It is the most important room in your home or business that you should take care of. Server rooms might get a facelift occasionally from new products. But what you really need in your server rooms will generally remain a part of one of the 10 categories.
A server room’s purpose is to provide a place where your servers can work. Your data and all your information are safe and secure. While there are many laws that companies must comply with regarding data storage and protection, small data rooms may have less consistency. Consider this list of essentials if you’re just starting out.
Apart from servers, routers switches, and cabling, there are a few things you should have in your server room if it is going to be supported by anyone else. You should choose products that best suit your business.
Top 10 Key Elements for Any Server Room
1. Physical Security and Controlled Access
One of the purposes of a server room is to lock down access to servers and their contents. You will always need a lockable door that allows controlled access to your server rooms.
It is not a good idea to share your server room with an admin office. Not only is it a risk to data access but also humans and their contamination can pose a problem for equipment. It is important to keep your server room physically safe and secure.
Notice: You should be concerned about emergency access. Create a procedure to allow emergency access for off-hours and when key holders are not present. Train anyone who uses the building.
Also read: Why You Should Consider a VPS For Hosting Your Game Server
2. Environmental Monitoring and Controls
To protect your equipment from destruction or damage, it is important to monitor the environment. Equipment can be damaged by natural hazards, which can lead to costly repairs. Monitoring your server room can alert you or prevent an environmental problem from becoming a bigger issue. Monitoring could include:
- Temperature monitoring and A/C for that room only (so nobody changes the temperature)
- Monitors for humidity
- Moisture detectors to detect water leakage, burst pipes, and flooding
- Low oxygen safety monitor or alarm for oxygen depletion
- Before entering, check the room with cameras.
3. Ventilation and Airflow
Proper ventilation and airflow are essential for server room cooling. This will ensure that your equipment does not overheat and keeps it running as intended. Server room temperatures that are too high could cause equipment failure due to simple things like epoxy melting in heat beyond its rated limit. Keep your equipment functional by keeping the air moving.
What is the ideal server room temperature?
The room should be kept between 59 and 89.6 degrees. Lower temperatures are recommended. You should also keep humidity to a minimum.
Airflow planning keeps dust and debris out of your equipment, and oxygen in an enclosed area where people may be working.
4. Technology Safe Fire Suppression Systems
Water fire suppression and traditional sprinkler systems can cause damage to servers and other electronic equipment. Fire extinguishers that are rated for electronic use may be able to save your data.
Fire alarm and smoke detector systems are vital in protecting your server rooms. However, it is important to ensure that they are reliable. False positives can lead to extra work.
5. Cable Management System
It doesn’t need to be difficult to organize cable management systems. A label maker that labels cables at both ends can help you save time and money, and also make it easier to organize a messy server room.
Cable management products such as ladder racks can be used to control cables in server rooms that do not have a false or raised floor. However, server rooms with false floors need to manage their lines. Later, we’ll discuss the different flooring options.
6. Equipment Storage and Server Racks
You can use a technology rack or utility rack in your garage the frame must be secured to the floor by bolting it to the floor to prevent tipping. Server rooms can also be injured and killed by falling furniture, especially a small server room will be more efficient if you maximize the available space.
To prevent fire, and to ensure a secure mounting, you will need to remove the carpet from under and around the server rack. Anti-furniture tip devices must be attached to solid structures, not just drywall; they won’t support the weight.
Also read: Top 10 Biggest Data Center Companies in World
7. Appropriate Flooring
To reduce fire risk and provide a safe environment for servers, the server room flooring should not contain carpet. Anti-static mats or rugs are the only exceptions. They encourage static buildup and should not be used in your server room.
False floors are often used in professional data centers to allow for additional airflow and cables to be run underneath server racks. False floors that are suitable for server racks may be expensive depending on the space available, but they can increase circulation and conceal wiring.
8. Redundant Power Sources and backups
Surges, brownouts, and outages can occur to power grids. It is up to businesses and homes to prepare for these events. An Automatic Transfer Switch can provide a continuous supply of electric power from either one or both power sources.
Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS), gives servers enough time to save data and then shut down safely to prevent corruption and loss of work. A UPS can also be used if your facility has a generator.
Even if you have power, there are chances that your telecommunications provider or their access points may lose electricity. Therefore, it is important to back up your data immediately in case of power loss.
9. Demarcation or DMARC Point
A demarcation or DMARC point where the telco’s responsibility is defined by It is important to identify the point of responsibility for your business in order to quickly resolve any issues or upgrade requests.
10. Plan for Data Backup and Emergency Preparedness
It is impossible to predict when an emergency will strike, so having recovery and response plans for your home or company will help you get back on your feet if something happens. Training the people involved is a key part of the process. It ensures that they are able to follow the producer in stressful situations.
Any business can find server room maintenance and data management difficult. Recognizing when your business needs exceed your facility’s capabilities is a good idea. This will ensure that there is no data loss or business continuity.
If your company requires constant access to the Internet and uptime of 99.999%, seeking for a professional to provide server room support and managed services such as cloud computing can save you time and money by utilizing their expertise.
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