What Happens if a Data Center Overheats

1. What Happens if a Data Center Overheats? • Data centers are an important part of our lives. We rely on them to store and processthedatathatisessentialforourbusinessesandpersonallives, like emails, e-commercetransactions, and more. Oneofthe most potentially devastating risksthese facilitiesfaceistheir hardwareandother equipment overheating. Every onceinawhile,thispossibilitybecomesa realityforan unfortunate datacenter,andit’s importantto know what this means forthem. Whathappensif adata centeroverheats? • Overheatingindatacentersexposes vitalhardwareand relevant equipmentto temperaturestheyarenotdesignedtowithstand. Thiscouldcausecomponent damage, server malfunctions, and even system failures, which is why preventative measuresand cooling methods are crucialinthese facilities. • Inthisarticle, wewilldiscusstheconsequencesofadatacenteroverheatingin more detailaswellas potentialcausesforthisissue. As you read, youwillalso learn what solutions data centers implement to remedy and/or prevent their hardwareand equipment fromoverheating. • Effects ofOverheatinginDataCenters • Sometimes,the best waytoensureindividualswhomanageand runadata centerimplementallthesafetyandpreventativemeasuresnecessaryregarding overheating is by detailing the gravity of its effects should this happen in their facility. • Simply put,overheatingcanbe devastating inadatacenter,resultingin: • Theinability of relevantparties to accessassociatedservices(ex.social media, Cloud data, computationalloss, etc.) • Component damage that requires repairs or replacement,due to E-waste • andsustainabilityissues • Complete systemfailuresormeltdowns that renderthehardware vulnerable • Ignitionofgraphics cardsandotherparts • Lossofdata • LossinUptime

2. Reductioninconsumertrust • Ifadatacenter is lucky, itsoverheatedhardware willsimplyshutdowntoprotect itselfandthenreboot oncetemperatureshave reacheda safe levelagain. • However, eventhe briefest outage willbea significantinconvenience for anyone • whoutilizes services supportedbyyour data center’shardware. • This could have profoundconsequencesregardingadatacenter’s public relations, whichdemonstrateshowthe effects ofoverheating aren’t justlimited to thefacility’sequipment, but its reputation and reliability. • It’s also importantthatintheworst-casescenario,adatacenter’shardware overheating could cause its components to ignite, which poses a serious safety risk to employees and anyone else in the facility. So, it is in the best interest of everyonetodowhatever ittakesto preventthisfromoccurringinthe firstplace. • What CausesOverheatinginData Centers? • The first step inpreventing datacenters from overheating(apart from understanding the effectsofthis issue) isultimately what causesit. • While thiswilldifferbetweendata centers,the most common causesofhardware overheatinginclude: • Presenceofdatacenterhotspots/highambienttemperatures • Hardwareis installedtoo closelytogetherforsufficientcooling • Hardwareisstored inaroommeasuringhigherthantherecommended temperature • Highpower consumptionincreasesheatgenerationbeyond levels that • implementedcoolingsystemscanmanage • Poorlymaintainedcoolingsystems • Lackoftemperaturemonitoring systems • You’lloftenfind that any data centerexperiencingacaseofoverheating fulfills thecriteria ofmore thanonebulletlisted above.Without theproper cooling methods paired with preventative measures like regular maintenance and temperature monitoring systems,any datacenterissusceptible to an overheatingincident. • Data CenterSolutions for Overheating

3. Thereareafew data centersolutionsforoverheatingthatcanhelp mitigate the risk of equipmentdamage, dataloss, andperformance issues. Aswementionedpreviously,thepredominantsolutionsaretheuseofan effective cooling system, regular maintenance, and implementation of temperature monitoring systems. In addition to these, it is wise for data centers to ensure their hardware is installedtheproperdistancefromoneanotheraccordingto its cooling method’s capabilitiesandkeptina room thatdoesnot exceed82degrees Fahrenheit(the idealtemperaturefor most data centers is anywhere between68 to 71degrees Fahrenheit). These measureswillhelp reducethe workload of your cooling systems,ensuring thatthey keep your data centerhardwarecoolanddonotwearout prematurely. Thatbeing said, let’sdiscuss theothersolutions inmore detailso youknow what systems are most efficient to useina datacenterand whatyourdata center might be missing that increases itsrisk ofoverheating. Effective CoolingSystem Preventing datacentersfromoverheatingreally comesdowntothe cooling methodthe facilityhasinplace. Most datacenterswilluseoneoftwomethods:aircooling throughpowerfulair conditionersor water cooling throughawater coilsystem.While theseareviable options, theyarenolonger the mostefficient way to cooladatacenter. If you want to reduce the risk of overheating in your data center as much as possible,thebestcoolingmethodyou’llwant toutilize is2-phaseimmersion cooling. This processkeeps data centerhardwarecoolbyimmersing itina dielectric (non-conductive) fluid thatiscarefully engineeredtohaveaboiling point below the temperatureofheatemitted by thesecomponents. Oncethe dielectric fluid reachesitsboilingpoint,itrejects heatbyturningitintoa vaporgasthatthencomes intocontact witha speciallydesigned vapor-to-liquid heat exchanger located on the top of the tank. The inclusion of this exchanger eliminates theneed forasecondaryheatexchanger andpumping system.

4. The result is the most energy-efficient cooling method currently in existence for data centers that has a heat rejection capacity twenty times that of the standard air-conditioning system found incountlessfacilities. RegularMaintenance As withany system, regularmaintenanceis keytokeepingadatacenter’s cooling system running at peak efficiency. Datacentermanagers,orprofessionalhiredbythe company, should regularly inspect andcleanallcooling systemcomponents,regardless ofthe method they have in place. While some require less maintenance than others, they should not beleft unchecked for extended periods. Bykeepingthesystemcleanandwell-maintained,datacentermanagerscan avoidmany of the issues thatcanlead toanoverheated data center. Additionally, datacenterhardwareshouldalso beregularlymaintained, both digitally (ex.softwareupdates)as wellasphysically (ex.cleaningand repairing fansor other components). TemperatureMonitoringSystems Most moderncooling systems foundindata centers, especially two- phaseimmersioncooling technology,are exceptionalatmaintaining asafe temperaturefor itshardware. That being said,itisn’tsafeor wise toassumethe system isoperating asit shouldatalltimes.This iswhyitisessentialtohave temperature monitoring systemsimplemented throughout the facility. Therearevarioustypesoftemperature monitoring systemsavailableonthe market,buttheytypicallyutilizesensorstoconstantlychecktheair temperature and humidity levels in the data center. If these readings surpass a certain threshold, analert issentto data centerstaff sothey cantakeaction. It’s understandablytemptingtojustuse the high-performanceautomatic temperature monitoring systems,but whilethesesystemshavenumerous advantages, theyshouldbesupplementedwithmanualtemperaturemonitoring systems as well.These areusefulwhenabackup system isnecessary and as a form ofvalidationthatthe automaticsystemisoperating properly. FinalThoughts

5. Overheating is a significant concern in data centers due to the devastation it can cause the facility’s hardware, reputation, andmore. Thankfully, aslong as adata centerimplementsthe preventative measuresdiscussedhere,theyshouldbeat minimalriskof experiencingoverheating.If you’reseeking professionalhelpto ensure your datacenteris safe, either throughadvice orinstallationof effective cooling systems like2-phaseimmersioncooling,reachouttoTMGcore!