Cisco IPS-4255-K9 Installation Guide - Page 48

Site and Safety Guidelines Chapter 1 Introducing the Sensor Site and Safety Guidelines This section describes site guidelines and safety precautions to take when working with electricity, with power supplies, and in an ESD environment. It contains the following topics: • Site Guidelines, page 1-30 • Rack Configuration Guidelines, page 1-30 • Electrical Safety Guidelines, page 1-31 • Power Supply Guidelines, page 1-32 • Working in an ESD Environment, page 1-32 Site Guidelines Place the appliance on a desktop or mount it in a rack. The location of the appliance and the layout of the equipment rack or wiring room are extremely important for proper system operation. Equipment placed too close together, inadequate ventilation, and inaccessible panels can cause system malfunctions and shutdowns, and can make appliance maintenance difficult. When planning the site layout and equipment locations, keep in mind the following precautions to help avoid equipment failures and reduce the possibility of environmentally-caused shutdowns. If you are experiencing shutdowns or unusually high errors with your existing equipment, these precautions may help you isolate the cause of failures and prevent future problems. • Electrical equipment generates heat. Ambient air temperature might not be adequate to cool equipment to acceptable operating temperatures without adequate circulation. Make sure that the room in which you operate your system has adequate air circulation. • Always follow the ESD-prevention procedures to avoid damage to equipment. Damage from static discharge can cause immediate or intermittent equipment failure. • Make sure that the chassis top panel is secure. The chassis is designed to allow cooling air to flow effectively within it. An open chassis allows air leaks, which can interrupt and redirect the flow of cooling air from the internal components. Rack Configuration Guidelines Follow these guidelines to plan your equipment rack configuration: • Enclosed racks must have adequate ventilation. Make sure the rack is not overly congested because each chassis generates heat. An enclosed rack should have louvered sides and a fan to provide cooling air. • When mounting a chassis in an open rack, make sure the rack frame does not block the intake or exhaust ports. If the chassis is installed on slides, check the position of the chassis when it is seated all the way into the rack. • In an enclosed rack with a ventilation fan in the top, excessive heat generated by equipment near the bottom of the rack can be drawn upward and into the intake ports of the equipment above it in the rack. Make sure you provide adequate ventilation for equipment at the bottom of the rack. • Baffles can help to isolate exhaust air from intake air, which also helps to draw cooling air through the chassis. The best placement of the baffles depends on the airflow patterns in the rack. Experiment with different arrangements to position the baffles effectively. 1-30 Cisco Intrusion Prevention System Appliance and Module Installation Guide for IPS 7.0 OL-18504-01