[cobalt-users] Re: Environment Temperature

[Johan-Kristian Wold <jkwold@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

In cobalt-users digest, Vol 1 #93, "David Hall" wrote:
> I recently visited my ISP where my Cobalt 3i is located
> and the room were all the equipment is operating
> had to be at least 90F degrees.
> I mentioned the temp to him and he said "it is not a problem it is always
> that way."
> I found a non-operating temp spec for the cobalt in the knowledge base but
> not
> an operating temp spec. Should I be concerned?

Egads - that makes >32C.

While that temperature in itself does not neccesarily spell disaster 
for a freestanding computer, what temperature do you think will be 
inside a RaQ, mounted inside a rack, with a room temperature like 
that. This one of the factors that contributes to shorter component 
life.

I haven't popped the lid of my NASRaQ, but I seem to remember someone 
stated that Cobalt uses Quantum drives. Former experience with 
Quantum drives has shown me that they have traditionally been very 
sensitive to high temperatures and poor ventilation. Drive enclosures 
with insufficient ventilation killed several Quantum drives for me 
some years back.

I like to keep the temperature in the computer room at around 20C 
(68F) or lower. We had insufficient cooling there before, and I 
always felt uneasy when the room temperature crept above 27C.

IMNSHO, an ISP that maintains a computer room at 32C, and then 
maintains "Nema problema" (plz don't correct my spanish, Rodolfo - 
it's a quote from Terminator II :^), reveals an degree of 
unprofessionality that I wouldn't find comforting...

I'm almost suspecting these people to run without a UPS as well.

Keeping the ambient temperature in the room down is not that 
expensive. $5-6000 should cover enough cooling for a good number of 
boxes. While these expenses will not directly generate any income, I 
would, as a customer paying for colo facilities, expect this to be 
included in the service. If they say that it's too expensive, you've 
given your business to a too cheap provider.

Kind regards

Johan-Kristian
--
Johan-Kristian Wold, M.Sc.     |
Computer systems administrator | Recursive: Adj. See recursive.
Nor-Trykk Narvik AS            |
jkwold@xxxxxxxxxxx             |                            SAM007HM02