The worst way to find out that your server room temperature is not optimum can be a sudden server shut down because of over heating. Although you can always do the damage control and get servers back online in a short time, the sudden disruption could cost you greatly in terms of business efficiency and productivity. It makes good business sense to be prepared for worst situations, but it is even more important to take proper measures to prevent such things from occurring in the first place.
To maintain smooth and efficient functioning of server equipment, maintaining the right ambient temperature is very important. You will get optimum performance and disruption free operation of a server only if proper temperature is maintained in the server room. Although it is well known that servers need air conditioning, the matter doesnt end here. How much air conditioning is required and what is the right temperature to be maintained, are questions, which must be answered to prevent any unexpected server crashes.
Ideally, the server room should have a temperature of 65F to 75F. This will ensure that your equipment works at its peak performance at all times. You will need a reliable and efficient air conditioning system to maintain the server room temperature in the right range.
Central air conditioning in your entire office, no matter how effective, will not suffice to take care of your server room needs. That is because thermostat dependent air conditioning will not guarantee proper cooling in the server room. The server may still overheat when the cooling dips. It is wise to invest in a separate air conditioning unit for your server room, so that you can be assured of ambient temperature, irrespective of how hot or cold the rest of the rooms in your office get.
Another important thing to keep in mind is that different server units can heat up to different levels. What works for one type of unit may not be ideal for another. When you decide on the right temperature for your server room, make sure to take into consideration the needs of each equipment located there.
Dust control is also a critical aspect of maintaining servers at the right temperature. When dust settles in the equipment, the cool air from outside is prevented from reaching the over heated components of the machinery thereby rendering even the best cooling system ineffective. Regular dusting combined with periodic professional server room cleaning can help keep the air filters clear and allow your air conditioning to do its job effectively.
Lastly, monitor the temperature in the server room and make sure to tune it in line with the load and atmospheric conditions. For instance, its best to turn down the cooling in December when the outside temperatures are quite low, and increase the cooling in summers when the temperatures are higher outside. Monitoring and regulating the cooling to match the actual requirement will keep your servers running smoothly and also save you money on energy costs.
