Thursday, March 14, 2013

Not a Fan of Server Meltdowns



Accidents are a part of life. They’re unavoidable, but oftentimes we end up just kicking ourselves, saying “If only I’d have seen it coming!” There would be far fewer cars in the ditch, skinned knees, and burnt dinners. Luckily, the majority of unfortunate incidents lead to only minor consequences. When it comes to technology, the majority of “accidents” we have turn out to be nothing more than a file we didn’t save soon enough or an email with a typo. However, every once in a while, technology takes a turn for the worse. Oftentimes, the culprit behind these accidents is something we neglect up until we have a problem with it. Your server is a major investment, and protecting it from harm should be a primary concern. So what’s the specific culprit I’m talking about? It’s your server’s fan. So take heed, and take care of your server fan before it quits on you!

Why the Fan?

It seems like such an innocuous component in your server, right? A fan, while not the most noticeable or glamorous parts of a server, is still absolutely essential to the proper functioning of your technology. Fan problems can lead to devastating results if not taken care of quickly and effectively. If your system isn’t cooling well enough, your processor and motherboard can be damaged to the point where they require replacement. That will be an expensive undertaking, one which would be best to avoid. Here are three signs of impending fan failure, which, if noticed, should be taken very seriously.

Excessive Noise

While a normal server fan will run a little bit loud (it’s doing a lot of work to assist in the removal of that heat, after all), if your fan is running excessively loud or making odd whirring, clanking, or scraping noises, it’s time to call somebody in and shut down your system for a quick repair. Fan repair/replacement is relatively inexpensive, and should take no more than twenty minutes if done by an experienced professional.

Internal Temperature



This is one of the best ways to anticipate a problem with your server fan. Most servers will throw up a warning if the internal temperature climbs too far outside of normal operational parameters. Many servers will automatically shut down, as well, if the problem goes without service. However, why wait for it to become a bigger problem? Instead, monitor your server’s internal temperature from time to time to make sure it’s not getting too hot. If the environmental conditions are stable in your server room but a system’s core temperature keeps climbing, chances are the heat exchange is failing.

If you do need to remove a fan, you will need to remove the entire tray along with it. We always clean our fan along with its fan tray assembly. Your fan tray will collect dust and various particles. We clean our 541-0645 assembly once a month. With proper maintenance and careful monitoring, you need not risk the possible damages of a server fan failure.

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