FEATURE ENCLOSURES
MADE TO MEASURE
The data centre cabinet has evolved over the years from being a humble steel structure to a critical piece of kit that is vital to the smooth operation of today’s modern data centres. In this article Mark Hirst, T4 product manager at Cannon Technologies, explains why failing to give these products the respect they deserve could prove costly
D
ata centre cabinets were once a simple ‘one size fits all’ location for
servers and other equipment. However, the sector has grown since those early days and with it, so too has the demand for greater data storage, bandwidth and processing power. As such cabinet specification now requires a serious amount of consideration. However, it’s still surprising just how
little attention is paid to choosing the right sized cabinet. In the vast majority of cases a 600mm deep cabinet is not going to suffice and even a depth of 800mm is unlikely to offer enough space to house today’s high density servers. Selecting a 1,000mm or 1,200mm version is therefore advisable, as it is always recommended to have some space between the back of the server and the rear door. Power distribution units (PDUs) are a
ubiquitous part of any cabinet installation and the total energy demand required per unit has risen dramatically over the past 15 years. Making sure that there is enough room allocated to house them is imperative - anyone trying to fit a 30 socket vertical PDU in a 32U cabinet will soon run into problems.
THE ISSUE OF COST Cost is usually the overriding factor when dealing with the negative issues surrounding cabinet specification. However, going for the cheaper option can prove to be a false economy and it makes far more sense to look at what needs to be achieved and purchase the right cabinet to match. For instance, it might be more appropriate to have brush strips at the top and base and have factory made holes in which to allow cables to go from front to back, or into the centre and up and down. A 10°C (50°F) rise above room
temperature could result in a 50% reduction of the mean time between failure (MTBF) and a cabinet plays a vital role in maintaining the integrity of a cooling system. As the name suggests, cold aisle containment encloses the cold aisle and prevents the mixing of cold air and hot exhaust air. State of the art aisle
36 MARCH 2014 | ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING
Left: a fully configured server rack with overhead cabling
tools required to fit them and other flat and angled blank filler panels in several cabinet unit sizes available, including brush guard panels that allow cables to pass through, whilst still providing thermal protection. An integrated security approach to
cocooning systems enclose the space between two facing rows of cabinets, sealing the airspace between them with a low level ceiling and access controlled corridor door(s). Again, it is important to make sure that a cabinet is suitable for use with a chosen cooling system. It is also worth remembering that
traditional cabinet designs utilise totally detachable side panels for maintenance or moves, adds and changes (MACs). However, panels that are removed for even the shortest period of time can totally spoil cold air/hot air separation and negate the benefits of an aisle cocooning system.
THINK SMART Therefore, using a unit that has sliding partition panels for cabinets bayed in rows is recommended, such as Cannon Technologies’ Smart Space cabinet, which offers narrow partition and full depth panels. Used in pairs the narrow partition panels can slide backwards and forwards to open cross cabling apertures between adjacent cabinets, or completely close off inter-cabinet access providing a highly secure solution. When it comes to maximising energy
efficiency, blanking panels are the lowest cost way to save a fortune. There are a variety of quick fit blank panels with no
cabinet specification is hugely important. Modern locking systems such as swinghandles are highly secure and robust, and to add another layer of protection they can be installed with an electronic keypad. A locking system will usually be used in conjunction with a personal identification number (PIN) or radio frequency identification (RFID) device, while another increasingly popular way of ensuring that only authorised personnel have access to cabinets is by using biometric technologies such as automatic fingerprint identification. Colour and tone is important too - a
Below: cabinet specification in data centres now requires a serious amount of consideration
data centre could save a third of its lighting costs by replacing black cabinets with white or grey versions. In fact, choosing to use grey or white cabinets during an equipment refresh can make even bigger savings than intelligent lighting systems that use movement sensitive lights. This is a growing trend and HP’s kit is now in grey and Cisco’s new data centre in the US used bright white cabinets throughout.
SUMMARY The key to successful cabinet specification and installation is to be as precise as possible during the planning stage and be realistic about potential levels of growth. One important way to avoid any issues is to talk to leading manufacturers and explain the requirement. They will also be able to anticipate any issues and use their vast experience to help make sure that the right cabinet is selected first time, which will ultimately save valuable time and money.
Cannon Technologies
www.cannontech.co.uk T: 01425 632 600
Enter 222 / ELECTRICALENGINEERING
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