Planning Your Server Rack

Whether you own a small business using a single server rack or operate a large data center full of equipment, planning the layout of server cabinets and associated equipment is an absolute necessity. Without proper planning, your server room can quickly get out of hand – leading to a host of potential problems down the road.

Proper server room layout helps to reduce cabling errors, improves airflow around expensive equipment, and provides easy access to equipment for IT personnel.

One of the first things to consider when upgrading the server cabinets in your office space is the placement of specific computer hardware within the server rack enclosure. For instance, the heaviest items should be placed near the bottom of the cabinet to improve the stability of the entire computer enclosure while making installation of equipment less physically demanding.

You also need to consider the depth of server cabinets as it relates to both ventilation and cabling. A shallow data rack may take up less floor space in your office but if you do not have enough room to allow for adequate ventilation, your expensive technology business assets could be damaged by excessive heat. Also, depending on the configuration of the office LAN, the server enclosure should allow plenty of room to install cabling as needed. A shallow network rack can make changing cables extremely frustrating and often leads to cabling errors that can create network outages and cause hardware damage.

Finally, you need to consider the possible future IT needs of your business when planning your server rack cabinet. Even though it may make sense to only purchase enough server cabinet space for your current hardware configuration, what happens when your IT needs expand in the future?

For a marginal price difference, consider purchasing more server rack space than you need. A larger server cabinet provides additional airflow for existing equipment and it makes upgrading server hardware in the future as simple as installing the new hardware into the enclosure.

If you would like to learn more about how computer network cabinets can improve the reliability of your business technology assets without taking up more space than is absolutely necessary, call TechRack at (888) 266-3577