a room

Submitted by admin on Fri, 06/17/2011 - 15:43
dining room
  1. introduction
  2. what it is
    1. room security
    2. air conditioning
  3. what it isn't
  4. where it is
  5. history

introduction

The room housing computers provides the physical environment. A computer is a temperamental beast and stops working under some conditions.

A room suitable for housing dozens of computers needs specialist hardware.

what it is

When a business enterprise builds a proper data center it works hard to do it properly.

The organisation lavishes time and money creating the physical environment because it wants to provide a reliable computer service and to avoid computer enemies like these.

  • temperature fluctuation and humidity
  • vibration
  • pollutants
  • dust
  • fire
  • electrical hazards

room security

riot policeA mollusc of Satan may break into the room and apply a baseball bat to a computer. A physical attack falls in the realm of physical security.

A proper security company will install a Mission:Impossible system.

Every iron-clad door is secured with a keypad, access card reader and biometric finger scanner. This is three stage security. To get in you need something you know, something you have and something you are.

Video surveillance cameras record everything everywhere. Beware the toilet pan cam.

24/7 access is available, controlled by a team of geriatric security guards who work a 60 hour week for £100.

air conditioning

Proper climate control. Some things found in a top notch data center are missing. I don't have gadgets for any of these jobs.

  • monitoring the quality of the air.
  • cleaning up the air. There is no odour-removing carbon filter, so farting is out. There is no HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Air) filter for removing tobacco smoke, household dust and pollen.
  • removing moisture. A dehumidifier can do this.
  • cooling air. I probably need to remove about 10,000 BTU's (British Thermal Units) an hour.

An air conditioner that can do all of these things for my shed would cost me about £500.

 

what it isn't

This room is what everyone will think of as the LIC (Larg's Internet Cluster). The term data center, like so man labels in computer land, is a bit vague. Maybe I can get away with that term. A data center is definitely a secure physical environment which can host computers, but is it a data center before the telecommunication and computing equipment is installed?

where it is

My shed.

history

In 1996 the Uptime Institute published"Industry Standard Tier Classifications Define Site Infrastructure Performance".

In 2002 ASHRAE published "Std 127-2001: Method of Testing for Rating Computer and Data Processing Room Unitary Air-Conditioners (ANSI Approved)".

In 2005 TIA published "TIA-942: Telecommunications Infrastructure Standard for Data Centers".

In 2006 I prepared my shed. I tried to read these publications but the slope of my forehead stopped me.