The largest dust storm in recorded history hit the east coast of Australia last week, but datacentre providers are reporting that customer servers have come through unscathed. Aidan Tudehope, managing director of hosting for Macquarie Telecom, says the Macquarie Hosting data centre in Sydney did not experience any adverse affects from the dust storm. “The Macquarie Hosting data centre in Sydney is operationally equipped for air quality issues,” Tudehope says. “We predominantly recycle air for cooling purposes and our air conditioners have filtration systems to remove any dust particles from the air.” With reliability being obviously critical to customers, the hosting company has also undertaken precautionary measures to ensure service levels are maintained. “We shut off external mechanical ventilation systems to prevent dust entering the environment,” Trudehope says. “Staff were on heightened alert for any issues in the facility and a response plan was in place.” Despite being based in Melbourne, Primus Telecom wasn't taking any chances, according to its datacentre team. “Our computer room fresh air intake is filtered and an air-conditioning technician was on-site all day yesterday ensuring that the intake filters servicing the building did not clog,” the team told Computerworld Australia in an email. “Air-conditioning unit coils were inspected during the day for build-up of dust. Our computer rooms also have positive pressure to exclude dust ingress from within the building as well as sticky mats at ingress points,” the email says.
Australian datacentres withstand dust storm
Precautionary measures paid off, managers say