Power & Temperature Health

[diggsc]

Can anyone tell me what is the best temperature level of a networking device, example the Cisco ASA? I am monitoring my devices via snmp and getting a warning alert from the ASA that the temp level is about 58 degrees. Is that an ok warning? Or something needs to be done to reduce it? 

ckmnasa-back# show env temp

Temperature:
-----------------------------------

Processors:
--------------------------------
Processor 1: 58.0 C - OK (CPU Core Temperature)

Accelerators:
--------------------------------
Accelerator 1: 55.0 C - OK (Accelerator Temperature)

Chassis:
--------------------------------
Ambient 1: 60.0 C - OK (Chassis Temperature)

Motherboard:
--------------------------------
Ambient: 60.0 C - OK (Chassis Temperature)

[Ben Walters]

Your temperatures are all within the normal operating temps for an ASA, the suggested warning temp is 80 degree and 90 degrees for critical temperature on the CPU.

Your chassis temps seem a little high though usually on our ASAs we have depending on load the chassis are around 40-50 degrees with a warning limit of 60 degrees  and critical at 70 degrees.

Where is the ASA installed? Is it in an area with poor ventilation/cooling?

[diggsc]

Thanks Ben, appreciate. It is installed in a Data Center with proper cooling. Not so sure why the chassis temp is high as it is appearing. Will investigate further.

[diggsc]

Do you also know of a specification guide or whitepaper with the suggested or recommended temp warnings? 

[Ben Walters]

I obtained these values from our monitoring server (PRTG) that has built in sensors for Cisco ASA temperatures and it set the limits on it's own. So it may not be 100% accurate but any other time we have had sensors with automatic warning/critical limits they have matched manufacturer specs.

Unfortunately I haven't been able to find a data sheet from cisco that actually spells out the upper limits for temperature.

If you check the data sheets for the NGFW

https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/products/collateral/security/firepower-ngfw/datasheet-c78-736661.html

They only give you the operating temperature of between 0-40 degrees but that only refers to the ambient air temp where the device will be operating, considering your ASA and every single one we have deployed are well over that temperature.

[diggsc]

Thanks. My monitoring application is Logic Monitor, and they've set the warning and critical alerts to be 50 and 70 respectively. Of all the researches I've done and like you mentioned, it's showing operational temperatures and not the actual CPU temp. I'll have to tweak mine a bit I guess.