Print this pageFire & Security systems for Data Centers
| “With VESDA we always know we have the best chance of catching any fire before any other measure might be needed. VESDA has never let us down and in a business like ours, that is critical.” Karl Smith, Building Services Manager - SunGard Availability Services Read their success story more |
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The Challenges of protecting Data Centers from fire
With the continuing rise in heat densities in data centers due to microprocessor power consumption, fire is a continuing threat. But Data Centers are not easy to protect due to the following reasons:
- Smoke is diluted by Data Center HVAC systems and is pulled along with the air flow instead of moving to the ceiling
- The electronics in a data center are suspectible to smoke damage - with 'computer cancer' likely to set in after exposure to corrosive compounds released by overheating or burning electrical components
- The raised floors and ceiling cavities in a data center are difficult to access
- Equipment and electrical cabling is usually densely packed in the room
But protecting them is critical, with downtime costs for typical computing facility approx $42K per hour and $ 1M+ per hour for on-line brokerages or e-commerce sites!
NFPA 75 Standard for the Protection of Information Technology Equipment
The standard specifies that smoke detection be placed:
- At the ceiling level throughout the area.
- Below the raised floor of the area containing cables and used for recirculation of air.
- Above the suspended ceiling if used for recirculation of air.
The standard specifies that smoke detector spacing be determined by the movement of air within the room (including both supplied and recirculated air), which can be designated as minutes per air change or air changes per hour. The exceptions to this spacing requirement are air sampling or projected beam smoke detectors. These can be installed in accordance with the manufacturer’s documented instructions, rather than at the same spacing as spot detectors.
Fire detection solutions
VESDA smoke detection systems are the most widely used very early warning smoke detectors in data centers around the world.
Some of the key benefits that VESDA smoke detection provides in a Data Center are:
- The earliest possible warning of a fire, buying time to prevent service disruption
- High sensitivity without nuisance alarms
- Minimizing the risk of ‘computer cancer’, caused by the corrosive compounds released by overheating or burning electrical components.
- Monitoring of air being pulled into a building by economy cooling systems, preventing external smoke reaching sensitive equipment in data center
- Easy installation and maintenance in hard to reach areas
- Installation at return air grilles to ensure detection of smoke carried by the air conditioning
- Part of double-knock triggering of an automatic clean agent suppression system or sprinkler system
Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council (FFIEC)
In their Operations booklet (Section: Risk Mitigation and Control Implementation Subsection: Controls Implementation), the FFIEC states: ":All operations centers should have heat and smoke detectors installed in the ceiling, in exhaust ducts, and under raised flooring. Detectors should not be situated near air conditioning vents or intake ducts that can disburse smoke and prevent the triggering of alarms.
Some large and complex operations centers are beginning to use very early smoke detection alert (VESDA) systems in place of conventional smoke detectors. VESDA systems sample the air on a continuous basis and are far more sensitive. They are capable of detecting a fire at the pre-combustion stage. Although more expensive than conventional systems, a VESDA system can detect a smoldering wire and alert management before a fire starts. The early notice may also prevent suppression equipment from deploying water or foam that can damage computer equipment. "
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