Ideally, a server room should be as clean as a whistle. Unfortunately, many server rooms start this way and then slowly spin out of control. If you want your servers to run as efficiently as possible, you have to pay attention to this important topic.
4 Keys to a Clean Server Room
A poorly managed server room isn’t just an eyesore – it’s also a health and safety hazard. Decreased airflow can cause damage to equipment, while disorganized cords can lead to costly slips and falls. Then there’s the stress and anxiety that comes with managing server issues and trying to keep everything up and running.
While a clean server room doesn’t guarantee everything will run smoothly, it does increase the chances.
Here are some keys to keeping your server room clean:
1. Maintain the Right Temperature
Temperature is always a chief concern in server rooms. With so many high-powered machines operating in a small room, overheating is a risk. If nodes reach temperatures of just 85 to 90 degrees and remain at that level for a few minutes, they could potentially meltdown and become unsalvageable. Be strategic with how you cool the room and try to keep temperatures below 77 degrees for best results.
2. Get Control Over Wires and Cords
Cables are everywhere in a server room. If you aren’t careful, an otherwise organized room can look like someone dumped a bowl of noodles upside down. Not only should you keep wires and cords organized and out of the way, but you need to be religious about labeling them. Both ends of each cable should be clearly marked so that you can track them from one input to another.
3. Repel Problem Insects
Believe it or not, insects can make their home in a server room, which is one of the last things you want. Ants and roaches are common, but so are moths in many areas. In addition to killing off these insects, it’s smart to use repellent spray. The goal should be to prevent the bugs from ever entering the server room in the first place.
4. Schedule Regular Site Cleanings
Did you know that there are actually professional companies that know how to clean data centers in the safest and most efficient manner possible?
“You should regularly schedule site cleanings in order to keep your environment free of dust, dirt and other harmful particles that can damage your operating systems and create health risks for personnel,” tech expert Rory Wallwork explains. “Dust and other particles that circulate within your server room can accumulate and greatly interfere with the equipment by causing a variety of difficult-to-deal-with or even tragic problems. Such problems could include media errors and data loss.”
If you do allow an outside company to come in and clean your server rooms, be sure to research the company and stick with appropriate security protocol.
Cleanliness is a Choice
The interesting thing about keeping your server room clean is that one bad choice or lazy decision can derail all of your hard work. When a server room is clean, every little particle of dust or piece of trash tends to stand out. But once you make the decision to leave a thing or two out of place, it gets a whole lot easier for new messes to compound on top of them. Before you know it, an isolated issue becomes a widespread problem.
You have the choice to keep your server room clean. If you ignore it, things will get messy and you’ll suffer the consequences. Now’s the time to make your decision and get serious about cleanliness and organization.
