| If your business has a Managed Services agreement | | | | developed to replace gasses that deplete ozone, |
| with a technology services provider, safety may | | | | such as chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs). In the |
| have been one of the factors considered during the | | | | concentrations needed to extinguish fires, FM-200 is |
| decision-making process. | | | | not harmful to humans. In fact, it is used as a |
| Advantages of Managed Services include fixing | | | | propellant in metered-dose inhalants, such as the ones |
| technology costs at an affordable level while | | | | used to treat asthma. |
| increasing system capabilities. But gaining a higher level | | | | FM-200 in a Data Center |
| of safety than you could achieve on your own should | | | | NetStandard, a technology services provider in |
| also be an outcome. A comprehensive Managed | | | | Kansas City, Kan., uses an FM-200 fire suppression |
| Services agreement should include system monitoring | | | | system in its data center. In addition to the safety |
| maintenance, backup management, firewall and | | | | benefits described above, the system takes up little |
| security management, and anti-virus and threat | | | | space and the gas cylinders are conveniently (and |
| management. | | | | safely) housed within the data center. |
| Such an agreement protects your systems and data, | | | | NetStandard believes this system is essential to |
| but there is another aspect that you should consider: | | | | providing comprehensive equipment and data |
| the protection of the equipment that contains your | | | | protection and highlights the system when existing or |
| data. In protecting computer equipment from fire, | | | | prospective clients tour the data center. |
| the last thing you would want to use is a system | | | | Recently featured during a local newscast, the |
| that would destroy the equipment that it's designed | | | | system was also recently profiled on NetStandard's |
| to protect. | | | | corporate blog. |
| Water-based systems are effective for protecting | | | | Your Choice as a Client |
| overall structures. But within a data center, water will | | | | As a client, you can't control what kind of fire |
| destroy equipment. Depending on the gas used, a | | | | suppression system that your data center uses. |
| waterless system may protect the equipment but | | | | However, you can investigate what the data center |
| would be harmful to humans or the environment. A | | | | uses and decide if this system will protect the |
| gas may protect equipment during a fire but leave a | | | | equipment, and ultimately your data, in the event of |
| residue that harms the equipment. | | | | a fire. |
| To be most effective, a fire suppression system | | | | The stakes are enormous. The Fire Suppression |
| should extinguish a fire while not harming equipment | | | | Systems Association maintains a list of successful -- |
| or posing a threat to humans or the environment. | | | | and not so successful -- suppression incidents. During |
| Meeting All Objectives | | | | one incident at a corporate computer room, a power |
| A gas often used in state-of-the-art fire suppression | | | | interruption was detected and the suppression |
| systems that achieves these objectives is | | | | system was discharged. Damage was limited to the |
| heptafluoropropane, or HFC-227. This gas is also | | | | UPS device that failed and operation was restored |
| known by its trademarked name of FM-200. | | | | within an hour. |
| FM-200 extinguishes by removing heat from the fire. | | | | Compare this with a fire a fire at the National |
| The gas is stored in pressurized cylinders and is | | | | Weather Service, when firefighters sprayed a burning |
| delivered through a network of pipes and nozzles | | | | Cray C90 supercomputer (worth $45 million) with dry |
| throughout the data center. | | | | chemicals that destroyed it. During the height of |
| If discharged, FM-200 can be dispersed by opening | | | | hurricane season, the weather service went without |
| doors and ventilating the data center for a few | | | | its most advanced weather models and had to use |
| minutes. This means that the data center can | | | | two back-up computers with only 40 percent of the |
| continue to operate, particularly if the fire was minor | | | | capacity of the Cray. |
| or if the suppression system was activated as a | | | | What outcome would you want? |
| precaution. | | | | Your data center's commitment to equipment and |
| FM-200 is a hydrofluorocarbon and does not damage | | | | data safety must match your risk management and |
| the environment by depleting ozone. It was | | | | business continuity policies. |