2.2. Environment
Your system's environment consists of all those
factors that are not actually part of the server itself, but
nevertheless play a crucial role in the reliability and quality
that can be expected from the system. Electrical supplies, room
temperature and humidity, sources of interference, and security are
all factors that should be contemplated.
2.2.1. Power Conditioning and
Uninterruptible Power Supplies
When selecting the power sources for your
system, consideration should be given not only to the amount of
power the system will use, but also to the manner in which that
power is delivered.
Power is not as simple as voltage coming from
the outlet in the wall, and you should never just plug a production
system into whatever electrical source is near at hand. Giving some consideration to
the supply of power to your system can provide a far more stable
power environment, leading to a far more stable system.
Properly grounded, conditioned power feeding a
premium-quality power supply will ensure a clean logic ground (a.k.a. 0-volt)
reference for the system and keep
electrical noise on the motherboard to a minimum. These are
industry-standard best practices for this type of equipment, which
should not be neglected. A relatively simple way to achieve this is
through the use of a power-conditioned UPS.
2.2.1.1. Power-conditioned UPSs
The UPS is well known for its role as a battery
backup, but the power-conditioning benefits that high-end UPS units
also provide are less well understood.
Power conditioning can provide a valuable level
of protection from the electrical environment by regenerating clean
power through an isolation transformer. A quality power conditioner
in your UPS will eliminate most electrical noise from the power
feed and help to ensure a rock-steady supply of power to your
system.
Unfortunately, not all UPS units are created
equal; many of the less expensive units do not provide clean power.
What's worse, manufacturers of these devices will often promise all
kinds of protection from surges, spikes, overvoltages, and
transients. While such devices may protect your system from getting
fried in an electrical storm, they will not clean up the power
being fed to your system, and thus will do nothing to contribute to
stability.
Make sure your UPS is power conditioned. If it
doesn't say exactly that, it isn't.
2.2.2. Grounding
Voltage is
defined as the difference in electrical potential between two
points. When considering a ground
(which is basically nothing more than an electrical path to earth),
the common assumption is that it represents 0 volts. But if we do
not define that 0V in relation to
something, we are in danger of assuming things that may not be so.
If you measure the voltage between two
grounding references, you'll often find that there is a voltage
potential between them. This voltage potential between grounding
points can be significant enough to cause logic errorsor even
damagein a system where more than one path to ground is
present.
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One of the authors recalls once frying a sound
card he was trying to connect to a friend's stereo systemeven
though both the computer and the stereo were in the same room, more
than 6 volts of difference was measured between the ground
conductors of the two electrical outlets they were plugged into!
The wire between the stereo and the PC (by way of the sound card)
provided a path that the voltage eagerly followed, thus frying a
sound card that was not expecting an electrical current on its
signal leads. Connecting both the PC and the stereo to the same
outlet fixed the problem.
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When considering electrical regulations, the
purpose of a ground is primarily human safety. In a computer, the
ground is used as a 0V logic reference
. An electrical system that provides proper safety will not always
provide a proper logic referencein fact, the goals of safety and
power quality are sometimes in disagreement. Naturally, when a
choice must be made, safety has to take precedence.
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Since the difference between a binary zero and a
binary one is represented in computers by voltage differences of
sometimes less than 3V, it is entirely possible for unstable power
conditions caused by poor grounding or electrical noise to cause
all manner of intermittent system problems. Some power and
grounding advocates estimate that more than 80% of unexplained
computer glitches can be traced to power quality.
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Modern switching power supplies are somewhat
isolated from power quality issues, but any high-performance system
will always benefit from a well-designed power environment. In
mainframes, proprietary PBXs, and other expensive computing
platforms, the grounding of the system is never left to chance. The
electronics and frames of these systems are always provided with a
dedicated ground that does not depend on the safety grounds
supplied with the electrical feed.
Regardless of how much you are willing to invest
in grounding, when you specify the electrical supply to any PBX,
ensure that the electrical circuit is completely dedicated to your
system (as discussed in the next section) and that an insulated,
isolated grounding conductor is provided. This can be expensive to
provision, but it will contribute greatly to a quality power
environment for your system.
It is also vital that each and every peripheral
you connect to your system be connected to the same electrical
receptacle (or, more specifically, the same ground reference). This
will cut down on the occurrence of ground loops, which can cause
anything from buzzing and humming noises to damaged or destroyed
equipment.
2.2.3. Electrical Circuits
If you've ever seen the lights dim when an
electrical appliance kicks in, you've seen the effect that a
high-energy device can have on an electrical circuit. If you were
to look at the effects of a multitude of such devices, each drawing
power in its own way, you would see that the harmonically perfect
50- or 60-Hz sine wave you may think you're getting with your power
is anything but. Harmonic noise is extremely common on electrical
circuits
, and
it can wreak havoc on sensitive electronic equipment. For a PBX,
these problems can manifest as audio problems, logic errors, and
system instability.
Never install a server on an electrical circuit
that is shared with any other devices. There should be only one
outlet on the circuit, and you should connect only your telephone
system (and associated peripherals) to it. The wire (including the
ground) should be run unbroken directly back to the electrical
panel. The grounding conductor should be insulated, and isolated.
There are far too many stories of photocopiers, air conditioners,
and vacuum cleaners wreaking havoc with sensitive electronics to
ignore this rule of thumb.
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The electrical regulations in your area must
always take precedence over any ideas presented here. If in doubt,
consult a power quality expert in your area on how to ensure that
you adhere to electrical regulations. Remember, electrical
regulations take into account the fact that human safety is far
more important than the safety of the equipment.
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2.2.4. The Equipment Room
Environmental conditions can wreak havoc on
systems, and yet it is quite common to see critical systems
deployed with little or no attention given to these matters. If one
looks at the statistics, it becomes obvious that attention to
environmental factors can play a significant role in the stability
and reliability of systems.
2.2.4.1. Humidity
Simply put, humidity is water in the air. Water
is a disaster for electronics, for two main reasons: 1) water is a
catalyst for corrosion, and 2) water is conductive enough that it
can cause short circuits. Do not install any electronic equipment
in areas of high humidity, without providing a means to remove the
moisture.
2.2.4.2. Temperature
Heat is the enemy of electronics. The cooler you
keep your system, the more reliably it will perform. If you cannot
provide a properly cooled room for your system, at a minimum ensure
that it is placed in a location that ensures a steady supply of
clean, cool air. Also, keep the temperature steady. Changes in
temperature can lead to condensation and other damaging
changes.
2.2.4.3. Dust
There is an old adage in the computer industry
that holds that dust bunnies inside of a computer are lucky. Let's
consider some of the realities of dust bunnies:
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Significant buildup of dust can restrict airflow
inside the system, leading to increased levels of heat.
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Dust can contain metal particles, which, in
sufficient quantities, can contribute to signal degradation or
shorts on circuit boards.
Put critical servers in a filtered environment,
and clean out dust bunnies on a regular schedule.
2.2.4.4. Security
Server security naturally involves protecting
against network-originated intrusions, but the environment also
plays a part in the security of a system. Telephone equipment
should always be locked away, and only persons who have a need to
access the equipment should be allowed near it.
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