Keeping your servers at the right temperature is simple, once you have the right server rack enclosure with proper containment. While it’s a known fact that hot aisles are better suited for some instances, such as new installations, at times it is simply more economical to have cold aisles instead. However this separation is not the most efficient way to maintain a server room. A hot aisle containment system can optimize both needs and minimize the risk of equipment failure.
Benefits of Hot Aisle Containment Options.
Hot aisle containment options bypass the issues that made a hot aisle option a problem in the first place. What does that mean? While retro fit installations and new installations benefit from being stored in a higher temperature, sometimes the room used for their storage is inadequate to support a heated room. The servers will need head room, and if the ceiling lacks a drop ceiling in case of fire. The necessary adjustments to make the room suitable can be expensive. With hot aisle containment options, only a section of the room is housing the servers. The server racks do not require the entire room to be outfitted to handle the higher temperatures.
Benefits of Cold Aisle Containment.
Do you know how much green house gas is produced by the average server room with a 30W air conditioning machine running at 70% capacity? It’s 243 tonnes, and with an average cost of about 12.7 c/kWh the monetary cost is about $23,000pa. Server rooms cannot cheat the temperature the servers need to be held at; to do so is to risk compromising their performance. It is estimated that roughly 65% of system failures are a direct result of simply bad temperature regulation. If the air conditioning unit is not maintained, the servers can be effected.
Importance of Network Switch Racks.
The right switch racks can help with your hot aisle containment options. The right server rack will be outfitted to help regulate the temperature of the aisle, whether hot or cold. Now, you’ll have to decide whether the servers in the middle of the room will be hot or cold. The servers along the perimeter of the room will, obviously, be the opposite. One clue is the orientation of the room, meaning, can the layout support the needs of a hotter room? If not for the reasons listed above, the center aisles will need to be for those servers requiring a higher temperature. The layout of your server room will have wall-mounted racks along the perimeter, and floor standing racks in the center. Be sure to outfit these IT racks with the proper fans and vents to help regulate temperatures.
Servers need to be carefully kept. Whether a hot aisle, or a cold aisle, it is vital that the temperatures are regulated. This requires proper maintenance for the A/C or heater, and regular checks on the temperature of the room. With a solid containment system, you’ll be allowed to monitor both.