June 10, 2008 -- (WEB HOST INDUSTRY REVIEW) -- A developer of fireproof cabinetry for data centers is using the recent explosion at a data center operated by The Planet in an effort to make a current case for the extra layer of data center security its products provide.
On Tuesday, Firelock (servervaults.com) issued a mildly alarmist press release entitled "data centers at risk of fire," pointing specifically to last week's situation at The Planet, and presenting its fireproof server vaults as a means of adding an additional layer of protection to critical data.
No servers were reported damaged in the explosion at The Planet, which took place in an electrical room. Firelock acknowledges as much in its release. The company's point seems to be more that in this case, and others, if the fire had reached the server room, there is a potential that critical data - much more valuable than the equipment itself - could have been lost.
The volume and variety of equipment being packed into current-day data centers, says the company, "makes these facilities vulnerable to the threat of fire," and increasing server density makes it possible for more data to be lost in a single incident. Firelock doesn't offer any statistical evidence, but makes a solid case for a common-sense reading of the situation.
"Protecting the servers from a catastrophic fire is not just about saving equipment and minimizing downtime. It's even more important to preserve the data," says Todd Smith, Firelock's director of marketing, in the press release.
Firelock says it has seen an increased interested in its Class 125 fireproof Server Vault over the last few years. The company describes the product as a modular panel system that uses ceramic fiber to keep temperature inside the vault below 125 degrees Fahrenheit, even if temperatures on the outside reach more than 2,000 degrees.
The company's website has a gallery showing one of its vaults being installed in a data center under construction.
