Why is it important to maintain temperature in the server room? As usual server cooling

    Perhaps from the very beginning I would like to figure out what a normal server room can be. As a rule, this is a closed room, most often of small size, sufficient to accommodate server racks with a certain set of network equipment. In most cases, the server room is located either in the basement / semi-basement or in the attic. That is, the organization’s management does not think about the location of the server room in the first place.
    Suppose the server room is in a basement or a basement. In this case, the air conditioning of the room will be enough to carry out the usual air conditioner available on the market (split system). However, it should be borne in mind that the proximity of the soil and the location of the room below the soil level will also make itself felt. The factor of the presence of excess moisture is not excluded. Also, it is possible that there are communications of heating, water supply in the server room or in the immediate vicinity, which will also have a direct impact on the temperature regime. Suppose, the choice of a place for the server room was carried out in the last turn, and it turned out that a heating radiator was installed in the room, or there were communications with hot water. This circumstance will undoubtedly additionally load the cooling system and add certain risks of equipment failure in case of failure of the cooling system. But do not forget that in some cases, the installation of an additional heating system is required to maintain the temperature regime. This requires a controlled heater. The cooling system and heating system must be controlled by a unified device,
    which would allow reading data from temperature and humidity sensors and transmitting control commands to heating systems or cooling systems, according to the limit value settings. Here are some requirements for climatic conditions in the server room:

    1. It must be possible to turn off the heating system;
    2. The server air conditioning system should be autonomous;
    3. The temperature in the server room is in the range from +18 to +24 gr. Celsius
    4. Humidity in the joint venture should be in the range from 30% to 50%.

    Consider the situation if the server room is located in the attic. In addition to the heat generated during the operation of the equipment, the location of the server room in the immediate vicinity of the roof, which is heated by sunlight, will contribute to an increase in temperature. Again, there is a high risk of equipment overheating and as a result of failure.
    How is cooling usually arranged in the server room? As a rule, an air conditioner (split system) is used, operating year-round in non-stop mode, that is, 24 hours and 7 days a week. The cooling system must be reliable enough to run smoothly for a long time and maintain the required level of temperature and humidity. In addition, during the winter season, equipment in the server room may also require cooling during freezing temperatures. Heating may also be required. To turn the heating system on / off, a control system is required that can control the heater based on data from temperature and humidity sensors.
    Humidity is also important in the operation of computing equipment. At high humidity, condensation in the devices and corrosion can occur, which is not recommended for equipment. To maintain optimal humidity, you must select the appropriate air conditioner or use an additional air dryer. Some modern split systems allow you to lower the temperature, to provide a constant flow of purified air, but do not allow to maintain its optimal humidity. Avoid using such split systems in server rooms. As a rule, one air conditioner is installed in the room, which is not enough from the point of view of ensuring the normal temperature regime: in case of a sudden failure of the air conditioner, overheating of the equipment is possible and, as a result, its failure. Therefore, it is recommended to install at least two air conditioners. The power of each air conditioner individually would be sufficient to create the necessary climatic conditions in the server room. Also, using modern climate monitoring systems in the server room, it is possible to configure the alternating operation of air conditioners to increase the service life and the possibility of uptime. Using the functions of alternating operation of air conditioners, it is possible to carry out preventive maintenance with air conditioners, which will ultimately increase the life of air conditioners and protect the equipment from unwanted temperature increases and equipment failure. Using modern climate monitoring systems in the server room, it is possible to configure alternate operation of air conditioners to increase the service life and the possibility of uptime. Using the functions of alternating operation of air conditioners, it is possible to carry out preventive maintenance with air conditioners, which will ultimately increase the life of air conditioners and protect the equipment from unwanted temperature increases and equipment failure. Using modern climate monitoring systems in the server room, it is possible to configure alternate operation of air conditioners to increase the service life and the possibility of uptime. Using the functions of alternating operation of air conditioners, it is possible to carry out preventive maintenance with air conditioners, which will ultimately increase the life of air conditioners and protect the equipment from unwanted temperature increases and equipment failure.

    Example redundancy of air conditioners:




    The internal heat removal system in modern servers is designed to provide cooling for all internal components that produce heat during operation. However, the server case is leaky, and heat exchange occurs with the environment of the server room, so it is erroneous to assume that the air temperature inside the case will be significantly lower than the temperature in the server room. It is also necessary to take into account the fact that the air temperature in the server room outside the communication cabinet, in the communication cabinet and directly in the server case may differ. Therefore, it is recommended to install temperature sensors not only in the server room on the ceiling, but also in each communication cabinet in order to have objective information about the climatic conditions both in the cabinets and outside them. In order to ensure proper air circulation in the server room, it is necessary to design the installation of an air conditioner / heating system taking into account the air flows generated by these systems. For this, active server ventilation is provided in the server cabinets, providing access for chilled air directly to the server cabinet. Also important is the correct arrangement of devices in the server cabinet. This should be done taking into account the size and heat dissipation of the devices. Correct is the use of 1U fans between equipment that actively generates heat to provide ventilation and the necessary heat dissipation. providing access to chilled air directly to the server cabinet. Also important is the correct arrangement of devices in the server cabinet. This should be done taking into account the size and heat dissipation of the devices. Correct is the use of 1U fans between equipment that actively generates heat to provide ventilation and the necessary heat dissipation. providing access to chilled air directly to the server cabinet. Also important is the correct arrangement of devices in the server cabinet. This should be done taking into account the size and heat dissipation of the devices. Correct is the use of 1U fans between equipment that actively generates heat to provide ventilation and the necessary heat dissipation.

    Example 1U fans:




    Fans installed at the bottom of the cabinet for air flow:




    Fans that remove warm air from the cabinet:




    The illustration shows the incorrect installation of the air conditioner. Consider the obvious errors:




    1. Air conditioning is located directly above the communication cabinet. In the event of a leak in the air conditioner, the equipment in the communication cabinet will be flooded, which can lead to undesirable consequences, up to a short circuit and physical burnout of the equipment components.
    2. The air conditioner is installed almost close to the ceiling. Such an installation complicates the possible maintenance and impedes air circulation.


    So why is it necessary and important to maintain temperature in the server room?



    In the server room, as a rule, extremely important and expensive equipment is located. Failure or temporary downtime in the operation of the equipment can lead to material and financial losses. Let's look inside a modern server and try to find out which components are most critical to temperature changes.

    HDD.

    It is perhaps the most important component of the system. Accordingly, the failure of the hard disk in the absence of a backup can become critical for the organization. The components of the hard drive are sensitive to changes in temperature: to sharp increases, drops and overheating. An increase in temperature, as a rule, leads to the expansion of the material from which the heads, head positioning systems, and magnetic disks are made. Overheating can lead to hard drive failure, which subsequently leads to an unwanted loss of important and expensive information.

    RAM.

    Modern server RAM is equipped with a passive cooling system and does not need additional cooling, however, it is worth remembering that a passive cooling system is effective only in a certain temperature range. If the temperature in the server room rises, then no radiators on the memory line will save RAM from overheating.

    CPU.

    Modern processors have overheating protection systems. Their sensors will signal the operating system about overheating and prevent the processor from working at high temperatures.

    Chipsets on the boards.

    The so-called north and south computer bridges are also powerful heat generators. Typically, these controllers are equipped with passive cooling radiators, but they are also sensitive to changes in server air temperature.
    Summarizing all of the above about server components, we can say with confidence that, at certain temperature ranges, the built-in server cooling system is quite effective. In a situation where the temperature is above the operating range, the cooling system may not cope with the task of heat dissipation. It is also necessary to avoid sudden temperature jumps, which can lead to loss of properties of the elements of the server motherboard.
    A certain amount of expensive equipment can be concentrated in the server room, which is critical to temperature increase, to sharp changes in temperature conditions, and therefore it is necessary to correctly choose the server cooling system. It is necessary to take care of the backup air conditioner and the control system for controlling the air conditioners in case a malfunction of the main air conditioner occurs. It is also necessary to remember that most modern devices produce enough heat and can significantly increase the temperature in an enclosed space in a short period of time. It is also necessary to choose the right split system that meets the requirements of the server room.

    Conclusion



    I would like to recall that modern computing equipment is being developed taking into account work in certain climatic conditions. Therefore, the operation of the equipment in conditions different from those recommended by the manufacturer may lead to equipment failure and, as a consequence, the absence of warranty repairs. Considering all the above, we recommend using reliable server climate control systems and reliable server climate control systems.

    Resources used:

    www.rti-mints.ru/uploads/files/publications/295/tehn_treb_server.doc
    chvcorp.ru
    inpc.com.ua/data/cabinet.html
    www.42u.com/cooling/in-rack-cooling/ in-rack-cooling.htm

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