Sponsor: Vice Provost Siegel, Information and Educational Technology

Status: The draft best practices presented below were developed in collaboration with the UC Davis Facilities and Fire departments. A campus policy is under development to guide departmental decisions related to campus server rooms.

Background

On Saturday January 27, 2007, a fire occurred in the Graduate Studies system administrator’s office in Mrak Hall, which was being used in part to house servers.  The fire damaged the servers providing departmental services and web sites for the unit.  The fire was caused by an electrical short in a small fan that was being used to help cool the equipment in the room.  It then set nearby combustibles on fire and quickly spread within the room.  The smoke from the fire was observed by staff from another office who called the fire department. The fire department successfully quelled the fire; however, the 7 servers managing critical services were ruined, the office suffered substantial damage, and services were impaired.

Information and Educational Technology (IET), the Office of Resource Management and Planning (ORMP), and the Offices of the Chancellor and Provost (OCP) are actively pursuing cost-effective and efficient approaches that would increase the capacity to offer centrally-administered Data Center space and services in a form that is attractive to research, administrative and academic programs. In the meantime, owners of departmental server rooms will need to pay special attention to the following considerations to ensure that critical systems and information assets are appropriately protected.  

Definition

A server is a computer system in a network that is shared by multiple users. Servers come in all sizes from x86-based PCs to IBM mainframes. A server may have a keyboard, monitor and mouse directly attached, or one keyboard, monitor and mouse may connect to any number of servers via a Keyboard Video Mouse (KVM) switch. In large companies, servers often reside in racks in the data center, and all access is via their network connections. A server room is the name of a room where mostly computer servers are housed. In Information Technology circles the term server room, is generally used for smaller setups. As the number of computer servers grows, they may be housed in larger rooms, such as a formal Data Center. Server rooms usually contain headless computers, being connected remotely via KVM switch, Virtual Network Computing (VNC) or remote desktop and generally provide for several of servers that serve a number of clients.

Backup and Storage

• Implement sustainable backup schedules with multiple outputs if possible. Duplicate important backups.
• Do not house backup storage devices in a server room. A fire could damage both the hardware and the backups, rendering the whole backup exercise useless.
• Store backups offsite, in a fire-resistant facility.
• Document all services and systems, and ensure development of Disaster Recovery/Business Continuity plans.  Store copies of these plans and documentation off-site in a fire resistant location.  

Resources: UC Davis Cyber-Safety Program: Back-up, Recovery and Disaster Planning– backup software available via the campus software Web site, open-source backups, articles, learning guide, methodologies, contingency planning methods, etc.

Cooling and Air Conditioning

• Rooms used to house servers should have sufficient cooling to maintain a temperature between 66 and 74 degrees.
• Use good quality racks to protect equipment, maximize efficient use of space, and support the efficient distribution of chilled air.

Resource: Before you set up a server room, or to obtain guidance on an existing server room, please contact the Campus Data Center at 754-4393

Environmental Considerations

• Remove all combustibles (boxes, paper, chemicals, carpet, drapes, etc.)
• Do not allow food or other contaminants near systems.
• Use cable management structures wherever possible, including rack rails, overhead cable management structures, sub-floor structures, conduit, etc. depending on available space and resources
• Ensure appropriate physical security, such as door codes, Silent Knight Alarm systems, restricted access policies, etc.

Resources: For assistance with environmental considerations specific to server rooms, please contact the UC Davis Facilities department. See also the UC Davis Cyber-Safety Program: Physical Security Web site for additional information and resources regarding environmental and physical controls to secure and protect computer equipment. Also for environmental an physical security controls there is a physical security checklist for UC Davis departments.

Equipment

• Insure equipment is sufficient for service requirements, including disaster recovery and business continuity requirements (redundancy, failover, spare systems, etc.).
• Do not locate printers in same area as servers (to reduce debris, combustibles, etc.)
• Ensure compliance with Cyber Safety standards (patched, virus software, firewalls, etc.)

Resource: Consult the UC Davis Cyber-Safety practices and resources for help with software patches, anti-virus software, firewall services, etc.).

Fire Detection and Suppression

• Because of the significant risk of electrical fires in a server room, installing a comprehensive fire detection and suppression system is mission-critical for protecting life and property, as well as ensuring quick operational recovery.

Resource: Consult with the UC Davis Fire Department to ensure space is adequately protected.

Power

• Providing adequate and appropriate electrical power is a major challenge for many server rooms. Some power-related considerations include:
• Providing for maintenance bypass and emergency shutdown
• Using power distribution units (PDUs) to integrate circuit breakers and equipment connections
• Using UPS to sustain systems during power outages
• Providing multiple lines of defense for backup power depending on system needs, such as multiple input circuits; UPS service to provide a minimum of 20 minutes of backup power; and (if appropriate) emergency generators to sustain power for longer-term outages.
• Allowing for sufficient lighting and multiple electrical outlets

Resource: Consult with UC Davis Facilities Operations and Maintenance for advice and to fully understand the possibilities for the space you occupy.

Room Size

• Large enough to hold the server equipment and allow you to rearrange equipment as needs change, including changes in air conditioning and electrical power.
• Space for replacement equipment such as extra logic cards, disk fans, disks and unused backup tape cartridges. Improperly estimating these requirements could force you to move a server installation to a new room, which means a serious disruption in service for the unit.

Resource: Consult with the Campus Data Center for advice and assistance estimating space requirements.

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