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SK0-004 · Question #400

A datacenter customer reports the servers are having hardware failures at an unusual rate. A server technician is dispatched to the datacenter floor and notices several racks have condensation on…

The correct answer is D. Humidity controls. Condensation on rack cold-side doors is a symptom of improper humidity control, which allows moisture to damage and short-circuit server hardware.

Server hardware installation and management

Question

A datacenter customer reports the servers are having hardware failures at an unusual rate. A server technician is dispatched to the datacenter floor and notices several racks have condensation on their cold- side doors. Which of the following is the technician likely to report as the MOST likely cause of the hardware failures?

Options

  • ACooling failure
  • BOverheating
  • CPower surge
  • DHumidity controls

How the community answered

(57 responses)
  • A
    23% (13)
  • B
    5% (3)
  • C
    12% (7)
  • D
    60% (34)

Why each option

Condensation on rack cold-side doors is a symptom of improper humidity control, which allows moisture to damage and short-circuit server hardware.

ACooling failure

Cooling failure would result in overheating symptoms such as thermal shutdowns, not condensation appearing on cold-side rack doors.

BOverheating

Overheating would produce heat-related failures and elevated temperature alerts, not moisture or condensation on cooling surfaces.

CPower surge

A power surge would cause sudden electrical failures or blown components and would not produce condensation on rack doors.

DHumidity controlsCorrect

Condensation forms when warm, humid air contacts cooler surfaces - a direct indicator that humidity levels are not being properly regulated in the datacenter. Excessive moisture from poor humidity controls causes corrosion, short circuits, and electrical failures in server components. Datacenter humidity should typically be maintained between 40-60% relative humidity to prevent condensation-related hardware damage.

Concept tested: Datacenter humidity control and condensation effects on hardware

Source: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/well-architected/reliability/principles

Topics

#humidity controls#condensation#datacenter environmental controls#hardware failure root cause

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