Efficient Data Center Maintenance Practices for Enhanced Productivity

Dr. Natheer Khasawneh Sara Ismail

the importance of maintaining your Data Center in a pristine state, diligently removing unwanted materials, and having the room professionally cleaned on a regular basis. offers instructions for contracting with a professional cleaning company and outlines common mishaps that can occur.

either in violation of Data Center standards or because no such standards exist, increases the chances for a Data Center to become dirty and disorganized, which in turn reduces the room's productivity for a company. The importance of your Data Center by keeping it well-maintained and enforcing its standards of operations at all times.

Your first line of defense in maintaining a Data Center is simply keeping the room picked up. Establish a time for employees to clean the Data Center as a group, including staff, system administrators and network engineers who works in the room. Cleaning a Data Center as a group can be quite effective and they will make a greater impact, such as: items need to be moved out of the room, sorting and retesting patch cords, etc.

In addition to keeping the Data Center tidy on a day-to-day basis, hire a professional cleaning company to periodically clean the room. the things that a cleaning vendor can do for your Data Center are: Wipe down servers Remove marks from raised floor surfaces Vacuum the room, in and out of the plenum Test for potentially hazardous particles Note the condition of the plenum and infrastructure components. Vendor Qualifications and Choose a company that is experienced at working in Data Centers where its employees know how to conduct themselves in a sensitive environment and appropriate cleaning materials are used. Ask other data center managers who they use to clean their server environments and whether they are happy with those vendors. Vendor Qualifications and Credentials: Credentials:

Choose a cleaning company that is bonded and insured, where they provide financial protection in the event of theft, personal injury, or property damage. All vendor employees must be trained in the proper use of all cleaning equipment and materials and experienced working in a Data Center. Approved Cleaning Equipment and Materials Restrict vendors to use the following items: Vacuums equipped with triple-filtration high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) or S-Class filters. Cleaning chemicals that are pH neutral, static dissipative, and approved or qualified by computer hardware manufacturers. Avoid cleaning agents that contain ammonia or other corrosive materials. Canned air. Lint-free mops. Mops should have non-metal handles and sewn ends, to prevent snagging. Prohibit dry dust mops or dust brooms. Approved Cleaning Equipment and Materials: :

Low-speed floor scrubbing machines. Avoid high speed buffers. Electrical cords that are in good condition and, if appropriate for local power configurations, have a three-pin ground. A stable stepladder, for cleaning items near the ceiling. Pre company site and provide its representatives a tour of the Data Center. Provide a map of the Data center. Standards of Operations: following: Don't bring food or drink in the Data Center Don't prop open Data Center doors Don't admit unauthorized personnel in the Data Center. Pre- -Cleaning Steps: Cleaning Steps: After choosing a vendor, have it come to your Standards of Operations: the cleaning crew should obey the

In addition to the Data Center's standards of operations, require the cleaning crew to observe the following: Wear identifiable clothing: have all crew members wear some form of company attire so they can be easily identified. Stay within designated areas. Mark off open floor tiles with pylons: If they are walking quickly, they might step in to an open floor tile. Prevent this from happening by placing brightly colored cones or pylons around open floor tiles. Plug cleaning equipment into only identified power sources: Provide the cleaners with a Data Center floor plan that has outlets highlighted. Make minimal contact with Data Center equipment.

Cleaning Procedures: Many companies choose to perform environmental tests within their Data Center immediately before and after the room is cleaned. If you desire this, perform the following tests: Particle count a portable airborne particle counter is used to measure particle concentrations at different locations in the Data Center. Ferrous metal test this procedure is performed to detect fine metal shavings or flakes that, although difficult to see with the naked eye, can be carried through the Data Center by its cooling and air circulation system and get in to sensitive hardware. Temperature and humidity test if your Data Center lacks temperature or humidity sensors, be aware that many cleaning vendors also have portable equipment that can take these measurements as well. Cleaning Procedures:

Specific cleaning procedures for different layers of the Data Center: Above Lift and displace ceiling panels to gain access to the space. Use a HEPA or S-Class vacuum to clean the top of the ceiling panels, as well as structured cabling or electrical conduits. Replace all ceiling panels. Direct vendor must make a note of any unusual conditions, as the following: Loose ceiling tile brackets unsecured brackets obviously need to be resecured to the ceiling. Damaged ceiling tiles or infrastructure Stained ceiling tiles are a sign of a water leak. Exposed fiber strands if cabling terminates in faceplates that are directly mounted to the ceiling rather than in a raceway below the ceiling. Above- -Ceiling Ceiling:

Below Use a HEPA or S-Class vacuum to clean the horizontal surfaces of vented ceiling tiles, raceways, and cable bundles. Wipe down the vertical surfaces of raceways. Servers and Networking Devices: Use a HEPA or S-Class vacuum to clean the horizontal surfaces of all equipment. Wipe down the external surfaces of all server cabinets, servers, networking devices, and other equipment. Other Above Use a HEPA vacuum or S-Class to clean the top of all floor tiles. Treat smudges, stains, and black marks with an approved cleaning solution and scrub them with a scrub pad. Use a low-speed floor scrubber. Don't apply a finish or wax to floor tiles. Mop the floor with a damp not wet mop, using clean, warm water. Below- -Ceiling Ceiling: Servers and Networking Devices: Other Above- -Floor Items Floor Items: :

Subfloor Lift and remove panels to access the under-floor area. Use a HEPA or S-Class vacuum to remove dust and particles within the subfloor. Avoid moving any structured cabling or electrical conduits. Wipe down the raised floor system's pedestals and stringers with water-moistened towels. Manually remove any large debris and place it in the trash. Subfloor: : Post Post- -Cleaning As soon as the Data Center has been cleaned, have the vendor perform a second particle count and test for ferrous metals. Testing should be done in the same locations as before so that the findings are comparable. Cleaning Steps: Steps:

If something goes wrong during a Data Center cleaning, it is inevitably attributable to human error. Here are some common pitfalls to avoid: Tripping a circuit breaker: Don't allow anything to be plugged in to a server cabinet other than servers, networking devices, and peripheral equipment. Disconnecting a patch cord or power cable: Safeguard against this by educating the cleaning crew about working carefully in the server environment and also by training Data Center users to secure patch cords and power cords and fully use the room's wire management. Misusing Data Center controls: Getting servers or infrastructure wet: Minimize this during the cleaning process by using low quantities of water for mopping and keeping mop buckets atop blank tiles.