Set up the computers in a place where they
will not be bumped or moved at any time. If possible, they
should be in a room by themselves, with little or no foot
traffic. If workstations are used for data
storage, at least place them on stable furniture
and leave no cables exposed to traffic.
Keep the computer room cool and give each machine
excellent ventilation. Keep all machines away from walls and,
if possible, provide a separate air conditioner for the computer
room, with more-than-adequate cooling capability.
Install a Halon® fire extinguishing system
in the computer room rather than sprinklers.
Store backup media in a separate room from
the computers. This room should be fireproof, or
and/or have a Halon fire extinguishing system
(rather than a sprinkler system).
Ensure that there is adequate and uninterrupted power for the computers
(or at least surge protection).
Installing an uninterruptible power source (UPS)
will prevent system crashes caused by small electrical failures
and may provide enough power for an orderly shutdown
following major electrical failures.
This is especially important if your building
frequently suffers power glitches
or if you live in an area that is subject
to frequent major storms.
The computers should also be on an isolated, fully grounded (earthed) circuit.
If you install a local area network, plan the cabling
and location of all machines and peripherals carefully.
Seek the assistance of a networking
expert to make these plans. Good planning and the use of adequate
connecting media and compatible hardware are essential for
long-term network performance.
If you need leased lines for off-site connections, arrange
for these with your local telephone company.
If you plan to connect a printer to a parallel port,
locate it close to the machine running it. Keep
the machine out of the path of traffic to and from the printer.
If you connect terminals, printers, or other peripherals to
serial ports, consider using phone-line cabling and switching hardware,
especially if your system is expected to grow
in size and complexity. You can readily adapt phone lines
for serial hardware, and telephone connecting and switching
technology is mature and flexible.