Commercial Architecture June 2017 - 62

PROJECT

building technology

is unheard of. The agency doesn't call us. We're not

they want immediate response, and

getting alarms on our phones saying, 'Hey, I'm hot.'

our equipment has to meet certain

'Humidity's out of whack,' Data Aire units do their

standards in order to be able to serve

jobs correctly today just like they were designed to do

our users quickly. We have to have

30 years ago," said Hawkins.

that data there and available at all
costs."

ABOVE AND BEYOND

Over the years the CRAC equipment at the John

ON MAINTENANCE

Duncan Federal Building has been put through some

As reliable and solid as equipment

extreme conditions. For a period of time the govern-

may be, 30 years of virtually trou-

ment, in an attempt to manage energy usage, mandat-

ble-free service doesn't happen by ac-

ed that almost the entire facility, including the main

cident. An extremely dedicated team

air-conditioning system, be shut down at night during

that takes a lot of pride in their work

the summer months. This caused areas surrounding

makes a difference.

the data center to become very hot, with temperatures

"Basically, like any piece of equip-

reaching into the 90s and 100s on the upper floors,

ment that is critical to the facility/

which is extremely detrimental for environmen-

agency, that unit is checked every

tal-control equipment.

morning and every evening. That

Chris Finger recalled, "The environment around

piece of equipment is critical, be-

the server room became extremely hot. The server

cause if the servers get hot and shut

room is not completely sealed off from the hot areas,

down, then the agency shuts down,"

yet the Data Aire equipment maintained the tempera-

Scott Hawkins said. "We maintain

ture at an acceptable level. Even under those condi-

things on a daily basis. We believe in

tions, the units performed well. Since I've been here,

proactivity. We don't believe in fight-

the load has increased, but the units have continued to

ing fires, so it's important to check

perform and keep that area satisfied."

your equipment on a daily basis,

Daniel Lewis, a longtime IT specialist for the OSM

monthly basis, and then also do your

concurred. "Thus far, we haven't had any cooling is-

annuals. Of course, we keep the belts

sues. There are no worries, and I'm grabbing my coat

changed out. That's about as compli-

to keep warm. As far as our data is concerned, obvious-

cated as it gets to take care of these

ly, there's been some evolution over the years going on

units."
What will happen to old CRAC

in that area, but the consistent things in the server
room are the cooling units that have been very reliable
for us."

Data Aire CRAC equipment, installed in 1987, has been cooling the data center servers and
related equipment for 30 years.

equipment after 30 years of faithful
service? It may live on as a trade show
display and eventually become part of

SAFE DATA

a permanent display at Data Aire cor-

Lewis and others at OSM clearly know what mission

goes down with those records, we're dead in the water

critical really means and how important the mission

electronically. The Data Aire equipment allows us to

"We're excited to receive [this] new unit," Scott

was and still is. Tom Haywood, administrative officer,

maintain a comprehensive electronic filing system,

Hawkins said. "We have fought many fires before

oversees daily operations of the building on the ad-

including emails and documents, essentially all of

from other units because we have many facilities.

ministration side and wears many hats, including pur-

our electronic records."

And we have many data units. Data Aire has given us

porate headquarters in Orange, CA.

chasing agent, safety officer, physical security officer,

Daniel Lewis also noted that, in addition to pre-

the least amount of trouble of any of the units that

and records management. He has worked at the facility

venting data-center equipment failure, the proper

we have. And that's gospel. That's truth. I'm guessing

for eight years.

temperature also enhances data-center server perfor-

that the new Data Aire equipment is built like the old

"The records that we maintain and the servers, all

mance. "Timing is critical as far as our data is con-

equipment, so it should make it until my retirement.

the data and historical, archived records, are crucial,"

cerned. When a user sits down behind their desk,

That's what I'm looking for," he said. CA

Haywood said emphatically. "I mean, we have vital
records that track history. So preserving the integrity
of those records within our electronic filing system
and server units is key for the nation's interest and that
of the public."
Haywood added, "We've got official federal records

Want more information? To download the information listed below, visit
commercialarchitecturemagazine.com/1706dataaire.

in there. It has to be temperature controlled to main-

Circle 7 on the Reader Service Card.

Download literature.

tain proficiency and efficiency to transfer that data in

View Data Aire products.

Watch videos.

and out. We have numerous locations across the nation that feed into and out of that server. If something
62

COMMERCI A L A RCHI T EC T URE

JUNE 2017

commercialarchitecturemagazine.com

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Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Commercial Architecture June 2017