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Standards for Computer Server Rooms

Summary: Use this checklist when you design or retrofit small to medium computer server rooms. This will help protect critical resources, especially during power failures, fires, floods, and other emergencies. To go directly to a particular category, use these links:

Room component		Recommended standards
	General space characteristics	Room specifications 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
	Mechanical systems	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
	Electrical systems	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
	Alarms and security	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