Site Preparation Guide, Second Edition - HP Integrity cx2620 Server

Row Orientation
Row orientation has an impact on the airflow, temperature, particulate contamination, and power
distribution of the environment. Consider the following when planning equipment layout:
• HP recommends the use of hot aisle (exhaust) and cold aisle (intake) orientation.
• HP further recommends that the airflow (air conditioned supply and return) be parallel to
the aisleways.
• HP recommends adherence to the temperature and humidity standards located at:
http://standards.inet.cpqcorp.net/smc/hpstd/AHP0000501.htm.
HP product specifications for temperature and humidity are measured at 200 mm from air intake
center of device.
Dust and Pollution Control
Computer equipment can be adversely affected by dust and microscopic particles in the site
environment. Specifically, disk drives, tape drives, and some other mechanical devices can have
bearing failures resulting from airborne abrasive particles. Dust might also blanket such electronic
components as printed circuit boards, causing premature failure due to excess heat or humidity
buildup on the boards. Other failures to power supplies and other electronic components can
be caused by metallically conductive particles, including zinc whiskers. These metallic particles
are conductive and can short circuit electronic components. Use every effort to ensure that the
environment is as dust- and particulate-free as possible. Refer to “Metallic Particulate
Contamination” for additional details.
Smaller particles can pass through some filters and, over time, cause problems in mechanical
parts. Prevent small dust particles from entering the computer room by maintaining the
air-conditioning system at a high static air pressure level.
Other sources of dust, metallic, conductive, abrasive, and microscopic particles can be present.
Some sources of these particulates are:
• Subfloor shedding
• Raised-floor shedding
• Ceiling-tile shedding
These particulates are not always visible to the naked eye. A good check to determine their
possible presence is to check the underside of the tiles. The tile should be shiny, galvanized, and
rust-free.
Keep the computer room clean. HP recommends the following guidelines:
Smoking Establish a no-smoking policy. Particulates of cigarette smoke will
not improve the operation or reliability of surrounding equipment.
Printer Locate printers and paper products in a separate room to eliminate
paper particulate problems.
Eating or drinking Establish a no-eating-or-drinking policy. Spilled liquids can cause
short circuits in equipment such as keyboards.
Tile floors Use a dust-absorbent cloth mop rather than a dry mop to clean tile
floors.
Cleaning Use only HP-approved cleaners.
Special precautions are necessary if the computer room is near a source of air pollution. Some
air pollutants, especially hydrogen sulfide (H
2
S), are not only unpleasant, but corrosive as well.
H
2
S damages wiring and delicate sound equipment. The use of activated charcoal filters reduces
this form of air pollution.
Metallic Particulate Contamination
Metallic particles can be especially harmful around electronic equipment. This type of
contamination can enter the data center environment from a variety of sources, including but
32 General Site Preparation Guidelines