Loud Sound From Fire Alarm System Shuts Down Nasdaq's Scandinavian Data Center

Weblogics

Interesting way to destroy hard drives.

A loud sound emitted by a fire alarm system has destroyed the hard drives of a Swedish data center, downing Nasdaq operations across Northern Europe.

The incident took place in the early hours of Wednesday, April 19, and was caused by a gas-based fire alarm system that are typically deployed in data centers because of their ability to put out fires without destroying non-burnt equipment.

https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/technology/loud-sound-from-fire-alarm-system-shuts-down-nasdaqs-scandinavian-data-center/

deank

The end is nigh.

TriJetScud

Should have bought solid state drives instead of spinning rust.

Clouvider

Gas based fire alarm ... ?

This article is a load of crap.

Gas fire suppression not a loud ‘fire alarm’. Gas can damage the hard drives when deployed. It’s a known issue, nothing new, nothing surprising. Happened many times before.

Unixfy

Clouvider said: Gas based fire alarm ... ?

I think they mean fire suppression system (removing oxygen from the building so the fire doesn't have any to use)

stefeman

Supposedly the 130+ decibels sound resonated with the HDDs and destroyed everything.

saibal

stefeman said:
Supposedly the 130+ decibels sound resonated with the HDDs and destroyed everything.

Reminds me of this (Borland C++ 3.1)

/* Emits a 7-Hz tone for 10 seconds.

  True story: 7 Hz is the resonant
  frequency of a chicken's skull cavity.
  This was determined empirically in
  Australia, where a new factory
  generating 7-Hz tones was located too
  close to a chicken ranch: When the
  factory started up, all the chickens
  died.

  Your PC may not be able to emit a 7-Hz tone. */

#include

int main(void)

{

>

sound(7);

>

delay(10000);

>

nosound();

>
return 0;

}

FlamesRunner

@stefeman

So essentially, one could destroy all of the HDDs with an air horn. Doubt all the details were given.