Does Your Server Room Meet the Standard?

Companies put a lot of thought into their servers – size, maintenance, and security are all main concerns. What companies often neglect is the room that houses their server. The server room serves to house and protect the server, and can be just as important as the server itself. For small-to-medium sized businesses, there are certain standards that should be considered for a server room.

Physical Standards

The physical aspects of a server room are very important. The walls should be   soundproof. For security and sound concerns, the room should not have any  windows. An anti-static floor finishing is also important; you want to reduce the risk  of fire as much as possible.

Your air conditioning for the server room should be separate from the rest of your building and humidity-controlled. Room temperature should be 70 to 74 degrees Fahrenheit.

Equipment Standards

Equipment in your server room should be specific to your server. Computer racks should be sized according to your server, while keeping in mind the amount of clearance between equipment and in the aisles. Rooms should be equipped with at least one phone. The AC unit should be as far from equipment as possible to prevent potential damage from leaks.

Security Standards

Preventing damage to your server is one of the main functions of a server room. Fires are a main concern. We’ve already mentioned preventing static, but you should also have a fire suppression system. Your computer racks should be properly secured with seismic bracing. The backup power system to your server room should not be tied to the building’s backup power in case of power failure. Also, the alarm system for your server room is crucial. Not only should you have a temperature and fire alarm, but also a flood alarm. All entrances to the server room should be secured, and have appropriate alarms.

Servers are crucial to businesses, and server rooms are crucial for servers. Lower the risk to your server by making sure your server room meets standards. If you have a question about servers or server rooms, or would like help setting up a server or server room, give us a call at (501) 683-7229, email us, or post your question in the comments.