Talk:Data center

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[edit] Halon

The halon fire system does not push the oxygen out of the room. That would kill anyone left in the room, which halon does not do. It chemically interrupts the fire chain reaction, extinguishing the fire. --Unsigned comment by 67.180.246.232

I've edited the article to clarify the effects of Halon. See Fire Extinguisher#Halons and Haloalkanes#Fire extinguishing for lots more details--Mcpusc 03:36, 26 January 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Grades/Tiers

I've left a link to http://www.donelan.com/design/general.html which describes the different "grades" of datacentres. It's practically the only reference on subject I've found.. despite everyone boasting they're "class A Datacenter". So the question is: is this simply another marketing buzz word, or does it actually mean something? I'm hoping the article could be updated to mention this. (I will try and get to it eventually, but in case I don't, I'm leaving these notes.) --geoff_o 15:48, 23 March 2006 (UTC)

The Donelan link seems to not work anymore, shall we remove it? JonnyRo

The Uptime Institute has a rating system for datacenters (tier 1 through 4). Ben 23:42, 9 June 2006 (UTC)

- Temperatures: Temperatures within a DC will vary, especially if you are using a hot-aisle cold-aisle hot-aisle rack configuration, but as as general rule 22 C +/- 1 degree is the typical target temperature range we look for and most vendors will offer. Not 17 degrees. Servers don't need to actually be cold, they just need not to be hot.

- My impression of Uptime Institute rating scales are that they provide just enough information to give the impression of being useful without providing a practical benefit. The goal of course being that you think you need to hire UI to guide you though the gray areas. Fine technique from a marketing point of view, but of limited use to evaluation of a DC. For example - what kinds of single points of failure are allowable in a Tier III center? If you just fix those SOP's does it become tier 4? Can an N+1 system have a SPoF? What level of granularity are you assuming when you are discussing SPoF? Systems? Components? Parts? Do you need a switchgear on each genset to be at N+1, or is one switchgear for N+1 number of gensets OK? Meaning, is the switchgear part of the system when you describe it as N+1? Again, fair enough to UI - answering these questions is what they are paid to do. But the I through IV description is, to my mind, not much better than Not so Good to Pretty Darn Good. But I am curious what others think of this. Do others find UI more useful than me - the free publications at least.

- There is a movement away from FM200 or other gas systems because they are so costly. Any savings you thought you had b/c of not damaging as much equipment (remember that you are still coating the area with some form of chemical or mist which is going to put the machines out of action anyway) is outweighed by the big up front cost and the constant cost of maintenance and high expense and time delay problem of re-charging of accidentally fired systems. A pre-action system, with no water in the pipes until the VESDA alarm activates, and zones of control - under floor, specific areas, etc, is what we are going back to.

[edit] History

I am doing some research on the subject of Data Centres and the quite simple question and one that will cause quite a bit of debate, relates to it's history, when did the words Data Centres first come into common use.

I remember visiting the Manchester University 'Main Computer Suite' in 1984 and it was in effect what we refer to today as a Data Centre with a few minor differences. (mainframes and no switched network)

So did it start with the implementation of Rack Mount Servers and a structured cabling infrastructure? which would mean no earlier than 1987 if it was the latter.

When did Rack Mount servers start being used? The earliest I can remember is the late 1990s.

Or am I barking up the wrong tree completely and is it all based around the internet and when we all started to use the world wide web in anger.

Any feedback would be helpful.

Caveman107 14:08, 11 June 2007 (UTC) Caveman107

> When did Rack Mount servers start being used? The earliest I can remember is the late 1990s.
Please define "server" as many early computers in the 1970s were rack mounted. Nearly all S-100 bus machines produced from the mid 1970s to mid-1980s (when S-100 more or less died) were rack mount and they were used as general purpose servers too. As S-100 died out they were replaced by rack mount machines containing IBM PC/AT compatible motherboards.
As for the history of "data center" - I don't know that as well but iirc, there have been companies renting rack space since the 1970s and possibly into the 1960s. Internal corporate "computer rooms" have been called "data centers" too but we'd need to dig through the old computer books from the 1960s, 70s, etc. to see when the term was used for the computer room and when it morphed into a term often applied to colo and similar rented space. Marc Kupper (talk) (contribs) 00:56, 2 September 2007 (UTC)

My father was a Univac technician and my father-in-law was an IBMer from 1960 thru 1985. The term "data center" is actually a shortened form of "data processing center" which referred to a typical mainframe environment with the following characteristics; 1) raised access floor for cabling (not originally used for A/C); 2) a mainframe and associated tape drives; and 3)a precision environmental control system to keep temperature and humidity within tight tolerances. Tim Dueck 18:41 PST, 21 May 2008

[edit] == DATA CENTER HUMOR ==

  • National Mutual: "When the fire alarm goes off, you have 30 seconds to clear the floor, then the doors lock. Halon gas is then released. .. Halon gas is perfectly safe ... It's the lack of oxygen which kills you.".
  • Backup generators always fail to start UNTIL AFTER the battery banks have been exhausted.
  • 9-track ibm tape write protect rings make great frisbees on a slow graveyard shift.
  • The BIG RED push button really does power down the whole floor.
  • You can never find a tile-lifter when you need one.
  • ICL Mainframes had prettier blinking lights than the IBM big iron.

[edit] "Tier 4 data center ... security zones controlled by biometric ..."

There is no mention in the TIA-942 PDF of biometric devices. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 68.183.223.232 (talk) 22:20, 10 June 2008 (UTC)