CABLE MANAGEMENT
“Steel wire tray is by far the most appropriate cable management solution for data centre environments.”
Image: Cablofil
raise questions about the discrepancy between the perceived threat and the actual threat that zinc whiskers pose! Why, then, the current flurry of
concern about zinc whiskers, when the phenomenon has been in the industry’s consciousness for so long and so many data centres have operated perfectly well despite the multitude of zinc plated components throughout the installation? Much of the answer comes from the very fact that the industry has matured: not only is the role of data management now so critical to such a wide range of sectors that the possibility of a catastrophic failure is terrifying but also many of the data centre facilities constructed 20 or 30 years ago are now sufficiently old that there has been time for zinc whiskers to form, break off and float around the data hall. Meanwhile, technology has advanced, and the increasingly compact size of electronic assemblies and circuit boards means that distances between contacts on integrated circuits and other components makes it much more likely that a short circuit could occur in today’s electronics, if zinc whiskers should manage to get inside the hardware, than would have been the case in 1980s data halls.
Clearing the air
However, that ‘if’ is a very large if. While electronics have advanced, making them potentially more vulnerable to the
32 NETCOMMS europe Volume I, Issue 6 2011
threat of zinc whiskers, ventilation and filtration systems have also advanced and should be able to filter out even the most microscopic contaminants. Since it would seem safe to assume that data centres specified with the latest hardware would also be specified with the latest ventilation and filtration equipment, the risk of any zinc whiskers damaging equipment is minimal. What’s more, where zinc whiskers do occur, they are attached to the electroplated surface and only become dislodged to float around in the air if they are disturbed. It is for this reason that floor tiles are commonly perceived to be the main culprit of zinc whisker-related short circuits, as it is sometimes necessary to move floor tiles in order to gain access to the floor void for maintenance purposes. While the cause and effect evidence between the movement of zinc-plated floor tiles and short circuits within business critical hardware is inconclusive, it would seem prudent to err on the side of caution during any maintenance that needs to take place under the raised access floor to prevent the possibility of zinc whiskers entering the air flow in the data hall. Where zinc whiskers are found to be present, they can be removed effectively with the redirection and reduction of airflow under the raised access floor, removal of the contaminated floor panels, cleaning of the air plenum, cleaning and sealing of unmoveable panels and installation of new ones. However, data centre operators must balance the cost and disruption of this process against the evidence for the actual level of risk.
Quality is key
In reality, a balanced, considered appraisal of the risks and the possibility of any targeted research have been overshadowed by a panicked approach to vilifying any data centre component with zinc plating. Steel wire tray cable management systems are a case in point. Offering a lightweight and flexible
cable management solution that provides both excellent load bearing capabilities and ample natural ventilation to prevent cables from overheating, steel wire tray is by far the
most appropriate cable management solution for data centre environments. Its ease of installation makes it quick and easy to route and install the cable management at commissioning and to alter the configuration at any point, futureproofing the installation. However, scaremongering about the threat of zinc whiskers has caused some specifiers to question whether zinc plated steel wire tray systems should be installed in data halls and has led some to call for pre- galvanised steel sheet cable management systems for data centre applications. The problem with this approach would be that bending processes used to form the sheet cause the galvanising to crack and flake off, creating a greater risk of atmospheric zinc particles because the particles that flaked off would be larger in size.
A more practical approach is to
specify an epoxy-coated zinc-plated steel wire tray, as this seals in the zinc plating. It can also be used to colour code the installation as the supplier should be able to provide a variety of colours to the end user’s specification. This solution may provide additional peace of mind but it also constitutes an additional cost which, unless colour coding is already part of the brief, is not really necessary. The most important consideration is choosing a steel wire tray cable management supplier that offers a high quality product which is proven in data centre environments.
No cause for alarm?
Ultimately, the slightest possibility of a short circuit could pose a serious risk to business continuity and reputation, so it is something that data centre managers must take very seriously. However, it is important to weigh up the evidence rather than succumb to the chat room rumour mill. For me, the jury is still out on the level of risk caused by electroplated floor tiles but when it comes to steel wire tray cable management systems, a 40-year whisker-free track record, in the case of our company, provides a compelling case that there’s absolutely no cause for alarm.
www.netcommseurope.com
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