California Wildfires Raise Questions About Data Center Protection

Kutztown, PA (PRWEB) November 6, 2007 -- The raging wildfires that devastated Southern California have left data center planners to ponder a question that must be asked: How can I protect my data center from a fire that attacks from outside the data center walls? It is rare to find a data center without an internal fire suppression system. Yet this first line of defense against a fire that starts inside an enclosed space is worthless when a fire burns its way into the data center. This growing concern among CIOs and Disaster Recovery Planners has prompted many to install a FIRELOCK Server Vault (http://www.firelock.com/itsecurity2.htm)to protect their mission critical IT infrastructure and information assets.

Of course fires destroy assets everywhere, not just Southern California, and in the last few years FIRELOCK has seen increasing demand for this application of their Class 125 fireproof modular vaults. The patented modular panel system (http://www.firelock.com/photogallery1.htm)utilizes ceramic fiber (a high temperature industrial insulating material) to keep the temperature inside the vault chamber below 125-degrees F, the point at which data is destroyed. A double door assembly (http://www.firelock.com/_enlarge.asp?filename=itsecurity2_1)with automatic door closers is required to reach this Class 125 rating, along with specially insulated penetrations (http://www.firelock.com/_enlarge.asp?filename=itsecurity2_13)for power and network cables, coolant lines, and air ducting. The insulated dampers can even be equipped with airflow vectoring fins to help eliminate hot spots from heat-generating servers.

Conventional gypsum board or block construction can't keep the destructive heat (often over 1,800-degrees F) from penetrating the data center walls and incinerating everything inside. In fact, unprotected cable entry points can conduct heat and flame through data center walls even faster. In spite of these risks, the majority of new and retrofitted data centers are still constructed with traditional materials. As reported by John Brandon in his article Anatomy of a Data Center Fire, "Too often, a fire starts outside the data center and creeps into the server room, where the disaster escalates and becomes uncontrollable."

IT systems are especially vulnerable to the smoke and heat generated by even a minor fire. This realization has prompted security-minded organizations to proactively address these risks. For example, Zig Tylus of 84 Lumber, a building materials retailer with over 400 stores, explains: "After the attacks of 9-11, our management decided to take action to protect our data center, and FIRELOCK's Server Vault offers the highest level of fire protection available."

FIRELOCK vaults are sized according to the client's requirements, so they can fit inside existing structures or fit their internal space requirements for new construction projects. These vaults are expandable and can even be relocated as facility needs evolve. FIRELOCK's installers can also weld UniStrut to the inside face of the vault's roof panels so mounting cable management systems (http://www.firelock.com/_enlarge.asp?filename=itsecurity2_11)and other components is neat and efficient. This system was developed as a direct response to the disastrous effects data centers suffered when flooding from Hurricane Katrina caused massive electrical problems for underfloor power and network cables.

According to Hugh Smith, Vice President of FIRELOCK, "Technologies have evolved in the 22 years we have been protecting critical information, and our customers are finding Server Vaults are an excellent way to apply the fire protection capabilities of our data-rated vaults to preserve information assets and costly IT infrastructure."

In summary, a top-tier clean agent fire suppression system is a necessary element in any mission critical data center. In fact, almost every FIRELOCK vault installed today has some kind of fire suppression system and early warning fire detection system installed to guard against fire starting inside the vault chamber. However, this first line of defense inside the data center is ineffective as a last line of defense against external fires. Fortunately, as it is with most problems, there is a solution.

About FIRELOCK®

FIRELOCK provides custom design expertise and manufactures and installs modular record storage vaults in a variety of sizes, from small rooms up to 25,000 cu. ft. These vaults are designed to provide UL Class 125 fire protection, along with environmental controls for your critical or vital information assets. Lightweight, expandable panel systems are available to construct fire-safe and heat-safe vaults for the protection of IT infrastructure, magnetic media, micrographic media, and optical disks. The FIRELOCK vault is the highest rated fire protection storage environment for heat-sensitive processing equipment and computer media available in the industry. Our client list includes service organizations of all types and sizes from diverse industries, ranging from hospitals and pharmaceutical companies, to major financial houses and State and Local Government offices. Information about FIRELOCK is available at www.FIRELOCK.com

©1999-2007 FIRELOCK, Inc. All rights reserved. FIRELOCK is a registered trademark of FIRELOCK, Inc.

Contact:

Todd Smith, Director of Marketing

FIRELOCK Fireproof Modular Vaults

610-756-6040

www.firelock.com

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