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
Data Center
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
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
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)
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
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
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
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
Exploring The Basics of Data Center Aisle Containment: Doors, Panels, Curtains, and More
Aisle containment is a proven method of improving cooling efficiency in the data center. It builds upon the concept of “hot aisles,” where the rears of cabinets face each other, and “cold aisles,” where the fronts of cabinets face each … Read More