Last week, we said that the probable single best thing you can do for your IT environment is to set aside a dedicated room for your network hardware and servers–a server room. Things you should plan for include room size, location, security, energy consumption, proper cooling and noise dampening. We covered room size, location and security. Today, we’ll look at the power needs of your server room.
It’s very important to consider and plan for the electricity and power needs your servers and network hardware will require because you’ll need to have a electrician prepare your room before moving any equipment in. You’ll need to not only consider the electricity load of the servers, but also all of the other equipment in the room–switches and routers, backup solutions, battery backups, lighting and cooling. If your PBX will also be placed in the server room, be sure to count that as well.
Also consider how many outlets you’ll need in the room and where they should be located. This is important for the electrician to know so that she can distribute the load across different circuits. And be sure that your electrician installs your server room outlets on their own, dedicated circuits. You don’t want accounting’s coffee maker to blow the circuit your database server uses!
In addition to calculating the power load of the server room, you should also consider power redundancy and backup options. When your server room or building loses power (trust us, it will at some point), how important is it to stay up and running? Do you need backup generators that kick in and keep things running, or would a more basic battery backup solution work for you?
Minneapolis-based OAC Technology has been helping small- to medium-sized businesses plan and administer their IT environments for over 15 years. We can help your technology meet your business needs while maximizing your IT dollars at the same time. Contact us today for a free consultation.
