# New server room design **URL:** \ **Category:** Chatting over the Back Fence\ **Created:** [February 17, 2012, 10:48pm UTC](https://forums.suse.com/t/new-server-room-design/22233 "2012-02-17T22:48:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![System1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/51bf81/32.png) [@System1](https://forums.suse.com/u/System1)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2012, 10:48pm UTC](https://forums.suse.com/t/new-server-room-design/22233/1 "2012-02-17T22:48:18Z")
We are moving to a new building and I need to come up with a “design” for a new server room. We have two racks of servers (each about 1/2 full), and two racks of networking and phone gear. We will be implementing a hot/cold isle system. I have also sized the AC requirements, which looks to be about 2.5 tons. Of course anti-static flooring, dust filtration, and fire control need to be addressed. What else should I be considering? What should I avoid? Thanks, Chris. ---
**Author:** ![system](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex022/uploads/suse/original/2X/5/5012ba89e3ffb5220dac47d5ea0ba032e2fe1cb6.png) [@system](https://forums.suse.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2012, 11:22pm UTC](https://forums.suse.com/t/new-server-room-design/22233/2 "2012-02-17T23:22:39Z")
> What should I avoid? Locating it in a room next to or under a kitchen or toilet. ---
**Author:** ![system](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex022/uploads/suse/original/2X/5/5012ba89e3ffb5220dac47d5ea0ba032e2fe1cb6.png) [@system](https://forums.suse.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2012, 11:36pm UTC](https://forums.suse.com/t/new-server-room-design/22233/3 "2012-02-17T23:36:22Z")
Chris sounds like they ‘said’: [color=blue] > What else should I be considering?[/color] Emergency power (generator, etc) – Stevo ---
**Author:** ![system](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex022/uploads/suse/original/2X/5/5012ba89e3ffb5220dac47d5ea0ba032e2fe1cb6.png) [@system](https://forums.suse.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2012, 11:50pm UTC](https://forums.suse.com/t/new-server-room-design/22233/4 "2012-02-17T23:50:02Z")
Need a Soda Machine and Snack Machine in there for those long nights. On 2/17/2012 3:48 PM, Chris wrote:[color=blue] > We are moving to a new building and I need to come up with a “design” > for a new server room. We have two racks of servers (each about 1/2 > full), and two racks of networking and phone gear. We will be > implementing a hot/cold isle system. I have also sized the AC > requirements, which looks to be about 2.5 tons. Of course anti-static > flooring, dust filtration, and fire control need to be addressed. What > else should I be considering? What should I avoid? > Thanks, Chris.[/color] – Craig Wilson - MCNE, MCSE, CCNA Novell Knowledge Partner Novell does not officially monitor these forums. Suggestions/Opinions/Statements made by me are solely my own. These thoughts may not be shared by either Novell or any rational human. ---
**Author:** ![system](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex022/uploads/suse/original/2X/5/5012ba89e3ffb5220dac47d5ea0ba032e2fe1cb6.png) [@system](https://forums.suse.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2012, 11:16am UTC](https://forums.suse.com/t/new-server-room-design/22233/5 "2012-02-20T11:16:01Z")
Eating and drinking is prohibited within 3 meters of our MER and I’ve yelled at people who thought they could put their coffee cups on our expensive new HP switches 😉 ## – bpenris bpenris’s Profile: [http://forums.novell.com/member.php?userid=7496](http://forums.novell.com/member.php?userid=7496) View this thread: [http://forums.novell.com/showthread.php?t=452400](http://forums.novell.com/showthread.php?t=452400) ---
**Author:** ![system](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex022/uploads/suse/original/2X/5/5012ba89e3ffb5220dac47d5ea0ba032e2fe1cb6.png) [@system](https://forums.suse.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2012, 12:03pm UTC](https://forums.suse.com/t/new-server-room-design/22233/6 "2012-02-20T12:03:13Z")
On 20/02/2012 09:16, bpenris wrote:[color=blue] > Eating and drinking is prohibited within 3 meters of our MER and I’ve > yelled at people who thought they could put their coffee cups on our > expensive new HP switches ;)[/color] If you have the flexibility - consider putting one KVM point for the systems in an adjoining (lockable) office with a small fridge, and not cooled like the server room. Most modern KVMs can have a second controller point, and its desirable to have somewhere you can work comfortably for hours (and lets face facts here, a well cooled server room is good for a couple of hours at best before you start getting stiff shoulder and neck muscles, particularly if you are having to work a typical “waist height” kvm during the process. If you are planning a san with an attached backup solution, consider putting it and its robot in the same room too (so the tape monkeys don’t need to enter the “real” server room to do their job). ---
**Author:** ![system](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex022/uploads/suse/original/2X/5/5012ba89e3ffb5220dac47d5ea0ba032e2fe1cb6.png) [@system](https://forums.suse.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2012, 12:07pm UTC](https://forums.suse.com/t/new-server-room-design/22233/7 "2012-02-20T12:07:10Z")
On 20/02/2012 10:03, Dave Howe wrote:[color=blue] > If you are planning a san with an attached backup solution, consider > putting it and its robot in the same room too (so the tape monkeys don’t > need to enter the “real” server room to do their job).[/color] > Oh - by “it” I mean the backup solution, not the SAN 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![system](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex022/uploads/suse/original/2X/5/5012ba89e3ffb5220dac47d5ea0ba032e2fe1cb6.png) [@system](https://forums.suse.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2012, 12:12pm UTC](https://forums.suse.com/t/new-server-room-design/22233/8 "2012-02-20T12:12:20Z")
On 17/02/2012 21:22, GofBorg wrote:[color=blue][color=green] > > What should I avoid?[/color] > > Locating it in a room next to or under a kitchen or toilet.[/color] Or under the surrounding waterline, especially if your building is alongside a river, etc. ## HTH. Simon Novell/SUSE/NetIQ Knowledge Partner * * * ## Do you work with Novell technologies at a university, college or school? If so, your campus could benefit from joining the Novell Technology Transfer Partner (TTP) program. See [novell.com/ttp](http://novell.com/ttp) for more details. ---
**Author:** ![system](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex022/uploads/suse/original/2X/5/5012ba89e3ffb5220dac47d5ea0ba032e2fe1cb6.png) [@system](https://forums.suse.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2012, 12:13pm UTC](https://forums.suse.com/t/new-server-room-design/22233/9 "2012-02-20T12:13:26Z")
On 17/02/2012 21:50, craig wilson wrote: [color=blue] > Need a Soda Machine and Snack Machine in there for those long nights.[/color] ## You thinking of Novell’s SuperLab? If so, you also forgot the sofas! Simon Novell/SUSE/NetIQ Knowledge Partner * * * ## Do you work with Novell technologies at a university, college or school? If so, your campus could benefit from joining the Novell Technology Transfer Partner (TTP) program. See [novell.com/ttp](http://novell.com/ttp) for more details. ---
**Author:** ![system](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex022/uploads/suse/original/2X/5/5012ba89e3ffb5220dac47d5ea0ba032e2fe1cb6.png) [@system](https://forums.suse.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2012, 12:16pm UTC](https://forums.suse.com/t/new-server-room-design/22233/10 "2012-02-20T12:16:05Z")
On 20/02/2012 10:12, Simon Flood wrote:[color=blue] > On 17/02/2012 21:22, GofBorg wrote:[color=green][color=darkred] > > > > What should I avoid?[/color] > > > > Locating it in a room next to or under a kitchen or toilet.[/color] > > Or under the surrounding waterline, especially if your building is > alongside a river, etc.[/color] Or similarly - in a basement under “vents” that the local drunks THINK are toilets… ---
**Author:** ![system](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex022/uploads/suse/original/2X/5/5012ba89e3ffb5220dac47d5ea0ba032e2fe1cb6.png) [@system](https://forums.suse.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2012, 12:51pm UTC](https://forums.suse.com/t/new-server-room-design/22233/11 "2012-02-20T12:51:19Z")
Chris \ wrote in news:4F3E76C1.CE15.0032.1@N0\_ [5pam.vrapc.com](http://5pam.vrapc.com): [color=blue] > What should I avoid?[/color] An air vent right above the servers that somehow connects to the over flowing sinks 3 floors up on a Sunday. Plastic board does wonders; light, stiff and guides water away. I would think about lids. Look up; who would? – Ciao, Dave ---
**Author:** ![system](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex022/uploads/suse/original/2X/5/5012ba89e3ffb5220dac47d5ea0ba032e2fe1cb6.png) [@system](https://forums.suse.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2012, 2:57pm UTC](https://forums.suse.com/t/new-server-room-design/22233/12 "2012-02-20T14:57:31Z")
This is a big Thank You for all the great input. ---
**Author:** ![system](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex022/uploads/suse/original/2X/5/5012ba89e3ffb5220dac47d5ea0ba032e2fe1cb6.png) [@system](https://forums.suse.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2012, 1:46am UTC](https://forums.suse.com/t/new-server-room-design/22233/13 "2012-02-21T01:46:03Z")
Chris;2176471 Wrote:[color=blue] > What else should I be considering?[/color] Diverse cable routes. I always fit 2 patch panels running down either side of the cabinet and then out via different routes to the switch cabinet that way if someone drops a floor tile on a cable run it isn’t going to take the cluster or teamed pair out. Regards. Mark. ## – netroforge netroforge’s Profile: [http://forums.novell.com/member.php?userid=124006](http://forums.novell.com/member.php?userid=124006) View this thread: [http://forums.novell.com/showthread.php?t=452400](http://forums.novell.com/showthread.php?t=452400) ---
**Author:** ![system](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex022/uploads/suse/original/2X/5/5012ba89e3ffb5220dac47d5ea0ba032e2fe1cb6.png) [@system](https://forums.suse.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2012, 1:56am UTC](https://forums.suse.com/t/new-server-room-design/22233/14 "2012-02-21T01:56:52Z")
On Fri, 17 Feb 2012 20:48:18 +0000, Chris wrote: [color=blue] > We are moving to a new building and I need to come up with a “design” > for a new server room. We have two racks of servers (each about 1/2 > full), and two racks of networking and phone gear. We will be > implementing a hot/cold isle system. I have also sized the AC > requirements, which looks to be about 2.5 tons. Of course anti-static > flooring, dust filtration, and fire control need to be addressed. What > else should I be considering? What should I avoid? > [/color] I found some pictures that might be helpful: [https://www.google.com/search?q=sunroom](https://www.google.com/search?q=sunroom) +ideas&hl=en&prmd=imvns&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=ktxCT- SzHc3TiAKrvPiGAQ&ved=0CHgQsAQ&biw=1680&bih=852 ---
**Author:** ![system](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex022/uploads/suse/original/2X/5/5012ba89e3ffb5220dac47d5ea0ba032e2fe1cb6.png) [@system](https://forums.suse.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2012, 3:29am UTC](https://forums.suse.com/t/new-server-room-design/22233/15 "2012-02-21T03:29:00Z")
Chris wrote: [color=blue] > What should I avoid? > [/color] You should definitely avoid situations like these: 😉 [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ANU-oSE5\_hU&feature=related](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ANU-oSE5_hU&feature=related) [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1M\_QTBENR1Q](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1M_QTBENR1Q) – Kevin Boyle - Knowledge Partner If you find this post helpful and are using the web interface, show your appreciation and click on the star below… ---
**Author:** ![system](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex022/uploads/suse/original/2X/5/5012ba89e3ffb5220dac47d5ea0ba032e2fe1cb6.png) [@system](https://forums.suse.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2012, 12:34pm UTC](https://forums.suse.com/t/new-server-room-design/22233/16 "2012-02-21T12:34:17Z")
Don’t have the server room on the top floor of the building or the basement. “Chris” \ wrote in message news:4F3E76C1.CE15.0032.1@N0\_5pam.vrapc.com… We are moving to a new building and I need to come up with a “design” for a new server room. We have two racks of servers (each about 1/2 full), and two racks of networking and phone gear. We will be implementing a hot/cold isle system. I have also sized the AC requirements, which looks to be about 2.5 tons. Of course anti-static flooring, dust filtration, and fire control need to be addressed. What else should I be considering? What should I avoid? Thanks, Chris.