Server rooms require a controlled environment to protect the company's investment.
Server rooms are temperature-controlled rooms where sensitive data is stored. Ideally a server room would have a full-time technical attendant, but this isn't practical in most situations. The next best thing to a full-time technician is to have a well-rounded series of alarms in place. The main threats to a server room are power failures, environmental hazards ranging from high humidity to fire, and of course, physical break-ins and theft. Alarm systems can be designed to contact a pager, cell phone or even issue an e-mail if trouble conditions arise as well as activating local audio and visual alarms.
Electrical Power Alarms
Two major problems arise with regard to electrical power. Power failures, both total and partial, disrupt systems. During a brownout, some devices may not fail entirely but rather continue to function with severely reduced performance. Running a server in a brownout without a secondary power source can cause long-term cumulative damage. Full power outages will simply turn off your computer systems; however, in many cases a power surge will occur when power is restored. Alarm units can be affixed to battery back-up units and surge bars, with higher-end models even having a built-in alarm function.
Environmental Alarms
A server room requires both a temperature and a fire alarm system because most fire detection systems are triggered by smoke and are incapable of measuring temperature data. Should a building ventilation system fail, temperatures in a server room can rise quickly, impeding server performance and possibly leading to overheating shutdowns or hardware damage. The ideal temperature for a server room according to the University of San Diego is 72 degrees Fahrenheit. For more specific temperature requirements, refer to the document ion for your server units. Humidity alarms are also important. If for some reason humidity levels rise in a server room to the point where water could condense on circuit boards, catastrophic short circuits and permanent damage could ensue.
Physical Security Alarms
Physical security alarms shouldn't be overlooked as high-end servers are a sought-after commodity that require a large financial investment to obtain. Ideally a server room should have a motion sensor in addition to a door sensor; it is not unheard of for a thief to bypass a secure door by breaking down a gypsum, or even concrete wall. In addition to notifying the server administrator and a security company or police, a physical alarm system should include a sound deterrence device. Sound deterrent devices take the ear piercing annoyance of an alarm and bring it to a whole new level that makes all but the strongest willed take flight.
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