What is the importance of choosing right server racks and cabinets for your Data Center?

 Data Center Racks

Over the years with digitalization, the data center industry has evolved from a simple setup to a more complex counterpart. Research and development in this field helped bring the cutting-edge DC technology. This has enhanced the relevance of data center racks in assisting networking, computing, and storage equipment and optimizing the data center ecosystem. All of this has increased the criticality of the selection criteria for 

data center racks which have gained immense traction lately.

The deciding factors

There are several factors that play an important role in choosing racks for a data center. Specifically, details about size and load-bearing capacity are essential determinants. Since racks are an essential part of the data center operation, hence their selection should be made with practicality and caution. Just as choosing an IT rack is critical for data center availability, similarly choosing the right rack accessories can improve the operational efficiency of the data center

Now, to make the right choice, it is pertinent to understand the requirement properly. The following are the aspects that need to be considered before selecting a rack.

• Dimensions
• Operational design
• Structural design
• Material
• Colour

Importance of load-bearing capacity

Here it must be mentioned that the load-bearing capacity of the rack is an important aspect that must be prioritized when choosing the data center rack. Each data center rack comes with a static and dynamic load rating that confirms its load-bearing capacity. Now, let’s understand what static and dynamic load ratings mean to take an informed decision. The static load rating measures the data center rack’s load-bearing capacity while it is installed or stationed at a stable location. On the other hand, dynamic load rating measures the load-bearing capacity of the data center rack when it is mobile.

The following are the data center racks offered by NetRack with different load-bearing capacities that will help the user select the right type of rack:

• NRS1/42U with 350 static load on caster and 750 static load on leveller/plinth
• NRS/42U with 750 static load on caster and 1250 static load on leveller/plinth
• NRSe/42U with 1500 static load on leveller/plinth

Also, the load-bearing capacity per U is an important determinant when deciding on the data center racks since it can reduce the scope of equipment damage and eventually downtime. For example, if the weight of the equipment is 240 kg while the height is 10U, then it is important that the rack should be selected with a load-bearing capacity of 24 kg per U.

• NRS1 has an 18 kg load capacity per U
• NRS has a 30 kg load capacity per U
• NRSe has a 36 kg load capacity per U

As a precaution to avoid any mishap, Netrack always recommends the installation of heavy equipment at the bottom of the rack to maintain balance.

Types of mounting and its requirement

Another important aspect that must be considered while choosing a data center rack is the types of mounting such as; Casters/Leveller or Plinth that should be used. Here, the Leveller transfers Point Load and the Plinth transfers Distributed Load must be considered. For example, if the Load on the rack is 1000 kg and there are 4 Levellers in total then the Point Load on each leveller will be 250 kg while the Point Load on the floor will be 1.5 times this.

Choose wisely!            

Hence while making a conscious and informed choice of the data center rack, the above-mentioned aspects must also be considered to establish a robust and cost-efficient data center setup. For instance, standard and certified DC accessories will ensure better airflow management through Air Seal Kit / Brush Module / Blanking Panel. This will increase the thermal efficiency of the data center at reduced operational costs. To cater to the growing DC demands, NetRack offers products with globally recognized safety standards. The best part is that Netrack customizes the entire product portfolio as per the customers’ requirements.