Server Rooms and Data Centers
Server rooms and data centers are secure, climate-controlled spaces that house servers and network equipment for storing, processing, and managing digital data.
4 slides · 2 min read · Domain 3
The security and environmental protection found in server rooms is like that of cable plants. However, they may have higher human traffic, and it is critical that access point security and access monitoring is in place. When server room space is shared with other organizational units or even other businesses, it can be critical to employ rack or equipment-level locking.
Power, surge protection, and an uninterruptible power supply (UPS) must be tailored to the operating equipment and of sufficient capacity. As equipment is modified or replaced, power concerns must be readdressed to ensure capacities are not exceeded.
Human safety becomes an issue with the high levels of power in most server rooms and emergency shutoffs. Non-conductive personal protective equipment or hooks can be used to disengage equipment from a power source or safely disengage a human from a live power source without endangering another human. Appropriate training may also be necessary to ensure staff respond appropriately to electrical emergencies by cutting power or safely resolving the emergency, or both.
For server rooms, appropriate fire detection/suppression must be considered (e.g., sprinkler is inappropriate for electrical fires) based on the size of the room, typical human occupation, egress routes, and risk of damage to equipment.
Server rooms are typically maintained at a higher level of physical security than the rest of the facility.
As with cabling, improper planning can have disastrous consequences. Building spaces designed for offices that are converted into server rooms are generally not designed to handle the additional cooling demanded by the facility, nor are the floors reinforced to support the weight of racks and cabinets.
Further complicating the structural issues can be inappropriately installed cable plants further compromising the support for the space. In short, repurposing a space to support a large concentration of computing resources may put the building and its occupants at risk.