Standards for Computer Server Rooms

• Walls, ceiling, and doors sound-isolated from other occupied areas
• No windows because of security and sound
• Nine-foot ceiling
• Anti-static floor finishing (no wax) for raised floor tiles or sheet vinyl
• Doors 42 to 48 inches wide, and at least 8 feet tall

Equipment

• Computer racks with adequate clearance per manufacturer's specifications; at least 42 inches around equipment; 48 inches in aisles
• Computer racks with seismic bracing and proper grounding
• Maximum electrical intensity of computing equipment of 300 watts per square foot
• At least one phone

Fire prevention

• Adequate fire suppression system; pre-action system recommended
• Fire-rated if cabling and cooling systems are combined in the same space above ceiling or below floor

Cooling

• Under-floor air distribution system preferred; ducted systems acceptable
  • In either system, racks arranged in a hot-aisle/ cold-aisle configuration
  • If under floor, minimum height of 24 inches and raised floor designed for weight of server racks, and lifting and moving equipment

Air conditioning (AC)

• System is room-specific and humidity controlled
  • Independent, not connected to main building system
  • With design criteria of 72°F (+/- 2°F) and 45% RH (+/- 5%) as measured at the return air of the AC unit
• Unit is at least 4 feet from computer rack system, so that condensation or other leaks don't harm computer equipment, and access for maintenance is possible
• Unit uses the campus chilled water system, if available. Design criteria: Entering water temperature at 46°F and return at 60°F.

Future planning

• Sufficient redundancy installed:
  • Backup refrigerant-based cooling systems in parallel with the building chilled water system
  • Multiple AC units in an N+1 design
• Sufficient future expandability and scalability analyzed and designed in conjunction with the mechanical and electrical systems
• Shutdown capability of automatic systems based on return air temperature monitor
• Statistics calculated during the design phase of how fast room temperature will rise during a loss of cooling
• Appropriate plan for removal of water from AC condensation, either by gravity or pump

Capacity and quality

• Separate, dedicated power panels for the computer equipment and HVAC. Design systems so that ultimate buildout does not exceed 300 watts per square foot.
• Power quality considerations to determine need for isolation transformers and uninterruptible power supply (UPS) systems
• No heat-generating support equipment in the space
• Power Distribution Unit layout with power monitoring and UPS per rack
• Electrical system with an isolated ground, dedicated neutral, and a grounding grid

Emergency planning

• Emergency/ back-up power not tied into the building life safety system
  • Separate back-up power, if desired (for example, UPS- or generator-supplied and maintained by the department)
  • Electrical distribution system with shunt trip for emergency shutdown

Alarm sytstems

• Critical alarms related to the functioning of the AC system and physical data of the room mapped into the Facilities Management Energy Management System
• Department-provided monitoring and alarming separate from the Facilities Management system, so the department will be notified of critical operating criteria of the computing systems
• Flood alarms to both Facilities Management and occupying department

Security

• All entrances properly secured, and with alarms