Things that go Bump in the Data Center

In this post, Server Technology is taking a break from its regularly scheduled, keyword-rich Servertech PDU blog content to bring you a less searchable look at the upcoming holiday. Halloween, or Dia De Los Muertos in Mexico, or All Soul’s Day in much of Europe, or ‘the world’s greatest candy holiday’ as it is known in my household, is a day whose celebration takes many forms. 

As these cool days signal the end of summer, I see the Fall holiday as one that invites introspection.  As such, I’d like to offer some random observations about the intersection of the mission-critical world and one of the world’s oldest holidays.

If you continue reading, I cannot be responsible for the nightmares that are sure to come.

First, when Stephen King wrote ‘It,’ I wonder if he had ‘information technology’ in mind?  IT departments and data centers can be scary places – if you have ever worked in one, you know exactly what I mean.  There would be red balloons floating around the aisles were it not for the high volume of airflow.  And Pennywise has nothing on some of the creatures I’ve seen lurking around the cubicles in many IT shops.  Ever heard IT people make jokes in meetings?  Talk about scary. 

Second, have you ever thought about why they call inactive pieces of IT gear ‘Zombie servers?’  I get the part where they are just sitting there and not doing anything, but in most modern Zombie depictions the undead person is far from a passive participant.  In fact, the standard post-apocalyptic Zombie is quite active, perhaps even ravenous and bloodthirsty.  From this day forward I propose to the industry that these devices be known as ‘Vampire servers.’  After all, aren’t they really stealthy creatures, lurking about, sucking the life out of your facility?

Finally, everyone knows the full moon brings Werewolves about.  But in the mission-critical world, what brings more doom than a full moon?  No moon at all.  If you have ever been in a data center when the lights go out, it is an eerie feeling.  The entire space becomes perfectly quiet.  There is no airflow, neither from the cooling system nor the fans blowing flame-hot air from the backs of the racks.  As your eyes adjust to the silent dark, you notice the abundance of small red, green and blue lights in the racks – eyes looking at you, unwelcoming.  The only sound you hear besides your racing heart is that of beeping alarms.  And in that moment, you come to realize that everything needs power.

Power is what keeps those scary sights and sounds from haunting your data center.  Even if you don’t believe any of the horrible Halloween creatures mentioned above, you can surely understand that life without power is a nightmare.  We just want you to know that Servertech is here for you with PDUs and expertise to keep those fears at bay.

To learn more about the different kinds of power distribution units we offer, visit our website or head to our PDU builder.