A false smoke alarm almost drowned Jane Street's only NYC datacenter

The false smoke alarm almost caused a disaster at Jane Street's datacenter, located in the heart of a skyscraper on Jane Street. The datacenter, which had grown from a small machine room to a substantial facility with advanced cooling systems and backup power, was situated in the midst of a regular office building. The systems team, closely connected to the trading floor, understood the importance of the datacenter and the potential risks it posed.

One evening, while commuting home from a 9-minute walk, a Hong Kong office called about a smoke alarm in the New York datacenter. The alarm was triggered by contractors causing dust to kick up, setting off the smoke alarm. The systems team, aware of the risk, quickly recognized the potential consequences if the sprinkler system was activated.

The sprinklers, designed to control fires, would not be triggered by smoke but would be activated by heat, leading to a cascade of problems. The systems team acted swiftly, pulling the power cord to shut down the cooling system and prevent the sprinklers from releasing pressurized water due to the smoke alarm. This emergency response prevented a potential catastrophe and showcased the importance of their work in maintaining the firm's operations.