DATA CENTER RACK SYSTEMS: KEY CONSIDERATIONS IN TODAY S HIGH-DENSITY ENVIRONMENTS WHITEPAPER

DATA CENTER RACK SYSTEMS: KEY CONSIDERATIONS IN TODAY S HIGH-DENSITY ENVIRONMENTS WHITEPAPER

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Data center racks were once viewed as simple platforms in which to neatly stack equipment. As data center densities have increased, however, data center racks have come to play a vital role in the availability, reliability and flexibility of the IT infrastructure. The right rack enclosure can also reduce data center operational costs by preserving valuable floor space, optimizing cooling and increasing the efficiency of IT staff. Four factors have altered the landscape for data center rack selection: Increasing weight loads Offsite integration processes Multivendor IT environments Increased cooling costs Organizations need data center racks that can hold heavier loads and maintain their structural integrity when shipped fully loaded with equipment. Racks should also provide the flexibility to accommodate equipment from multiple vendors with varying locations for cabling and power distribution. High-density data centers further demand racks that provide maximum usable space, minimal air mixing, adequate clearances for airflow, and easy access for troubleshooting and reconfiguration of equipment. Although data center racks come in standard sizes, not all products deliver these capabilities. This whitepaper will discuss some of the key considerations in choosing racks for today s data center environment. It will then examine some of the characteristics that make DAMAC s Fastrack a superior choice to meet those requirements now and in the future. 2

A DAMAC WHITEPAPER STRENGTH AND STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY Organizations are demanding that their data centers deliver 24x7 availability, top performance and ever-increasing storage capacity. As a result, the physical data center infrastructure is under mounting pressure to support growing server and storage densities. Studies indicate that the average power density per rack will reach 12kW in 2014 double the average 6kW power density per rack in 2006. Equipment is also getting heavier due to increased data storage requirements and the cooling demands of next-generation processors. Five years ago, data center racks needed to hold about 2,000 pounds. Today, weight loads of 3,000 pounds or more are not uncommon. At the same time, many organizations are turning to offsite integration processes to minimize the disruption associated with installing, configuring and integrating equipment within the data center environment. System integrators rack and stack equipment in fully configured units for delivery to the customer s site. The structural integrity of the data center rack becomes even more critical in this scenario. The rack must not only hold the weight of the equipment when stationary but withstand the stresses of shipment. The transportation stresses mimic a seismic event that exerts force on both the x and y axes of the racks structural members. The typical data center rack is made of formed or folded sheet metal, a construction that provides vertical but not horizontal strength. Furthermore, most manufacturers save time, labor and material by using stitch welding rather than a continuous seam weld. As a result, weight loads must be limited to about 2,000 pounds for the rack to arrive with its original structural integrity. Otherwise these racks tend to become deflected when shipped fully populated with equipment. Poor-quality racks may buckle, damaging valuable equipment. But even if the rack appears undamaged when it is uncrated and moved into the data center, IT personnel often find it difficult to remove equipment from the rack for servicing. The deflection of the rack alters the distance between the rails such that the mounting area no longer follows Electronic Industries Alliance (EIA) specifications. THE DAMAC DIFFERENCE DAMAC s Fastrack is constructed of tubular steel, which lends itself to horizontal as well as vertical strength. In addition, each seam and joint is fully welded, eliminating the inherent failure points associated with stitch welding. 3

Fastrack can hold 3,500 pounds of equipment when stationary, enabling it to facilitate growing weight loads. More importantly, it will maintain the EIA specification within the mounting area when shipped fully populated with up to 3,000 pounds of equipment. Fastrack also features larger casters than competitive products. This provides greater floor clearance, making it easier to load and unload the rack from a shipping crate and move a fully populated rack on both flat and angled surfaces. A fully welded, seismic floor mounting plate is built into the base of the rack. The floor mounting anchor points and levelers are set outside of the equipment mounting area for easy accessibility when the rack is fully populated. Grounding provisions are included in the frame to tie the rack into the facility central ground. EASE OF USE AND FLEXIBILITY Data center racks have become taller, wider and deeper to accommodate increasing equipment densities. The most popular racks are 42U, 45U or 48U high, 24 inches or 30 inches wide and 42 inches or 48 inches deep. However, these industry-standard specifications do not indicate how much usable space is available inside the rack. This is an important consideration given that IT managers are building up cabinets in order to maximize valuable data center space. Any industry-standard rack will support the mounting of 19-inch equipment, but may not provide the capacity for growing cabling and power distribution requirements. Because space is at a premium in racks constructed from sheet metal, organizations often purchase larger cabinets to ensure that cables and power distribution units (PDUs) don not block access to equipment. While the value of orderly cabling may be worth the investment in a larger rack and associated floor space, a rack that can support cable management within a smaller footprint delivers a greater ROI. The dynamic nature of today s data centers also demands slide in, slide out component mounting and streamlined cable management. IT staff efficiency is another important factor.time savings equates to reduced costs as well as a more efficient and flexible environment. Single-piece panels held on by screws make it difficult to work on equipment in traditional racks. Poor cable and PDU management limits the flexibility, accessibility and ease of use of many cabinets. 4

A DAMAC WHITEPAPER THE DAMAC DIFFERENCE Because tubular steel is less bulky than sheet metal, Fastrack provides 20 percent more usable space than competitive products and thus more room for cabling and power distribution equipment. The top panel, side panels and doors are easily removed, making it easy to work on a fully populated rack. Side panels are recessed into the cabinet frame with slam latches for locking. This adds no width to the overall rack footprint and allows for zero clearance coupling between cabinets. The top panel has multiple cable pass-through ports to facilitate routing cables above the cabinet. Fastrack features a rear coffin section an industry first dedicated to PDU mounting and cabling. It recesses into the tubular steel frame of the cabinet, allowing easy access to the rear of the equipment. It is not necessary to unplug power strips or disconnect cables to service equipment from the back side. The coffin section includes standard PDU mounting provisions on both sides, making Fastrack field-configurable to the specific requirements of the equipment. There are multiple provisions to accommodate all popular PDU manufacturers, including ServerTech, Geist, Raritan and APC. The rear coffin section also includes a vertical cable manager with routing fingers set at each rackmount unit location to maintain the proper bend radius of the data cables. The cable manager can also be installed on the left or right side to meet the cable dressing requirements of the equipment. A locking cover ensures that cables do not drift out of position when the cabinet is shipped. COOLING EFFICIENCY High-density data centers demand effective thermal management. Because high temperatures and humidity can lead to equipment failure, proper cooling plays a key role in maximizing system availability and longevity. Most equipment is designed to draw chilled air in through the front and exhaust hot air through the back. As a result, industry best practices call for racks to be arranged with cabinet fronts facing each other (the cold aisle) and cabinet backs facing each 5

other (the hot aisle). This hot-aisle/cold-aisle configuration prevents hot exhaust air expelled from the back of one rack to be drawn into equipment across the aisle. Traditional racks often require airflow management accessories to make them compatible with hot-aisle/cold-aisle arrangements. Blanking panels and vertical airflow baffles must be added to prevent short cycling and ensure that hot exhaust air is not drawn back into the cool aisle. However, add-on equipment cannot provide the optimized airflow needed to support high-performance equipment in a high-density data center environment. Due to the increased heat load of next-generation servers, equipment manufacturers increasingly call for clearances of 6 to 11 inches to ensure proper airflow. It is important to select a data center rack with sufficient capacity and cabling management for unobstructed airflow through equipment. Cooling is one of the largest expenses in any data center, making cooling efficiency one of the most important considerations when selecting a data center rack. Airflow efficiency within the rack can lower operational costs dramatically by reducing the amount of chilled air that must be circulated. A rack that is built to enhance the facilities cooling system will reduce chilled air volumes even further. As a result, an investment in cabinets with advanced cooling features can pay big dividends. THE DAMAC DIFFERENCE DAMAC s energy-efficient cabinets are hot-aisle/cold-aisle ready and exceed active equipment airflow requirements. In addition, a built-in front perimeter air dam eliminates air mixing when the mounting rails are kept in the preset factory position. Air does not leak above, below or along the sides of equipment, helping to ensure that equipment is optimally cooled. The rear coffin section of the Fastrack cabinet further increases cooling efficiency by ensuring that cabling and PDUs do not block exhaust air from exiting the rear of the cabinet. The fully perforated mesh door also provides airflow of 82 percent or more. Customers are typically able to raise the temperature in their data centers a minimum of two degrees because of the high airflow design of Fastrack. This set point can be further increased if Fastrack is installed along with the DAMAC aisle containment system, which doubles or quadruples cooling efficiency by physically separating the hot and cold aisles. 6

A DAMAC WHITEPAPER CONCLUSION In terms of cost, the data center rack is relatively insignificant compared to value of the equipment it houses and the cost of the labor to configure and integrate that equipment. Nevertheless, it is a strategic component that must be carefully selected with today s data center challenges in mind. The right rack will provide the structural integrity, flexibility and cooling support needed in a high-performance, high-density data center environment. It will also enable offsite integration processes, arriving in perfect condition when shipped fully loaded with preconfigured, pre-integrated equipment. DAMAC s Fastrack has the strength to support growing equipment weight loads within the data center and in transit, along with superior ease of use and airflow optimization. It provides the features needed in today s dynamic multivendor data center environments, delivering reduced operational costs, increased efficiency and investment protection. 7

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