Data Center

4 Ways to Upgrade the Server Room to Meet Today's Demands

4 Ways to Upgrade the Server Room to Meet Today’s Demands

Organizations of all sizes are modernizing their IT environments with more advanced servers, storage, and networking gear. The latest IT equipment has the performance to support increasingly complex workloads and growing numbers of users and devices. In their rush to … Read More

How to Prevent Your Network Switch from Overheating

How to Prevent Your Network Switch from Overheating

Hot air rises. When air heats up, it expands and becomes less dense, floating on top of the colder, denser air below. It’s a basic fact of science that explains why hot air balloons can lift high into the sky … Read More

Micro Data Center Use Cases and Definition

Micro Data Center Use Cases and Definition

Large, centralized data centers have made the cloud possible. These facilities house massive amounts of computing power, storage, and networking gear — and all the power and cooling needed to support them. They are designed to maximize performance, resilience, and … Read More

Network and Server Rack Setup Best Practices

Network and Server Rack Setup Best Practices

When designing a data center, the first step is to choose the right type of rack for your particular use case. Next, you need to ensure that the rack or cabinet has the right dimensions to support your equipment and … Read More

Exploring Server Rack Grounding

Exploring Server Rack Grounding

Grounding plays an essential role in data center availability. Data centers are increasingly power-dense, and power surges are a common problem. Even miles away, a lightning strike can generate a surge that can travel through cabling and damage IT equipment. … Read More

The Meaning and Significance of Rack Units (RU)

The Meaning and Significance of Rack Units (RU)

Server racks and cabinets have their own terminology and follow standards that may seem arbitrary at first. But a look under the hood can help you understand how these terms and standards developed. What Does ‘RU’ Mean in Server Racks? … Read More

Data Center Design Overview: Cabinet Layout, Rack Design, and More

Data Center Design Overview: Cabinet Layout, Rack Design, and More

When designing a data center, there are three primary considerations: Operational efficiency. The data center layout should make it easy for personnel to handle routine administrative tasks. Cooling efficiency. The racks and cabinets should be arranged in a way that … Read MoreRead More

PDU vs. Power Strip vs. UPS: Understanding Power Distribution Units

PDU vs. Power Strip vs. UPS: Understanding Power Distribution Units

When installing servers, storage arrays, network switches, and other gear, you need a reliable source of electricity. Power distribution units (PDUs), power strips, and uninterruptible power supplies (UPSs) can all be used in the data center to perform this function. … Read More

Differences Between Network, Server, and Data Racks and Cabinets

Differences Between Network, Server, and Data Racks and Cabinets

Server racks and cabinets, network racks and cabinets, data racks and cabinets, and more. There’s an array of hardware to choose from when building out the data center infrastructure and varying nomenclature that is often used interchangeably. All of these … Read More

Managing Data Center Aisle Containment Fire Suppression Systems

Managing Data Center Aisle Containment Fire Suppression Systems

Let’s start with some data center fire statistics. According to the Uptime Institute’s Global Survey of IT and Data Center Managers 2021, fire accounts for just 3 percent of major data center outages. Fires that result in enough damage to … Read More