor and route limitations, staging security, escorts, packaging and who may authorize a change. Identify batteries, cooling systems or other materials needing separate handling.
Protect live systems during de-racking
Use the approved asset list and movement plan. Keep retained equipment identifiable, protect live connections and reconcile loose media separately from empty chassis and packaging.
Record each equipment handover
Record the shipment or container identifier, the assets it contains, releasing and receiving parties, date, destination and any discrepancy. Match the receiving record to what left the site.
Barcode capture, asset labels, container seals and shipment manifests connect the physical equipment to its records. GPS tracking establishes a vehicle’s location; reconciliation establishes whether a particular device arrived. Ask the provider to demonstrate both parts of the custody process.
Removing equipment from a live data center
A partial decommission requires written authorization for the specific equipment being removed. Shared storage, cross-connects, management networks and dual power paths can cross a rack or cage boundary. Record the approved isolation and shutdown responsibilities, along with the conditions that require work to stop and the plan to be reviewed.
Facility and electrical specialists should determine the applicable safe-work controls. OSHA’s hazardous energy guidance explains why shutdown and control of stored energy need an established procedure. A de-racking crew should not be assumed to own every electrical or mechanical disconnection.
Colocation exits and multi-site decommissioning
Separate your asset ownership from the operator’s infrastructure and access authority. Each site needs a local readiness plan, even when the program uses one reporting format. Consolidate the results without losing the site, batch and parent-device identifiers that make discrepancies traceable.
Browse decommissioning locations and colocation operator resources for service planning, or use the data center directory to identify facilities and operators.
ITAMG’s location-specific data center decommissioning resources cover equipment scope, removal planning and asset records. Find guidance for Ashburn and Northern Virginia, Atlanta, Chicago, Columbus and Central Ohio, Dallas and Fort Worth, Houston, Los Angeles, Nashville, New Jersey, New York City, and San Jose and Silicon Valley.
For colocation equipment retirement, ITAMG also provides resources for Equinix customers, CoreSite customers, Digital Realty customers, Flexential customers, Cologix customers, and QTS customers. Use them to coordinate customer approvals, operator support and ITAMG’s independently contracted removal and disposition work.
For a hyperscale or other large program, divide the work into authorized retirement waves. Agree the capacity available for secure staging, packing, loading, media treatment and reconciliation before releasing the next batch. A removal target should not create an unidentified equipment queue. Define common identifiers and exception rules across sites, with a named owner for each local release and handback.
ITAMG uses background-checked technicians, documented chain of custody and GPS-tracked, insured transport. Define the project-specific handovers and records before collection. The data center decommissioning security checklist provides a wider planning reference.
Common data center decommissioning risks and controls
Use these examples to ask how your provider prevents problems, reports exceptions and obtains approval when the plan changes.
| Risk to assess | Control to specify | Evidence to retain |
|---|---|---|
| A live dependency is removed | Asset-level release approval and a review of shared connections. | Approved change and the released-equipment list. |
| Media is missing or unidentified | Parent-device mapping, controlled staging and reconciliation at handoffs. | Inventory variance and its accepted resolution. |
| A drive fails sanitization | Segregation, escalation and an authorized alternative route. | Failed result, approval and final outcome. |
| An access window is canceled | Escalation contacts, rescheduling rules and agreed commercial treatment. | Updated schedule and authorized change record. |
| Recovery is lower than assumed | Separate a firm offer from an estimate; specify deductions and expiry. | Commercial agreement and reconciled settlement. |
Project planning
How to plan a data center decommissioning project
A data center decommissioning plan should show who prepares the equipment, who carries out the services and who approves each stage. Use the sequence below to agree responsibilities and the work that must be completed before removal begins.
To assign owners and track approvals, use the data center decommissioning plan and checklist. The decommissioning toolkit provides the Excel planner for recording those decisions.
Confirm the data center equipment inventory
Your team supplies the asset register and confirms ownership. Agree who will check it against the equipment on site. The inventory should record site, rack, asset ID, manufacturer, model and serial number, with removable drives linked to their parent device.
Customer approval Your team approves the removal list and resolves unidentified or retained assets.
Approve workload retirement and data retention
Your application and data owners complete any migration or archiving, check dependencies and confirm retention requirements. They approve shutdown after testing replacement services and recovery arrangements.
Application owner approval Confirm that no production, recovery or retention dependency still requires the equipment.
Agree the data treatment and equipment destination
Your security team sets the data requirements and permitted equipment destinations. The provider confirms supported treatment methods, location, result checks and the route for failed or unsupported media.
Security and asset-owner approval Resolve data and ownership requirements before destruction or another irreversible action.
Prepare the site and book the work window
The facility team confirms access, escorts, loading, lifts and secure staging. The removal provider plans handling and packaging; authorized specialists cover any electrical, mechanical or other infrastructure work included in the project.
Site approval The facility accepts the work plan and confirms that access, space and responsible personnel are available.
Complete data treatment and equipment removal
The provider carries out the contracted data treatment, de-racking and removal after your team releases the equipment. On-site treatment is completed and reconciled before treated media leaves; off-site treatment follows the agreed custody, receiving and processing sequence.
Change approval Your designated owner approves changes to the method, destination or contractor. The provider segregates unexpected assets and failed results for resolution.
Match the asset records and recovery settlement
The provider reconciles removal and receiving records with media results, final disposition, service charges and recovery deductions. Your team checks the reports and settlement against the agreed inventory and commercial terms.
Customer review Resolve missing identifiers, treatment exceptions and settlement differences before accepting the records.
Accept the site and final decommissioning records
The facility or site owner accepts the contracted site condition. Your project owner accepts the final reports and assigns any remaining actions. Your internal teams update asset, monitoring, support and financial records.
Project acceptance Each outstanding issue has an accepted resolution or a named owner and due date.
How long does data center decommissioning take?
A reliable timeline needs more than a rack count. Workload readiness, access windows, equipment density, sanitization throughput and facility restoration all affect the schedule. A 100-rack project with released workloads and unrestricted access will differ from one spread across escorted night shifts.
Ask the provider to schedule these milestones separately. Equipment may leave the building before processing, financial settlement and reporting are complete. ITAMG’s server decommissioning checklist covers device-level tasks; its data integrity and access guide supports migration planning.
Documentation
Data center decommissioning documentation and project closeout
A data center decommissioning project is ready for closeout when the agreed site work, asset treatment and documentation have been accepted. Put those acceptance requirements in the statement of work before the project starts.
Approved asset inventory
Site and asset identifiers, removable media relationships, ownership, authorized disposition and approved additions or removals.
Removal and custody records
Retirement approvals, shipment manifests, custody transfers and receiving discrepancies.
Data sanitization results
Media identity, treatment, tool or equipment details, completion result, verification, validation and date.
Unresolved assets and treatment exceptions
Missing assets, failed or unsupported media, substitutions and the approved resolution for each item.
Reuse, resale and recycling records
The route for each asset or reconciled group, with the agreed recycling and downstream documentation.
Service charges and asset recovery settlement
Service charges, changes, resale deductions, net recovery and the payment or credit status.
Site walkthrough and acceptance
The walkthrough result, agreed condition, photographs where appropriate and any remaining punch-list items.
Report access and retention
The location, export format, access owner and retention period for the final package under your policy.
NIST SP 800-88 Rev. 2 includes a sample certificate of sanitization in Appendix C. Use it to inspect which fields a provider records. Verification checks whether the treatment completed as expected; validation decides whether the result is acceptable for the requirement.
Delivery options
In-house vs outsourced data center decommissioning
An in-house decommission uses your organization’s staff, tools and operating procedures. Outsourcing assigns agreed work to a service provider, while your organization retains decisions such as workload retirement, data retention and project acceptance.
| Question | In-house execution | Outsourced execution |
|---|---|---|
| Staff, equipment and scheduling | Your organization schedules staff, handling equipment, secure staging and transport arrangements. | The contract defines the provider’s resources, subcontractors and delivery boundaries. |
| Data sanitization capability | You maintain the tools, supported methods, trained operators and evidence process. | You approve the requirements and assess the provider’s capability and records. |
| Missing assets and failed treatment | Your team investigates and resolves inventory, media and site issues directly. | The contract defines escalation, custody, approvals and responsibility for resolution. |
| Full cost of delivery | Internal time, equipment, logistics, processing and the work displaced by the project. | Service fees, exclusions, coordination time and any retained internal work. |
A common division is to retain workload decisions and change approval internally while a service provider handles the agreed physical retirement and disposition work. Document the handoff. Outsourcing execution does not remove the need to approve the inventory, retention requirements or final outcome.
Provider evaluation
How to choose a data center decommissioning provider
Choose a data center decommissioning provider by checking its relevant experience, delivery resources, security controls and reporting. Give each candidate the same inventory and requirements, then compare the evidence behind its proposal.
- Has the provider completed a project with similar constraints?
Request an example involving the conditions that matter to you: a live data hall, colocation exit, multiple sites, unusual equipment or regulated information. Establish which parts the provider delivered.
- Who will handle the equipment at each stage?
Identify the contracting entity, removal crew, carrier, processing facility and specialist subcontractors. The proposal should assign responsibility for every handover.
- Do the certifications cover the proposed facility and work?
Check current validity, the named facility and the certified activities. NAID AAA addresses secure information destruction; R2v3 addresses electronics processing. A badge alone does not describe the project scope.
- Can the provider show an asset’s complete reporting history?
Request a sample export, then follow one asset from the opening inventory through its custody records, media treatment, final disposition and recovery settlement where applicable. Check that identifiers connect across the reports and that missing assets or failed treatment remain visible until resolved.
- What happens when the project does not follow the initial plan?
Ask how the provider handles missing serial numbers, failed drives, canceled access and additional equipment. Look for an approval and reporting process, with clear commercial treatment.
- What must be delivered before the project is accepted?
Agree the site condition, documentation, reconciliation and payment terms. Record delivery dates and responsibility for resolving disputed or incomplete work.
Read i-SIGMA’s NAID AAA program explanation and ITAMG’s published credentials to distinguish certified activities from broader compliance statements. A NIST-aligned methodology is not a NIST certification.
Requirements for healthcare and financial-sector decommissioning
Identify the obligations that apply to your information, organization, contracts and locations. Convert them into operational requirements for retention, access, sanitization, incident escalation, evidence and downstream handling. A provider’s general compliance statement does not decide that scope for you.
For example, HHS states that a covered entity using a business associate to dispose of protected health information needs an agreement requiring appropriate safeguards through disposal. Build that requirement into procurement where applicable. See HHS guidance on disposal by a business associate.
For project examples, see ITAMG’s healthcare data center decommissioning case study and financial services case study. Use their constraints to frame questions about your own project; their outcomes are individual results.
ITAMG experience
ITAMG data center decommissioning services and experience
ITAMG provides data center decommissioning services across all 50 states, including equipment removal, certified data destruction, asset recovery and documented disposition. ITAMG works from an agreed project scope so your team knows which activities and records are included.
Review ITAMG’s data center decommissioning services for delivery capabilities, equipment coverage and a project quote.
Operating since 1999
ITAMG brings enterprise IT asset retirement experience to projects involving servers, storage, networking equipment and data-bearing media.
R2v3 and NAID AAA
ITAMG holds R2v3, NAID AAA and RIOS certifications. Review the current credentials and agree the processing route for your assets.
Serialized records and project reporting
ITAMG supplies serialized destruction and recycling certificates and provides a secure client portal for project reporting.
ITAMG project example
ITAMG decommissioned two colocation data centers in 10 days.
ITAMG completed a customer’s infrastructure decommissioning across two colocation data centers in 10 days, ahead of the customer’s deadline. Additional inventory outside the original scope was identified and compensated with an additional $250,000.
This is an individual project result. The 10 days is not a standard lead time, and the additional payment is not an average recovery forecast. For your project, agree how additional equipment will be authorized, valued and included in the final settlement.
Read the customer’s account on ITAMG’s service pagePublished project case studies
Start with the inventory and site information you have. Identify the deadline, the equipment that must remain live, your media policy and any facility handback requirement. ITAMG can use those details to discuss the required services, responsibilities and project quote.
Common questions
Data center decommissioning services: frequently asked questions
These answers address common questions about data center decommissioning scope, timing, equipment value and data handling. Use them to identify requirements that need to be resolved in the project plan or provider’s proposal.
Can a data center be partially decommissioned?
A partial data center decommission can retire specified racks or equipment while other systems remain live. The plan must identify the exact assets, shared dependencies, permitted work areas and release approvals. See the live-environment planning considerations.
Is decommissioning the same as IT asset disposition?
IT asset disposition addresses the treatment and final outcome of retired equipment. Data center decommissioning also brings in the site-specific work of coordinating release, de-installation and removal. The contract determines how those activities connect.
What affects the decommissioning schedule?
Workload readiness, site access and the equipment and services involved determine the schedule. Ask for separate dates for removal, data treatment, site acceptance and final records. See the project timeline guidance.
Will recovered equipment pay for the project?
Recovered equipment value may offset some or all decommissioning costs, subject to an assessment and the commercial agreement. Distinguish a firm purchase commitment from an estimated resale return, and compare the net cost after deductions.
What happens if a drive cannot be sanitized?
A drive that fails sanitization needs an approved exception route, with its identity and final outcome retained in the records. Agree the escalation, alternative treatment, authorization and reporting before work begins. Do not let a failed result disappear into a shipment-level certificate.
Does closing a physical data center delete cloud data?
Closing a physical data center does not delete its associated cloud copies, backups or retained application data. Those copies need separate lifecycle decisions. Review the service agreement, retention settings, key management and available deletion evidence with the responsible service owner.
What should a certificate of destruction show?
A certificate of destruction should connect identified media to its recorded treatment and outcome. Confirm identifiers, dates, methods, results and the responsible parties, and reconcile the record to the inventory. Use the closeout checklist to assess the whole evidence package.
Can leased equipment be sold during decommissioning?
Leased equipment requires the owner’s authorization before it can be sold. Confirm the lease, title and return obligations before choosing a disposition route. Keep leased, customer-owned and facility-owned assets distinguishable in the inventory and the removal plan.
Discuss your data center decommissioning project with ITAMG
Request a consultation about your equipment, data requirements and site. ITAMG will follow up to discuss the services you need and the information required to prepare a project quote.
Certified
R2v3
NAID AAA
RIOS
Certified: R2v3, NAID AAA, RIOS. NIST SP 800-88 is the sanitization guidance ITAMG works to, not a company certification.
Further reading
Data center decommissioning guides and checklists
These ITAMG guides provide more detail on server retirement, data security, migration planning and asset recovery. Choose the resource that matches the next decision in your decommissioning project. ITAMG’s ITAD RFP toolkit provides an editable RFP template and buyer workbooks for running the procurement process.
Data center security checklist
Review inventory, planning, data handling and project closeout considerations.
Read the checklist →Server decommissioning checklist
Examine pre-decommission, execution and post-decommission tasks for individual servers.
Read the checklist →Data integrity during decommissioning
Plan how retained information and services remain available through the transition.
Read the guide →Selling data center equipment
Understand equipment classes, logistics and the commercial work behind a sale.
Read the guide →Lessons from data center decommissioning
Review planning and execution challenges before finalizing your own scope.
Read the article →Data center recycling services
Explore the processing of retired servers, storage and related equipment.
Explore the service →For media decisions, consult the current NIST SP 800-88 Rev. 2 publication and its 2026 FAQ. Older articles may reference an earlier revision; the approved project method should reflect current requirements.