Environmental Control Systems

This question asks if your data centers have working air conditioning and fire prevention systems that are regularly checked. Servers generate tremendous heat and are vulnerable to fire - without proper cooling they'll overheat and shut down, and without fire suppression, a small electrical issue could destroy everything. Regular testing ensures these systems will work when needed.

Environmental control failures can cause cascading hardware failures, data loss, and extended downtime that devastates customer trust. Proper cooling and fire suppression systems protect your physical infrastructure investment and ensure continuous operations. Regular testing documentation also satisfies compliance requirements and reduces insurance premiums while demonstrating operational excellence to prospective customers.

Many companies assume their data center provider handles all testing but don't verify or request documentation. Another critical mistake is not having redundant cooling systems - when the primary system fails during maintenance or breakdown, temperatures can spike dangerously within minutes.