3 ms·

I used to work at the CSTJF in Pau, France which is one of Total's biggest cluster (if not the biggest). Their data-center was ranked 91 in the top-100 at the t

by nakkiel 15y ago

I used to work at the CSTJF in Pau, France which is one of Total's biggest cluster (if not the biggest). Their data-center was ranked 91 in the top-100 at the time. In the event of a fire, they have (had?) a system that would release a gaz in the data-center that would "eat" oxygen so that the said fire would die. Obviously any living creatures trapped in the data-center would die as well. The evacuation time before release was perhaps something like 30 to 60 seconds (I can't remember that). Just enough to drop anything and reach one of the safe corridor where no gaz is released.

cd34 15y ago
Halon 1301 is the gas that used to be used which was banned in the 90s. Most inert gas fire suppression systems use HFCs or Ketones now and have a ten minute hold time. They work by displacing the oxygen and reducing it to <10% which is not enough to support flame - or life. In '86, I was in a data center that had expanded to take up 70% more space. During the expansion, emergency lighting hadn't been put up. During expansion, a 470 volt three-phase line had been put in, the insulation had been stripped off while they were pulling it through the conduit. As it heated up, gas or vapors from the melted insulation built up and the 1/4" thick conduit was ripped open with roughly an 8" hole and an explosion people on the first floor heard (computer room was in the basement). One of the operators panicked, tripped over the anti static carpet, ripped the Fire Suppression box off the wall and pulled the Halon. He stumbled out the automatic sliding glass doors and hit the EPO leaving the data center completely dark with me about 120' from the door in pitch black. I had walked those corridors between the drives hundreds of times, but, had difficulty finding the path. Time was running out, so, I stood on one of the minicomputers, moved one of the drop ceiling tiles and stuck my head into the return air plenum and the Halon went off. It was noisy, sort of a giant whoosh with a low rumble and a very odd smell. I don't know how long I stood there, but, it wasn't more than a few minutes before a flashlight was shining on me with a Fireman in full gear. After that, we had emergency lighting and oxygen tanks throughout and the Halon system was upgraded. When the tanks were refilled, they did the math and noticed that the amount of Halon we had wasn't enough for the expanded data center and probably wouldn't have extinguished a fire. Most humorous moment - seeing firemen walk through the data center with axes in hand looking for fire.
- LeChuck 15y ago
  Ships engine rooms are required to have to separate CO2 release controls for exactly that reason. One releases the CO2 into a protected space and the other releases it into the protected space.
- cperciva 15y ago
  I hope the data center owner had to pay a hefty fine for almost killing you.
  - omegant 15y ago
    maybe it is worth keeping an emergency flashlight on you always. One of those small led flashlight that give like 100 lumens or so.
    - tomjen3 15y ago
      Thoes come free with an andoid phone with physical flash.
      - justincormack 15y ago
        Slower to turn on than a real one.
        regularfry 15y ago
        Not by much, and I always know where my phone is. Not necessarily true of a torch that I'm not used to carrying.
      - regularfry 15y ago
        Related: I had to get out of a pitch-black room on Thursday, when the IR-triggered lights flicked off because I'd been in the room too long. So I downloaded a torch. I love the 21st century.
  - cd34 15y ago

by nakkiel 15y ago

cd34 15y ago

Halon 1301 is the gas that used to be used which was banned in the 90s. Most inert gas fire suppression systems use HFCs or Ketones now and have a ten minute hold time. They work by displacing the oxygen and reducing it to <10% which is not enough to support flame - or life. In '86, I was in a data center that had expanded to take up 70% more space. During the expansion, emergency lighting hadn't been put up. During expansion, a 470 volt three-phase line had been put in, the insulation had been stripped off while they were pulling it through the conduit. As it heated up, gas or vapors from the melted insulation built up and the 1/4" thick conduit was ripped open with roughly an 8" hole and an explosion people on the first floor heard (computer room was in the basement). One of the operators panicked, tripped over the anti static carpet, ripped the Fire Suppression box off the wall and pulled the Halon. He stumbled out the automatic sliding glass doors and hit the EPO leaving the data center completely dark with me about 120' from the door in pitch black. I had walked those corridors between the drives hundreds of times, but, had difficulty finding the path. Time was running out, so, I stood on one of the minicomputers, moved one of the drop ceiling tiles and stuck my head into the return air plenum and the Halon went off. It was noisy, sort of a giant whoosh with a low rumble and a very odd smell. I don't know how long I stood there, but, it wasn't more than a few minutes before a flashlight was shining on me with a Fireman in full gear. After that, we had emergency lighting and oxygen tanks throughout and the Halon system was upgraded. When the tanks were refilled, they did the math and noticed that the amount of Halon we had wasn't enough for the expanded data center and probably wouldn't have extinguished a fire. Most humorous moment - seeing firemen walk through the data center with axes in hand looking for fire.

LeChuck 15y ago
Ships engine rooms are required to have to separate CO2 release controls for exactly that reason. One releases the CO2 into a protected space and the other releases it into the protected space.
cperciva 15y ago
I hope the data center owner had to pay a hefty fine for almost killing you.
- omegant 15y ago
  maybe it is worth keeping an emergency flashlight on you always. One of those small led flashlight that give like 100 lumens or so.
  - tomjen3 15y ago
    Thoes come free with an andoid phone with physical flash.
    - justincormack 15y ago
      Slower to turn on than a real one.
      - regularfry 15y ago
        Not by much, and I always know where my phone is. Not necessarily true of a torch that I'm not used to carrying.
    - regularfry 15y ago
      Related: I had to get out of a pitch-black room on Thursday, when the IR-triggered lights flicked off because I'd been in the room too long. So I downloaded a torch. I love the 21st century.
- cd34 15y ago