ICT

ICT COMPUTER ROOM POLICY

Information & Communications Technologies

Computer Room Policy Handbook: Scope, Processes

and Procedures

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Doc. Ref. : ICT Computer Room Policy Handbook
Version : 1.5
Status : Final
Created by : Steven Lawlor/Okan Kibaroglu
Date : 17 September 2007
To be approved by : John Shemilt, Paul Allatt

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Version History

Version/Status Release Date Comments

1.1/Draft 13-06-2006 Creation Date
1.2/Draft 13-12-2006 S Lawlor update to Security details
1.3/Final 27-09-2007 S Lawlor final modifications to maintenance
and support details
1.4 12-10-2007 Add note re rack-mount servers only
1.5 20-09-2009 Add emergency procedures
1.6 08-07-2010 Change to Computer Room

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Computer Room Policy Handbook: Scope, Processes and Procedures .........................................................1

1 INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................................5
1.1 Purpose.........................................................................................................................................5
1.2 Scope.............................................................................................................................................5
1.3 Definitions ....................................................................................................................................5
2 SECURITY ...........................................................................................................................................5
2.1 Background .................................................................................................................................5
2.2 Entry Systems and Access Policy .........................................................................................5
2.3 Shift engineer Contractor Access out of hours .................................................................6
2.4 Closed Circuit Television .........................................................................................................6
3 SAFETY................................................................................................................................................6
3.1 Overview .......................................................................................................................................6
3.2 Signs and Information ..............................................................................................................6
3.3 Contact Information ...................................................................................................................6
3.4 Health and Safety Considerations .........................................................................................6
3.5 Emergency Exits and Fire Alarm Procedures ....................................................................7
3.6 Fire detection and Fire extinguishers...................................................................................7
3.7 CO2 Cooling System ..................................................................................................................7
3.8 Electrical Safety ..........................................................................................................................7
4 COMPUTER ROOM USE..................................................................................................................7
4.1 Hours of Operation ....................................................................................................................7
4.2 Available Facilities .....................................................................................................................7
4.3 Equipment Delivery ...................................................................................................................8
4.4 Environmental Restrictions and Considerations ..............................................................8
4.5 Control of Equipment and Spares .........................................................................................8
4.6 Console equipment (monitor, keyboard and mouse) .......................................................8
4.7 Prohibited Items .........................................................................................................................8
5 SYSTEM HOSTING SERVICE .........................................................................................................9
5.1 What the Computer Room Provides .....................................................................................9
5.2 Accessible Areas........................................................................................................................9
5.3 Equipment Requirements ........................................................................................................9
5.4 Emergency Procedures ............................................................................................................9
6 ENVIRONMENT ................................................................................................................................10
6.1 Air Conditioning .......................................................................................................................10
6.2 CO2 Cooling for HPC Equipment .........................................................................................10
6.3 Power Provision .......................................................................................................................10
6.4 UPS Provision ...........................................................................................................................10
6.5 Environment Control ...............................................................................................................10
6.6 Environment monitoring ........................................................................................................10
6.7 Dust prevention ........................................................................................................................11
6.8 Waste Disposal and Cleaning ...............................................................................................11
6.9 Out-of-hours / Emergency Maintenance ............................................................................11
7 CHANGE AND CONFIGURATION MANAGEMENT .................................................................11
All the Changes to the CI (Configuration Item) ...............................................................................11
7.1 Overview .....................................................................................................................................11
7.2 Reporting Changes ..................................................................................................................12

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1 INTRODUCTION

1.1 Purpose

The purpose of this document is to define the policies and procedures relating to the operation of
ICT Computer Room areas.

1.2 Scope

Security
Safety measures and procedures.
Emergency measures and procedures
Access procedures.
System hosting facilities.
Change and configuration management.
Environmental control, reporting and maintenance.
Monitoring facilities.

1.3 Definitions

2 SECURITY

2.1 Background

The vulnerability of business critical information systems and the data they contain within the Computer
Room make the site a high value asset which requires a high degree of protection. A range of security
measures are therefore in place to protect employees, information and physical assets, along with the
reputation of the University and interested third parties with equipment in the Computer Room.

2.2 Entry Systems and Access Policy

Security policy applies to full and part time employees, contractors, vendors, consultants and externally
employed people who require Computer Room access. Access is controlled via RFID card readers and
all doors are fitted with sensors to detect unauthorised or prolonged opening. Staff and visitors must not
adjust or otherwise tamper with door fittings. Any suspected faults with doors, lights or any security
equipment should be reported to a member of the Computer Room staff immediately.

All visitors must sign the visitors book located within the reception area upon arrival.

Access via RFID card is split as follows:

o Hosted system access to ME401 (Hall 1 of the Mechanical Engineering Computer Room)
for designated hosted system owners and essential ICT personnel
o Hosted system access to ME402 (Hall 2 of the Mechanical Engineering Computer Room)
for designated hosted system owners and essential ICT personnel
o Computer Room 24*7*365 access. Providing access to the Mechanical Engineering
Computer Room, Huxley (DoC) computer suite and SAF room G32 for Out-of-Hours and
other essential staff
o Computer Room business hours access. Provides access 7am-11pm Monday to Sunday
to the Mechanical Engineering Computer Room, Huxley (DoC) computer suite and SAF
room G32

Anyone granted room access must have an RFID-enabled card which should be worn outside clothing
and be clearly visible at all times.

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A request form must be completed to arrange access. This can be obtained via e-mail from
s.lawlor@imperial.ac.uk or s.berry@imperial.ac.uk.

Temporary cards are available for issue from Computer Room staff in the operations room in Mechanical
Engineering for temporary visitors. ID is required and cards must be signed in and out.

Visits must be agreed 24 hours beforehand. Unannounced/unescorted visitors will be denied access. In
the case of business critical systems and general emergencies exceptions must be supported by a
member of staff before cards can be issued.

Tailgating into restricted areas is prohibited. Care must therefore be taken by all authorised staff to
prevent this. During deliveries authorised staff must supervise such work at all times.

2.3 Shift engineer Contractor Access out of hours

SPIE are responsible for maintenance of the Computer Room outside normal working hours. A response
wallet for maintenance contractors is held at Sherfield Security containing an access card, plant rooms
keys, etc. SPIE are authorised to obtain the response wallet to allow them to fully respond to
emergencies out of hours.

2.4 Closed Circuit Television

Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) monitoring and recording is in operation at all entry and exit points to
the Computer Room and is centrally monitored by College Security.

3 SAFETY

3.1 Overview

ICT seeks to operate according to College Health and Safety Policy, a summary of which can be seen at
https://www.ic.ac.uk/spectrum/safety/internal/policies/guide.htm#6 (College login required). A printed
copy is also available from Computer Room staff on request.

3.2 Signs and Information

Safety signs and information are posted at access points to the Computer Room. General notices are
also posted around the Computer Room providing detailed information on first aid, emergency contacts
and general Health and Safety issues.

3.3 Contact Information

- Emergency and out of hours contact details. Information on emergency and out-of-hours
maintenance contacts is posted at all entrances to the Computer Room.
- First Aid contact information. A list of first aid contacts is posted throughout the Computer Room.
Help can also be obtained by contacting any member of Computer Room staff.
- Fire safety. Any fire safety concerns should be raised with a member of Computer Room staff
who will deal with the matter with the involvement of College Fire Staff as necessary.

3.4 Health and Safety Considerations

There are a number of Health and Safety considerations when working in the Computer Room, namely:

- Heavy Lifting. No one should attempt to lift heavy equipment without suitable help. Computer
Room staff are available to assist when moving heavy items, and suitable transport equipment is
provided to assist. Please request help via the Operations Bridge.

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- Working at Height. No one should attempt to lift equipment in and out of racks unaided. Staff are
on hand to move equipment in and out of racks, particularly where height makes the task more
dangerous.
- Noise. Noise levels are checked at regular 6-monthly intervals to ensure a safe working
environment. Present noise levels are such that ear defenders should be worn if working in
ME401 for periods longer than 30 minutes. Ear defenders are available from staff located in the
Operations Bridge and should be returned after use.
- Lone Working. Anyone working in the Computer Room for prolonged periods should let staff
know of their presence. Users are advised to take regular breaks from working to avoid adverse
effects from temperature and noise levels in particular.
- Lasers. Equipment that includes lasers, such as fibre channel switches, should be clearly
identified using appropriate labels. Labels can be obtained from Computer Room staff if required.
To reduce any risk caps should be placed on laser-emitting devices not in use; otherwise such
equipment should be removed all together.
- Floor Tile removal. When taking up raised floor tiles, areas must be cordoned off using the
flexible safety barriers provided. If work is expected to take a significant period of time then
Computer Room staff must also be made aware to allow them to inform others.

3.5 Emergency Exits and Fire Alarm Procedures

Emergency exits are the main entry and exit points at the front and rear of the Computer Room. Further
doors within the Operations Bridge and Core networks area in ME402 also provide access to the plant
area on the roof but this does not provide a means of escape from the building to ground level.

3.6 Fire detection and Fire extinguishers

The Computer Room in Mechanical Engineering is fitted with a fire detection system linked to audible
and visual alarms (coloured red) placed throughout the Computer Room. If an alarm is activated leave
the room immediately at the designated exit points and exit the building at ground level via the stairs.
Never use the lifts. Users should then go the designated meeting point at the Queens Tower next to the
lawn outside the Sherfield Building. For small incidents fire extinguishers are placed throughout the
Computer Room alongside instruction signs.

3.7 CO2 Cooling System

CO2 cooling is in operation in ME401. For safety purposes sensors and audible and visual alarms
(coloured orange and labelled) are in place to warn of any rise in CO2 levels above safe working levels. If
an alarm event occurs leave the room immediately and inform staff. No one should return to ME401 after
an alarm until staff advise it is safe to do so.

3.8 Electrical Safety

PAT testing is carried out on all computer equipment and cables used in the Computer Room by trained
staff. Please ask for equipment to be PAT tested before it is deployed.

4 COMPUTER ROOM USE

4.1 Hours of Operation

The Computer Room operates on a continuous basis, with staff in attendance between 8:30am and
6:00pm on weekdays.

4.2 Available Facilities

- Staging room. A Staging Room is available to ICT staff to unpack, build and configure systems
prior to use.

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- Storage. Storage space is at a premium. Storage shelves and racks are provided to hold spares
and consumables such as patch leads and power strips. Those with hosted systems should
generally consider other locations to keep spares and equipment outside of racks wherever
possible.

4.3 Equipment Delivery

A goods lift is accessible via the Stores Department on level 1 at the rear of Mechanical Engineering
to deliver racks and other large items to level 4. Door frame height restrictions on level 4 currently
prevent racks larger than 42u from being wheeled unimpeded along the corridor. A standard rack
height of 42U should be used.

When transporting equipment through corridor areas where offices are located care should be taken
to keep disturbance to other building users to a minimum.

4.4 Environmental Restrictions and Considerations

- Racks. A maximum height of 42u is in place for racks in the Computer Room, to ensure adequate
clearance between racks and overhead network cable tray work. It also recommended that racks
be 800mm wide and 1000mm deep where possible, as this makes internal cabling easier to
install and manage.
- Heat load. For hosted systems the cooling capacity of the room is sized for 4Kw of cooling per
rack space.

4.5 Control of Equipment and Spares

Equipment left outside racks must be clearly labelled with the name of the owner, a contact telephone
number and a date indicating how long it is required. Unlabelled items, or any which exceed their
removal date will be removed.

4.6 Console equipment (monitor, keyboard and mouse)

Mobile consoles marked Computer Room are provided for connection to systems for local working. Any
other similar equipment, such as that belonging to and marked HPC must not be moved or used by
others. Anyone having difficulty locating such equipment should contact staff for assistance.

To avoid blocking aisles after using a mobile console please unplug and return to a storage location next
to the wall, between air conditioning units, ready for use by others.

4.7 Prohibited Items

The following items are prohibited from the Computer Room:

- Combustible materials such as paper and cardboard (except reference manuals as needed)
- Food and drink
- Tobacco products
- Explosives and weapons
- Hazardous materials
- Alcohol, illegal drugs and other intoxicants
- Electro-magnetic devices that could cause interference with computer and telecom equipment
- Radioactive materials
- Photographic or recording equipment (other than backup media)

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5 SYSTEM HOSTING SERVICE

5.1 What the Computer Room Provides

The Computer Room aims to provide a secure, controlled environment suitable for locating rack-
mountable computer systems. Power, cooling and networking connectivity are provided, and in some
cases UPS is available to protect systems from power fluctuations and short outages. Where UPS is not
available rack-mount UPS units should be fitted instead.

5.2 Accessible Areas

Administrators and owners of hosted systems can access either ME401 or ME402, containing hosted
equipment, via the front or rear doors to the Computer Room. Operations staff located in the Operations
Bridge are also on hand to provide any assistance required.

5.3 Equipment Requirements

- Under floor power sockets are single phase 32 Amp commando (blue). Where sockets are
expected to be heavily loaded sequential start power strips should be used, to avoid power
surges causing mains breakers to trip.
- Power strips must limit power delivered to individual items connected to within required
equipment limits. A power strip fed from 32 Amp mains power must therefore include appropriate
individual fuse protection for connected items.
- 32 amp to 16 amp power splitters with suitable C-Type 16 amp breakers fitted may be used. The
following item is generally recommended from Olson Electronics (http://www.olson.co.uk): part
number 888/16A/2CB/1m 32A.
- 42u high racks, 1000mm deep and 800mm wide are generally recommended. These avoid height
clearance issues, make equipment of equipment easier and allow power and other cabling to fit
comfortably within racks.ICT also proposes to install cold aisle containment to improve cooling
efficiency, based upon a standard 42u rack height.
- All equipment hosted in the Computer Room must be rack-mountable, to make effective use of
available room space.
- ICT must be notified in advance of any plans to add or remove equipment in the hosted room
area. All new equipment installs must be agreed in advance with ICT prior to their introduction.
Please ensure you have the full agreement of ICT to host your equipment before you purchase,
otherwise your equipment may be refused.

Advice on power, racking, etc can be obtained at any time from staff.

5.4 Emergency Procedures

ICT seeks to maintain an appropriately controlled environment for IT equipment to function on a 24*7
basis. However in the event of an emergency power or cooling outage a number of provisions are in
place to help protect equipment and ensure safety.

In the event of a cooling or power failure:

- Equipment should be colour coded to allow onsite staff to turn less essential items off to help
reduce overall heat load, using the following coding.
Green - Low priority. Safe to power off in emergencies
Yellow Medium priority. Keep running if circumstances permit
Red High priority. Essential; keep running unless a total shutdown is required.

- Hosted racks and equipment should be labelled with emergency contact details to allow onsite
staff to contact system owners in emergencies. All equipment should have identifying labels, e.g.
server name or IP address.

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- Auto shutdown. Should cooling fail all systems should be configured to shut down automatically if
temperatures reach unacceptably high levels. If systems do not have emergency shutdown
capability it is strongly advised that remote shutdown PDUs be used to allow system owners to
perform shutdowns remotely, or auto-shutdown power feeds based on temperature readings.

- PDU/breaker labelling. All in rack PDUs should be clearly labelled with details of the under-floor
commando socket used. Corresponding power breakers on the main room PDUs should also be
labelled with corresponding PDU/rack information. This allows mains shutdown via the breakers
in emergencies, where insufficient time is available to close down individual items of equipment.

- Alerting tools. Equipment such as servers and UPS units often have the capability to send
emergency alert messages. Owners of hosted equipment are strongly advised to configure
equipment to send such alert messages where possible. For UPS email alerts should also be
sent to ict-dc-installation-dl@imperial.ac.uk to make ICT staff aware of any power issues that
may be affecting hosted equipment.

6 ENVIRONMENT

6.1 Air Conditioning

Under floor air conditioning is provided throughout the room. This delivers up to 4Kw of cooling per rack
in accordance with the design specification.

6.2 CO2 Cooling for HPC Equipment

A CO2 cooling system is in operation in ME401 for High Performance Computing (HPC) systems. Safety
guidelines in section 3.6 of this document should be followed by all Computer Room users in relation to
this system. Signs on emergency procedures are also posted within the Computer Room.

6.3 Power Provision

Two single phase 32 Amp Commando sockets are available in each rack location, each fed from mains
power. For HPC equipment five 32 Amp commando sockets are available per rack location. For central
service systems located in ME402 one 32 amp socket per rack location is fed from a central UPS
providing 10 minutes run time at maximum load.

6.4 UPS Provision

In ME401 no central UPS is provided. Local UPS is provided for key systems by system owners.
Anyone wishing to place systems in the Computer Room should consider UPS provision requirements.
Please consult with Computer Room staff before purchasing small UPS units to ensure they can be
housed appropriately. All UPS units should be rack mountable with suitable racking kits supplied.

6.5 Environment Control

Cooling, power and UPS provision is controlled centrally via the Building Management System. Only
members of Estates maintenance staff are allowed to alter settings on any such equipment.

6.6 Environment monitoring

A number of monitors are in place to report on issues affecting the environment. These include:
- Hard wired temperature alarm to Sherfield Security Control desk, manned 24*7.
- Secondary temperature monitors reporting to ICT staff, maintenance and out of hours helpdesk.
- Leak detection system
- Smoke detection system
- Plant monitoring via the building management system reports on any issues to maintenance.

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6.7 Dust prevention

ICT aims to ensure the Computer Room remains dust free at all times, therefore packing or unpacking of
equipment should take place outside the room. Items can be unpacked in the staging room prior to
introduction into the computer room with the help of staff.

6.8 Waste Disposal and Cleaning

Cardboard and other items that can generate dust and are easily combustible should remain outside
computer rooms. Waste bins are available throughout the Computer Room for all other items of waste.

The Computer Room is cleaned on a weekly basis every Thursday morning as instructed.

6.9 Out-of-hours / Emergency Maintenance

Maintenance is provided during normal working hours by the College maintenance BLUE team and its
contractors. Outside normal working hours SPIE shift engineers are available to respond to issues. All
environmental faults both inside and outside normal working hours should be reported via the Estates
Helpdesk (estates-help@imperial.ac.uk) to ensure they are properly recorded and handled. However in
the event of a serious problem affecting the Computer Room environment in Mechanical Engineering,
particularly out of hours, the following can be contacted directly:

Estates Helpdesk: 48000 E-Mail: fm.helpdesk@imperial.ac.uk

SPIE Matthew Hall shift engineers 0207 594 9040 or mobile 0781 396 8866

For the CO2 system issued are handled by Estates FM/SPIE. In emergencies Star Refrigeration may be
contacted direct:

01474 568221 (Gravesend)

8:00am 4:30pm Mon to Thurs and 8:00am 3:30pm Friday

01274 727328 (Bradford)

All other times

Call Escalation numbers for Star Refrigeration:

1. Star Shift Engineer mobile 07775-826947
2. Peter Seaman, Shift Team Leader 07789-935514
3. George Gorecki, Shift Team Leader 07775-826949

Initial contact in emergencies should always be made with Estates Maintenance Blue Team via the
Estates Helpdesk. Outside of Estates maintenance hours (Mon-Fri 8.30am~4.30pm) SPIE shift
engineers can be contacted onsite to similarly address issues. Trox / Star may also be contacted direct;
however this is normally handled by Estates maintenance and/or SPIE.

ICT staff and Computer Room users should NEVER interfere with any of the plant serving the Computer
Room, especially transformers and other related HV equipment.

7 CHANGE AND CONFIGURATION MANAGEMENT

All the Changes to the CI (Configuration Item)

7.1 Overview

The Change Management Process covers all changes on Configuration Items (CIs) included in
ICTs Configuration Management Database (CMDB). The functional areas within the scope
include, but are not necessarily limited to ~
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All Computer Room equipment and software including MIS and hosted equipment
All Computer Room facilities equipment and software running on them including electricity, air
conditioning, etc. equipment
All Network equipment (including all cabling and communications infrastructure) and related
software
All voice system equipment and software
All desktop equipment and software
All licensed production software (Software under development is outside the scope.)
Operational processes and documentation
Release to production and decommissioning of all equipment, IT environment and services
managed by a project

The CIs and their attributes covered by the CMDB, and therefore subject to Change Control, are
defined in detail in the document ICT Configuration Management Data Base Handbook.

Non-production equipment (test and development servers, etc) will also be subject to change
control as per the above. However, change activities carried out on this equipment in line with
their purpose of use are exempt from change control.

In other words, changes made on program code in a development system with the purpose of
development will not be subject to change control. On the other hand, the addition or
replacement of a computer board, or upgrade/patching of operating system of a development
server will be in the scope of change control because they effectively alter the configuration of the
system. The memory and operating system of a development server will appear as CIs in the
CMDB (therefore subject to change control), whereas the program code will not be until after it
has been approved for release and installed on a production server.

In short:

All changes carried out on production CIs (as defined in the ICT CMDB Handbook) will
be subject to change control.
For CIs that were categorised as test and/or development CIs will not be subject to
change control for changes carried out for test and/or development purposes.
All changes carried out on experimental (sandbox) CIs will be exempt from change
control, with the exception of their own commissioning and decommissioning.

For completeness, we should also mention that day-to-day changes can be defined as changes
that are carried out as part of staffs day-to-day responsibilities, e.g. an administrator making
additions, updates and deletions of records on an application system. These do not fall within the
scope of Change Management described by this document.

7.2 Reporting Changes

For all Normal and Urgent changes, a Request for Change (RFC) is required. Please, use the
RFC Form ; If you experience any problem, please contact the change management using the
following contact:
Change Management Contact Numbers
ext
Sam Masih Change Specialist
41911
ext
Darren Alleyne Change Manager
47287

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