A data center needs to be equipped with excellent physical security along with the software security measures. It would be great if a data center owner could locate his facility in a physically remote site. A craggy rock face or a snow bound area would offer great natural protection but financial considerations may rule out such choices!
A comprehensive design strategy will help in building a data center that is physically protected against all possible sources of threat. It would be worth the time and investment to start with drawing up a list of all sources of danger. At the risk of being over the top, a freewheeling discussion should take place between stakeholders or data center managers to note down all aspects of physical threats. No threat should be dismissed as implausible. It would also be in the interest of the data center to retain the services of a professional who has dealt with all possible physical dangers and has drawn up plans to deal with the same.
Choice of geographical location can be a good beginning to data center design decisions. An ideal location would be something that has not been prone to environmental threats. So issues like seismic activity, rainfall, storms of various kinds and even availability of natural cooling and water supply need to be factored in. Natural disasters, even in an area not known to be prone to them should be considered.
Other factors that will come into play for geographical considerations would be aspects like price of land, availability of manpower or skilled labor, government policies, local laws and access to business communities. A bit of study should also be done for future plans the city councils may have for the area. Most communities are most concerned about the environmental impact of a data center. It would therefore be important for the data center owner to consider this and ensure there is enough community interaction to set green goals and get the people involved as well.
A data center is heavy on cabling – for network and for electrical and cooling needs. Fire threats are very real possibilities with low quality cables. A data center manager must choose cables and position them to keep such threats away from the facility. Related aspects for physical security are providing access panels to cables. These panels will help in regular maintenance and in fixing problems as well.
Fire hazards are perhaps the greatest danger to a data center. Choice of a fire fighting system should take into account that computer equipment cannot be damaged. Fire fighting measures cannot simply be a choice of water or foam that may harm expensive equipment.
The actual data center building should be located at an optimum place within the plot of land. For instance putting the building close to the perimeter fence would make it more vulnerable to attack from outside. Perimeter fences are also a deterrent most of the times. Choice of building materials also need to be considered for strength and local weather conditions.
A judicious check system should also be implemented to ensure that only authorized personnel have access to a few areas. Biometric systems, surveillance cameras and armed security guards can go a long way in filtering out unauthorized access. Intruder alerts are also an essential component of physical security measures in a data center.
It would be great to have dog patrols as well!
The support factors are also important to design a data center. For instance, proximity to a strong or resilient fiber network, power supply and even services like police will make a huge difference.
For each factor of physical threat, there should be an associated cost benefit analysis done. It would be infinitely better to have considered or even planned for physical dangers than to be taken by surprise when something goes awry. Such a comprehensive thought process will help put together a well designed data center.
Related Posts :
About Rakesh Dogra
Rakesh is a member of writing team at Data Center Journal. He holds a degree in Mechanical Engineering and CoC in Marine Engineering from Maritime and CoastGuard Agency, UK. His Post Graduation in Computing is from Newcastle upon Tyne and Northumbria Universities, UK. Has years of experience in sailing as Marine Engineer in deep ocean going vessels. Currently owns and operates an outsourcing consultancy as well.
- Web
- More Posts (201)
|
|
