University Data Center Fire

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INCIDENT

On February 16, 2024, a significant incident occurred at a university's data center when a fire broke out in the battery backup control unit located in the rear of the facility. The resulting fire and smoke caused extensive damage to the rack units within the data center. However, it's fortunate that the damage was contained to only one room, limiting the overall impact on the university's operations.

CHALLENGES & LOGISTICS

As one of the largest public higher-education systems in the country, it was crucial to restore the data center to its pre-loss condition as soon as possible. This data center not only provided services for the university, but also supported outside educational and government agencies that could not afford to experience service disruptions.

With an estimated replacement cost of $2 million and several months needed to procure replacement equipment, it was inevitable that the university would need to rely on technical restoration to ensure business continuity.

OUTCOME

AREPA's technical experts successfully restored 45 data center racks, including port switches, battery controllers, power distribution panels, servers, and other equipment. Importantly, this restoration was carried out without interrupting service. The restoration process involved meticulous cleaning and decontamination of the equipment and thoroughly testing the systems to ensure they met operational standards.

Over the years, AREPA has gained this client's trust and continues to assist them with decontamination services to support their ongoing success. The swift and efficient response not only minimized downtime but also reinforced the university's resilience against such incidents. The collaboration between the university's IT department and AREPA's technical team ensured that the data center was back to full operational capacity in a timely manner, safeguarding the university's reputation and maintaining the trust of the external agencies dependent on its services.