Selecting an appropriate cooling system for a server room in a location like Sandy Valley is vital if you want to see your computing equipment perform well and last for a long time. The desert climate of Sandy Valley poses a set of unique challenges, with temperature and (to a lesser extent) humidity being the main factors to control. Under ambient conditions, the human body can only tolerate a temperature range of about 28° to 32°C for skin temperatures (close to the 35° to 37°C core body temperature that is ideal for human health). In contrast, server room conditions should not exceed 20°C or fall below 10°C, with a relative humidity of 40% to 56% and no condensation results. When the room's average temperature exceeds the human threshold for comfort, the average surface temperature of the computing equipment has also exceeded the threshold for reliable operation.
Server rooms can utilize several kinds of cooling systems, each with its own merits and specific scenarios where it is most effective. Traditional air conditioning can work, but in extreme heat typical of Sandy Valley, it may not be sufficient. In-row and overhead cooling systems are much better in these applications because they put the cooling units much closer to the heat-generating equipment, better enabling them to manage hot spots and ensure even cooling across the room. Liquid cooling systems, which utilize chilled water or other coolant substances to absorb heat, have their edge when it comes to high-density server environments; the slightly more efficient liquid-to-air heat exchange makes this type of cooling better suited for cases where sheer volume of equipment is pushing the limits of what air-based cooling systems can do.
Keeping a server room cool depends not only on the right equipment but also on regular oversight that is every bit as crucial as choosing the correct tools. This is especially true in a climate like Sandy Valley's, where a powerful combination of sun, wind, and altitude makes for temperatures above 100°F even in the dry shade—never mind what the sun striking the server room doors warms up to in the shade of a sunny architectural overhang. And yet, even in optimal climate conditions, choosing the right place and the right tools for keeping a server room cool is a monumental engineering challenge. One that has to be solved seems Peninsula avoided: sticking the servers inside a well-insulated, air-tight box. To prevent the hardware from overheating, the engineers chose fans that blow the warm air from inside the box out through the top. And they hit upon an even better solution for the "better" problem.