Data Center Contest: Hose down those hard drives!

We’re gathering stories and photos for a cool contest sponsored by American Power Conversion (APC). First place in our Data Center Contest wins a Nintendo Wii game system. And we’re giving away twenty (20) copies of System Specifications and Project Manual for Data Centers (a $250 value!) to members just for entering the contest with a valid entry. Enjoy the contest entry below — and feel free to comment.

Community Manager

From a Member who wishes to remain anonymous:

It was a few years ago (not as many as you’d think, given the equipment in use at the time), and we were still running a VAX system on an old Alpha server. Every Friday evening late, that system was taken down for maintenance and backups, and then was brought back on-line before 6 AM the next morning.

Very early one Saturday morning (around 1:00 AM), a user called the computer center wanting to get into the VAX system, and was told it was unavailable due to the scheduled maintenance and backup cycle. Not thrilled about that, they tried to cajole the operator into stopping the cycle and bringing up the system. When informed that was impossible, a very disgruntled user hung up.

The very next week, at roughly the same time, the same user called with the same issue, and same demands for the system. History repeated itself again and again. On several subsequent Friday evenings, the same user and request provided the same operator some additional entertainment for their shift.

Finally one night, having had enough abuse for one day, the operator told the user he would really like to be able to help out, but the VAX had been disassembled, and the drives were currently being hosed down. Obviously the computer couldn’t be put back together sopping wet, but as soon as it was dried out, he’d gladly reassemble it and bring it up for use. The estimated time to complete that looked suspiciously like the standard up time for the normal cycle.

That was the last time that user called. To this day, those of us who know the story wonder exactly what kind of a picture was left in the caller’s mind.