Cash-strapped firm kept ageing server running with improvised fans
A nearly bankrupt media monitoring company kept an ageing server running by placing larger, non-standard fans on its exposed components after its internal fans failed. The improvised cooling worked, but staff had to avoid shaking the server, and the story shows how financial pressure can lead businesses to rely on fragile workarounds.
The 2U server had three internal fans, and replacements were unavailable because the hardware was so old. After the first two fans failed, staff added external fans; the machine continued operating for six months until the third internal fan broke. Management then approved a replacement.
In short
- Staff kept an old server running with improvised cooling.
- Two external fans balanced over its exposed components.
- A replacement was bought after the third fan failed.
Explained simply
Servers are powerful computers that store data and run services for organisations. They produce heat, so fans help keep their components cool and prevent overheating.
The company’s server was an older model with three built-in fans. When those fans began failing and replacements could not be found, staff used larger fans placed outside the machine to keep it running.
Keeping ageing equipment going can delay the cost of replacing it, but makes a business more reliant on temporary fixes. In this case, the server continued working for months, though staff had to avoid shaking it, before management approved a replacement.
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Originally published by The Register as “‘Let’s just shove a bigger fan in there and see what happens’”.