Xserve cpu inlet temperature query

Server monitor is recording our xserve cpu inlet temperature as 39degC (high and red)!

That is pretty warm for inlet temperature.

Is there any way of reducing the temperature to normal

Turn up the air conditioning.

when does the xserve temperature become too high if readings as high as 86degC are being recorded.

The server will shut down when it considers temperatures 'too high'. What those precise values are, though, I don't know. I have (unintentionally, due to equipment failure) seem my servers running in a environment as high as 95°F (35°C) but I was too busy at the time to check the internal temperature settings, which would have been higher, of course).

I've encountered Xserve boxes that have gotten a little, um, furry inside.

Last week's tasks included cleaning one box that had accumulated a fair amount of dust around the fans, within the innermost reaches of the chunnel, around the disks, and particularly into the various heat sinks.

The fan speeds dropped significantly after the cleaning, too.

It is easy to reassemble one of these boxes (incorrectly) and have heat recirculate from around the fans; to have poor airflow, plugged airflow, or air leaks, too.

If somebody from Apple wants to talk about hardware design features in this area, feel free to contact me offline.