Is your data centre ready for winter?

All data centre managers should be aware of the possible weather related challenges that winter can bring and have some well-prepared strategies in place.

Although the following situations may seem minor, they can cause problems which can have a huge effect on data centres – potentially causing power outages and disrupting business continuity.

As storms have already ‘battered Britain’ this year, you may have fallen victim to outside air conditioning arrays becoming damaged during high winds. If so far you’ve avoided such destruction then consider the implications of future storms and the expense and disruption that may be caused.

If your water chiller systems have inadequate anti-freeze, cold temperatures can put a strain on them and disrupt functionality. However, the problem you should be most concerned about is whether your data centre’s generator batteries function once a load is added to them.

A weak battery can easily become a dead battery. This is a common occurrence in cars during the winter months when they fail to start – an incident which can happen to data centres as generators are often inside steel containers kept outside, exposing them to freezing temperatures.

A word of warning – a water system heating the generator engine block will not create enough heat to protect the battery. Neither will the constant charge ensure that the battery is readily available. Even if the Building Management System (BMS) shows correct voltage, chances are it may not be running as smoothly as you think.

Most of the batteries are sat on steel cradles which receive no heat due to being far away from the block. Additionally, the battery fluid can boil away as a result of consistent charging; subsequently any voltage for the battery displayed on the BMS can be a false indicator of the battery’s ability to take load.

To prevent such issues arising, data centre managers should make sure all generator starter batteries are replaced regularly. They should also have an aggressive replacement cycle and keep spare batteries on site, to ensure a battery worth a few hundred pounds doesn’t cause any downtime.
The risks of winter weather to data centres doesn’t just stop at equipment. It is also important to consider issues such as staff and client welfare and whether they are going to be able to get into work, or even become stuck on site!