From the Diary of a Data Center Engineer – “The Server Room: A Place of Work and Relaxation”
Episode 10
As a Data Center engineer, I know one thing — a morning installation in the server room is like stepping into the unknown. What will today bring? Because although the server room is supposed to be a sterile temple of technology, you never really know what you’ll find there. You have to be ready for something to knock you off your feet — and still keep a straight face and carry on. Sometimes it’s fun, sometimes it’s not — depending on whether it requires extra work. But if all it does is bring a smile and adds another odd story to the engineer’s diary, then… so be it.
Mornings for an engineer? You know how it goes…
First off — what do we even mean by “morning”? If your day starts at 4:30 a.m., it’s basically still night. You arrive at work with barely open eyes, greet the access control system (which often acts up — like when it doesn’t read your card, so you stand there like a doofus until you realize you’re using the card to your office, which won’t help you here…), and finally step into the familiar world of climate-controlled, humming servers. Then the fun begins: unpacking gear, mounting rack cabinets, patching kilometers of cables that should be perfectly arranged… but we all know how that usually turns out.
But let’s get to the point — this one was… unusual.
One morning, I walk into the server room where I’d installed an ASR the day before (for the uninitiated — Aggregation Services Router, a massive piece of hardware that consolidates network traffic in serious infrastructure). It’s a large, modular device — this one over 20 rack units — and my back still remembers it since there was no service lift…
I look at the ASR and can’t tell if it’s just too early or if… are those men’s underwear hanging from it? Blue. Slightly damp. I just stood there, staring, wondering whether I should go ask the on-duty tech or pretend I saw nothing, toss them to the floor, and carry on. What would you have done?
Because clearly, this wasn’t some kind of new cooling system.
Maybe someone introduced a dress code for routers?
Soon enough, the technician walked in, grabbed them, and left muttering something under his breath — clearly a little embarrassed. Turns out, after his morning swim on the way to work, he figured the warm airflow of the server was the perfect spot for a quick dry. Makes sense: steady temperature, constant air circulation — like a high-end dryer.
But those weren’t the only undies I’ve seen in a server room.
And I must admit — the next ones were… prettier.
Once, in a facility with 24/7 shifts, I walked in and saw something even more curious: amidst the servers, switches, and all the infrastructure — women’s lingerie.
Was the network gear requesting a more elegant aesthetic? Or maybe it was some alternate version of company wardrobe?
I didn’t ask questions. No one claimed it. I set it aside, did my job, and left. On the next shift, it was gone. Honestly? Kind of a shame. When you’re sitting alone in the server room, swapping gear, installing, hunting for screws — it’s not the worst thing to let your imagination run a little wild about the owner of such stylish lace.
And you? Ever stumbled upon something… unexpected in your server room?
