In the article we will consider all the requirements for server rooms and equipment in it. Distribution devices, as well as a huge number of various telecommunication equipment, are located in the server room. It can also accommodate passive switchgears, various distribution points. If you rely on standards, then they do not have criteria that determine the type of telecommunications premises by the number of equipment installed in it.
Therefore, the type of room should be determined by the installer or customer. In our article, we provide requirements and recommendations for the server room, developed on the basis of TIA / EIA-569 standards. Recommendations and requirements for the server room and all systems, taking into account other Russian norms and Western standards, will be maximally described in our article.
Server Room Location
It is imperative that the server room is located in close proximity to the main communication channels. It is recommended to place the server next to the main distribution point. And in that case, if possible, then the main distribution point must be installed in the server room. To place the server room in close proximity with elevator shafts, flights of stairs, ventilation chambers, as well as other elements of buildings that limit expansion in the long term.
These are the requirements for the server room. It is best to place the server room in such a way that later you can expand it due to adjacent rooms.
Size Recommendations
Now we will consider what sizes of server rooms are necessary in specific cases. It is necessary to choose the size, based on what area the serviced work area has, as well as the number of equipment. It is important to consider not only the dimensions of the equipment, but also the type of installation.
The most important thing is that after installation for maintenance of equipment access is as easy as possible. You also need to consider that it is subsequently possible to install a variety of additional devices. The room should have a height of more than 2.44 m. As for the area, it should be more than 14 square meters. m
The area of the server room can be calculated independently. For every 10 square meters. m of serviced area required 0.09 square meters. m room.
Specialized Buildings
In hospitals, hotels, laboratories, where the low density of the arrangement of outlets for telecommunications, you must choose the size of the server room, based not on the total area of the workspace, but on the number of zones:
- With the number of working areas less than 100, it is necessary that the server room has an area of 14 square meters. m
- In the event that the number of working areas is in the range of 101-400, the size of the room for the server should be more than 37 square meters. m
- With the number of zones 401-800, the server room should have an area of 74 square meters. m
- With the number of zones from 801 to 1200, the recommended size of the server room is 111 square meters. m
Water protection
You can not place the server room in the basements if it is not protected from the ingress of water from the outside. Pipes and drainage systems should not be located in the room, unless, of course, they are used for the normal functioning of the systems and equipment that are located in the server room.
In the event that there is a possibility of water leaks, it is necessary to carry out the installation of drainage. For example, make a drain hole in the floor. Carefully study all the technical requirements for the server room, so that later the equipment can work without problems.
In the event that splicers are installed, it is necessary to install drainage channels under the pipelines that fit them. In this case, you will protect all room equipment from water leaks.
Window and doorways
For a server room, it is best to use rooms in which there are no windows. If there are no such rooms, it is necessary to completely get rid of the windows - lay them with a brick.
As for the doorway, its width should be more than 1.9 m, height more than 2 m. It is imperative that the door is locked, in this case you can restrict access to the room. You can use the doors of sliding structures. As for the hinged doors, it is necessary that they open outwards. In the event that in the future it is planned to bring the overall equipment into the room, you can install a double door with an opening, the width of which is from 1.82 m, the height should be more than 2.28 m.
Walls, ceiling and floor
As for the ceiling, it is forbidden to use hanging types in the server room. There should be a coating on the walls, ceiling and floor, which makes it difficult to isolate, accumulate and settle dust. There must be waterproofing on the ceiling to completely eliminate the possibility of water leaks.
Walls are recommended to be painted in light colors. It is such requirements and recommendations for server rooms that are presented by GOST and foreign rules.
Floor load
In the event that heavy equipment is to be installed in the server room, it is necessary to calculate the static and dynamic load on the floor (raised floor). The heavy equipment includes batteries, a large number of various equipment assembled in one mounting box, the mass of which is more than 500 kg.
Indoor microclimate
In the server room, a climate control and management system must be installed. It is necessary that it provides a constant level of temperature and humidity in the room, so that all active equipment operates as much as possible and stably. The climate control system should provide support for a given temperature regime both in summer and in winter.
Moreover, it is necessary that it functions continuously and around the clock. If the centralized heating and ventilation system in the building cannot provide continuous operation, the installation of an autonomous system for a particular room is allowed. At a temperature of 20 to 25 degrees, it is necessary that the relative humidity of the air is 40-55%.
Measurement of humidity and temperature should be recorded at a height of one and a half meters from the floor in the area in which cold air is supplied. If water cooling is performed, then temperature and humidity are measured with the equipment running directly in the enclosure.
Be sure to provide more pressure in the server room than in neighboring rooms. If personnel work constantly in the server room, then it is necessary that the air changes at least once per hour. It is also advisable to use a system of filtration and purification of air that enters the room. If a backup power system is installed in the entire building, then the climate control in the server room should be connected to it.
Harmful substances
The entire server room should be protected as much as possible from harmful substances and dust, as they adversely affect the functioning of all equipment. There are maximum permissible concentrations of harmful substances in the server room:
- Chlorine not more than 0.01 ppm.
- No more than 100 mg of dust per cubic meter is allowed. m per day.
- Not more than 4 mg per cubic meter. m per day of hydrogen sulfide is not more than 0.05 ppm.
- Nitrogen oxides not more than 0.1 ppm.
- Sulfur dioxide not more than 0.3 ppm.
If necessary, use a system for filtering and purifying the incoming air. The use of oil filters in server rooms is strictly prohibited. Be sure to pay attention to the requirements for server rooms for fire safety. The removal of smoke and harmful substances is carried out similarly.
Vibration level lighting
As for vibration, which negatively affects the operation of all equipment, it is necessary that the amplitude of oscillations at a frequency of up to 25 Hz not exceed 0.1 mm.
Be sure to provide high-quality lighting in server rooms, it should be at least 500 lm.
Measurement of the level of illumination must be carried out one meter from the floor. It is necessary that the lighting fixtures and all telecommunication equipment are supplied from various switchboards. All fixtures must be placed on the ceiling.
To control lighting fixtures, you can use one or more switches, which are necessarily located near the door and a half meters from the floor. It is forbidden to use devices for continuously regulating lighting.
The room for server equipment must be placed away from electromagnetic interference sources. Field strength should be no more than 3 V / m.
Electrical Outlets and Power Supply
It is desirable that the room should have at least two blocks of double electrical outlets. They must be powered from various cables, the maximum load is up to 16 A.
It is also recommended to install additional blocks of double sockets along the entire wall at a distance of 1.8 m from each other. The distance from the floor must be at least 15 cm. The server room must be powered by power cable, directly from the distribution main account. This is one of the fire requirements for server rooms. About the nuances will be discussed below.
If the building has backup electrical power, it is necessary that the server room is connected to it. Be sure to install a separate distribution board for the entire room. Installation of UPS up to 100 kVA directly in the server room is allowed. If uninterruptible power supplies have a capacity of more than 100 kVA, they must be installed in a separate room.
Fire safety
Now let's talk about security requirements for server rooms. After all cables have been laid, all entries must be sealed with refractory materials. To do this, use special plugs that are mounted directly on the cable entry.
In case of fire, these plugs will expand, as a result of which the space is blocked, smoke and fire will not spread. Ceilings, walls, all partitions in the server room should be made of fireproof materials, and also provide a minimum value of fire resistance of 45 minutes.
As for the front door, it is necessary that it has fire resistance of more than 36 minutes. It is allowed to manufacture a door from non-combustible materials, a thickness of more than 40 mm. No voids are allowed inside. You can use wooden doors, but they must be coated with asbestos or upholstered with sheet steel on both sides.
It is imperative to install exhaust shafts with automatic or manual opening. Their area should be more than 0.2% of the total area of the room. Now you know the requirements for server rooms according to GOST and other standards. When installing equipment and choosing a room, you need to rely on all the requirements and recommendations specified in the article.