Environmental faults

Environmental faults most often involve a loss of power. Even a momentary loss of power to any part of the streaming media system can cause the system to fail. A small battery backup power supply can keep the system running during a brief power loss. For longer power outages, a backup generator may be necessary.

In large facilities, a loss of air conditioning can cause system components to overheat and fail. In such cases, you can prolong operation by shutting down unnecessary equipment and redundant systems.

Dirt and dust are long-term threats to electronic equipment reliability. A buildup of dirt on electronic components puts those components at risk in the following ways:

• A layer of dirt reduces cooling system effectiveness, allowing the components to overheat.
• Dirt can cause a partial or complete short circuit, introducing errors or stopping operation altogether.
• Dirt, in the vicinity of hot or overheated electronics, can cause a fire.

Be sure your hardware location is clean, and prevent excess dirt and dust from entering the area.

Accidents can also cause system faults. Protect your hardware components from the physical hazards posed by accidents. For instance, route cables where they will not be stepped on or tripped over. Secure hardware components so that they cannot be easily tipped over or dropped. Prohibit food and beverages from the area.

Related topics

• Understanding fault tolerance