As far as the business network’s security is concerned, most people think of data breaches, virtual threats, and viruses. Although these are obvious threats that can easily be prevented, all firewalls in the world cannot stop dangers inside your server room. Ideally, these threats can force hardware shutdown, slow performance, and damage property. Failure to recognize the risks is a weakness for most companies in protecting the server rooms. Therefore, it is necessary to monitor, identify, and even report potential hazards in your building. Always consult your Server Rack Manufacturer before making any additions. These are the common server room threats you should.
Low and High Temperature
The truth is that temperature is a serious threat to any given computer equipment. In fact, several servers have been damaged because of poor thermal management. You need to maintain air around the sever to between 20 to 25 degrees Celsius for optimal reliability. Other than considering heat generated by your server, you need to control outside influences that alter the room’s temperature. It is advisable for a system that displays the temperature of the server. However, if you are a small setup, you can take other measures as well.
It is advisable to monitor airflow and air circulation to ensure cold and hot air do not mix. The best option is to have rack-mounted fans that can direct airflow.
Humidity
In a data center or server room, relative humidity levels ought to be between 40% to 55%. However, if the levels become quite high, corrosion happens due to water condensation. This will short-circuit your equipment. However, low amounts of moisture will also result in having an excessively dry environment, which can make your server malfunction. Remember that humidity and temperature are closely related, so you should monitor both of them.
Vibration
The truth is that vibrations can damage your equipment and even dislodge components that are vital to the system. Also, vibrations can disturb high-speed spinning hard drives resulting in scratches. You should note that even minimal scratches to your hard drive can cause data loss. Heavy machinery in the building can cause vibrations that can impact your server center.
It is advisable to keep your server out of reach from unauthorized people and away from heavy machinery to prevent this. If other people around the equipment, you should get an enclosed rack that keeps people away from coming into contact with your server.
Water
As you know, water is the number one enemy to electronics. In fact, water damage is the leading problem for server rooms and data centers. It is estimated that water damage is responsible for over 20% of server outages. Most of the leaks are because of damaged plumbing systems near the server room. In fact, even small leaks can cause significant damage to the server.
It is advisable to set up your server room far from plumbing systems. Always check regularly for leaks and water spots.
Poor Cable Management
Having a lot of accessories and equipment in a rack means you will have lots of cables. Unfortunately, poor cable management results in several issues. For instance, disorganized cables may cause equipment interference and make it difficult to troubleshoot problems.
