A Fire in a Data Center
What can cause the most damage if there is a fire?
The cost of having a fire within an organization’s Data Center can be devastating. The loss is not confined to only the physical plant and data processing hardware but the interruption and/or loss of data flow can be even more devastating. With this in mind let’s take a look at three major causes of the damage incurred by a fire event within a Data Center.
First:
The discharge of water due to local fire codes, enforced by the local Fire Marshall, has required water type systems installed in the Data Center. There are two different types of water deluge systems that can be deployed; dry pipe and wet pipe systems:
· The dry pipe system contains pressurized air. This keeps the water out of the Data Center except when a fire occurs thus eliminating the problem of accidental water discharge because of damage to the sprinkler system such as knocking off a sprinkler head when moving equipment.
· The wet pipe system is just what it says, there is water present in the pipes in the Data Center at all times. Accidental flooding of the Data Center can occur quite easily by damaging a single sprinkler head.
Second:
In many instances the answering Fire Department causes more damage and disruption to your facility and operation than the fire itself. In some instances they are not a considerate of your physical plant as they could be because their main interest and training is to contain and extinguish the fire as quickly as possible.
Third:
The discharge of whatever chemical fire suppression system you have installed in the Data Center. These systems can vary from the grandfathered Halon ™ systems to the most modern of chemicals. The older the system, in most cases, the more chemical residue you will have to deal with that can affect data processing hardware. In addition, you have the problem of evacuation of the center where there are conflicts with how the (ADA) handicap laws are applied to local building codes. There are also some systems out there that are utilizing high pressure gas and, if the center is not properly set up to handle the release of high pressure gas, a system discharge can cause major damage to your building structure not to mention your data processing equipment. In addition, a discharge can be very dangerous for your personnel (understatement of the century).
Solutions
There are a number of ways to receive early warning (detection) of a potential fire and this is the first place you should look to minimize damage within your Data Center at the lowest cost. The type and effectiveness of early warning systems and/or directed suppression systems depends to a certain extent on the type of operation you have. Facilities that are occupied on a 24-7 basis are much easier to deal with than those that have periods where the facility is totally unoccupied. Proper training of your personnel on what to do and, just as important not what to do, if a problem occurs can make a huge difference. Also, establishing a close relationship with your local Fire Marshall can be a great help in possibly working out methods of dealing with your Center, in case of an event, that may help in minimizing the event impact on your facility and its contents. Your local Fire Marshall is an expert and a professional, pay attention to what he or her say, it’s very important.
Conclusions:
Although a fire in a Data Center is not a common event, it does happen from time to time. It is a dangerous approach to not think beyond the fire and the impact of its suppression. As stated above, the act of suppression itself can cause major damage to the facility and its contents and, sometimes the personnel within the center. It would be a mistake to employ the services of a company that makes or sells fire protection equipment, to perform an overview and make suggestions as to what products and systems should be deployed. It is natural for them to point you in the direction of items that they can supply that may not be the best solution for you, given your unique environment. But, generally speaking, fire system vendor are not data center operations experienced and the suggested systems and approaches may severely conflict with the objectives of your operating requirements (they are not evacuation planning specialists, etc.).
It is well worth the added expense to employ the services of an independent consultant (hated word!) to work in concert with your operations staff, your insurance carrier, your landlord (if applicable), your local Fire Marshall, and then several fire suppression and detection firms to produce the most viable requirements that matches your parameters.