Server Room Planning

In comparison to the rest of the facility, anticipate an increased requirement for power in the server room. It is common to install redundant, scalable UPS and power distribution systems to provide adequate power protection and branch circuits to accommodate the increased power needs. Be sure to position the equipment emphasizing ventilation, distribution length, and convenience.

Provide adequate cooling for the load. Nothing will impact the availability of your server room faster than insufficient cooling. Today’s infrastructure, while smaller, uses just as much power, and therefore, generates just as much heat. The space gained means more equipment and following, more heat in the same physical space. Anticipate the space required to add additional cooling infrastructure.

To protect your investment, limit access to server rooms by utilizing an access control and security system. Persons authorized to enter the locked server room should sign in and out using a visitors log. Although the room may be physically secured, use password protection at the device level as an additional safety measure.

Document all software and hardware changes, including: operating system updates, configuration changes, hot-fixes, server application updates and fixes, and network hardware swap outs and additions. This log book will provide a roadmap if an error occurs or you experience system failure.