N10-009 Question 187
Select 2Environmental factors: Humidity, Fire suppression, TemperatureA company is converting a small office storage room into a network closet for switches, patch panels, and a UPS. During the first summer after deployment, staff report intermittent switch failures and unexpected reboots. An inspection shows the room gets very warm, the air feels damp, and the building manager plans to install a standard water-sprinkler head directly above the rack. Which TWO actions would best reduce environmental risk and improve reliability in this network closet?
- A
Install dedicated cooling and environmental monitoring to keep temperature and humidity within equipment operating ranges
- B
Replace the planned water sprinkler with a clean-agent fire suppression system appropriate for electronic equipment
- C
Add more PoE devices to the access switches so the heat load is distributed across the rack
- D
Place a portable humidifier in the room so static electricity is completely eliminated
- E
Move the UPS to the top of the rack so rising heat is vented through the battery compartment
Show answer and explanation
Correct answers: A, B
Explanation
The best answers are to control temperature and humidity and to use fire suppression appropriate for electronics. Network equipment is sensitive to environmental conditions: excessive temperature can cause crashes, reboots, and early component failure, while excessive humidity can lead to condensation and corrosion. Industry best practices recommend maintaining environmental conditions within manufacturer specifications and using monitoring to detect excursions early. For fire protection, clean-agent systems are commonly preferred in IT spaces because they suppress fires without the collateral damage associated with water-based suppression. These recommendations align with common facilities guidance for data centers and telecom rooms, as well as manufacturer operating-environment documentation for switches, UPS systems, and other network hardware.
- A. Correct.
Correct. Excessive heat is a common cause of switch instability, shutdowns, and shortened hardware life. High humidity can also contribute to condensation and corrosion risks. A dedicated cooling solution and environmental monitoring sensors help maintain temperature and humidity within the vendor's recommended operating ranges, which is a standard best practice for network closets and server rooms.
- B. Correct.
Correct. Water-based sprinkler systems can damage energized electronic equipment and may extend downtime after a fire event. Clean-agent fire suppression systems are designed for occupied spaces and sensitive electronics because they suppress fire without leaving conductive residue or soaking equipment. This is a common recommendation for rooms housing critical IT infrastructure.
- C. Incorrect.
Incorrect. Adding more PoE devices increases the electrical and thermal load on the switches, which would typically make the overheating problem worse, not better. A candidate might choose this if they misunderstand how PoE affects switch power draw and heat generation.
- D. Incorrect.
Incorrect. While extremely dry air can increase static discharge risk, a damp room already indicates elevated humidity. Adding a humidifier would likely worsen the problem and increase the chance of condensation or corrosion. The goal is controlled humidity within recommended ranges, not maximum humidity.
- E. Incorrect.
Incorrect. UPS units generate heat and are usually placed low in the rack because they are heavy and to improve rack stability. Putting a UPS at the top adds structural risk and does not meaningfully solve thermal issues. It may also expose the UPS to the hottest air in the rack, since heat rises.