A Guide to Data Center Racks and Cabinets - Everything You Need to Know

With the boom in big data, demand for data centers has grown by leaps and bounds in recent times. It is imperative for every technology-enabled business to procure data center racks and cabinets meticulously.

With the boom in big data, demand for data centers has grown by leaps and bounds in recent times. One of the after-effects of this spurt in demand for data centers is the rising prominence of data center racks and cabinets as critical components of the IT infrastructure of businesses.

Today, it is imperative for every technology-enabled business to procure data center racks and cabinets meticulously. To procure the right data center rack and data center cabinet, let's dig deep into what data racks and cabinets are all about.

What is a Data Center Rack and Cabinet?

Simply put, a data center rack is a structure built with a series of shelves stacked one above the other. Datacenter racks can hold various types of IT equipment.

A data center cabinet is also a structure built to house different types of IT equipment. However, it is more secure than a data center rack due to its closed storage environment.

Design: Data Center Rack vs. Data Center Cabinets

Data center racks are usually open from all sides. It does not have any side panels or walls, or doors. Data center racks are either two-post or four-post racks. Two-post data center racks have one mounting point. On the other hand, four-post racks have two mounting points - one at the front and the other at the back. Data center racks can be in the form of specialized computer cases, wall-mounted racks, or standing frames.

Data center cabinets have enclosed side panels. They usually have a tempered glass or plexiglass front door and solid material on the sides. To access the equipment inside a data center cabinet, the staff needs to unlock its door. 

The cabinets also contain ventilation systems to keep the stored equipment cool. In addition, some data center cabinets have flexible side panels that one can easily open to access the stored equipment or increase ventilation. Data center cabinets are typically four-post racks as they have two mounting points.

Size: Data Center Rack vs. Data Center Cabinets

There is a standard unit of measurement called rack unit or U or RU to determine a data center rack size. One rack unit is equal to 1.75 inches or 44.45 mm. The dimensions of racks can vary depending on the purpose of the design. The standard industry size of data center racks is 19 inches in height by 36 inches in depth.

Data center cabinets can be either a half-size cabinet with size 24U or a full-size cabinet with 42U. Depending on the purpose, orgs may choose data center cabinets as small as 16U or as large as 58U. 

A data center cabinet of size 42U can theoretically house forty-two 1U devices or any combination of 1U, 2U, 3U, or other rack height units that add up to 42 or less.

Be it data center racks or cabinets, businesses need to determine the appropriate design and size of both the racks or cabinets they need. Like Nxtra by Airtel, many data centers companies offer businesses the flexibility to custom build their data center rack or cabinet infrastructure.

Applications: Data Center Cabinets vs. Data Center Racks

Data center racks and cabinets have various applications for businesses. These are some primary use cases of data center racks and cabinets: 

1. IT equipment storage: Primarily, data center racks and cabinets house different types of servers such as rack-mounted or blade servers. Besides servers, data center racks and cabinets can also store IT equipment such as networking components, telecommunication equipment, cooling systems, and UPS.
2. Ventilation: Data center racks and cabinets also provide ventilation for the stored servers. Servers can produce a lot of heat when in operation. Data center racks and cabinets help provide airflow over the hot servers to cool them down. Data center cabinets also contain perforated material at the front and back to provide additional cooling effects on the servers.
3. Cable management: Data center racks are helpful for cable management. It is challenging to organize the connecting cables and wires of several IT equipment stacked on each other. As a result, cables and wires often get entangled and may break if mishandled. Data center racks solve this problem by organizing cables and keeping them safe from damage.
4. Security: Data center racks and cabinets can secure vital IT infrastructure. For example, many businesses use data centers to store sensitive data in devices placed on racks and cabinets, such as customer information. It is imperative to keep such stored data safe from theft by malicious parties in such cases. Data center cabinets are more helpful in this case, enabling businesses to lock the stored equipment inside the cabinets safely. 

Costs: Data Center Cabinets vs. Data Center Racks

Racks and cabinets are expensive pieces of hardware. Moreover, maintaining them requires employing specialized technicians who can manage the ventilation, cable management, and security settings of such racks and cabinets.

Many businesses often require custom designs and sizes of racks and cabinets to fulfill their complex storage requirements.

By enabling businesses to rent out particular racks and cabinets in a data center, data center companies like Nxtra help organisations take advantage of these crucial pieces of hardware at a fraction of their procurement cost. 

Moreover, businesses need not employ technicians to manage such racks and cabinets; again, data center companies like Nxtra assume full responsibility for the maintenance of these pieces of hardware. 

Choosing Data Center Racks and Cabinets

Choosing the appropriate design and size of data center racks and cabinets is crucial for businesses. While choosing the same, businesses should keep in mind factors such as the cable management, ventilation, and security capabilities of the data center racks and cabinets.  

Meticulous planning while selecting the data center rack and cabinet parameters will go a long way in ensuring you can take maximum advantage of these critical pieces of IT infrastructure. When working with a data center company like Nxtra, businesses can also build custom racks and cabinets for their dynamic business needs.