How to choose cabinets for your data centre
The accelerated pace of investment in data centres is reflected in the demand for server cabinets. Choosing the right server cabinets enables data centre owners and tenants to meet their business objectives, technical requirements and standards, as well as the need for the most efficient operation and maintenance.
According to global law firm Linklaters, $22 billion was invested in data centres in the first quarter of this year, with the largest investments made in the US and Europe, with Europe showing a strong increase in investment activity. $7 billion of data centre investments in the first four months of 2024 represent 29% worldwide share compared to 6% in 2022 and 20% in 2023.
These trends clearly point to increased demand for the full range of data centre equipment. This is because data centre investment is primarily about real estate, the space that needs to be properly equipped for the operation of hosted IT infrastructure. This physical space can be dedicated buildings, individual floors or rooms: depending on who the investor is – a property company, a data centre service provider or an organisation for its own needs. Server cabinets are one of the key assets in equipping these physical spaces, as they allow the installation of both processing servers and storage systems, as well as network switches, firewalls and other ICT components.
How to choose cabinets
There are three basic factors to consider when selecting server cabinets: equipment category, equipment type and equipment count. Equipment categories are whether the cabinets will house servers, network switches, storage devices, firewalls or load balancing routers.
To simplify the selection of rack widths, IT equipment is divided into two main categories
– Processing: For servers, storage or computing functions, a 600mm wide cabinet is sufficient. Most racks comply with the EIA-310D standard, which means that their mounting rails must be 19″ in length. This ensures compatibility between different brands of equipment, as different types of rack can be accommodated.
– Networking: For equipment that is to be networked, we usually choose wider, 800mm cabinets, which allow for better and easier cable management. This is because the extra space on each side of the cabinet allows cables to be routed upwards or sideways for easier connection.
The choice of enclosure is therefore most often determined by the equipment installed, even if there is a mix of equipment in the enclosure. For example, if the majority of the equipment in a cabinet consists of servers and firewalls, a 600mm cabinet would normally be used.
Another aspect of selection is the use of floor tiles, which for data centres are 600 x 600 mm. A rule of thumb for 800 mm wide cabinets is to use three units to cover 2400 mm, i.e. four floor tiles. The 600 mm cabinet width is matched to the size of the floor tiles, which makes the job easier. Similarly, a 1200 mm deep cabinet can be considered instead of a 1000 mm deep cabinet due to the size of the floor tiles. Uneven use of floor tiles can make it difficult to open the floor tiles for maintenance and is also aesthetically unpleasing.
When selecting an enclosure according to the type of equipment, a greater depth will be required for high power switches or switches in enclosures. Another method of determining the appropriate cabinet depth is based on the material required for installation and the specification of the equipment.
Let’s look at an example:
Če kot primer uporabimo zgornjo tabelo, lahko v omaro namestimo opremo s tremi različnimi globinami. V tem scenariju upoštevamo največjo globino Dellovega strežnika in dodamo razdaljo 150 mm za vodenje napajalnih in omrežnih kablov – 756 + 150 mm = 906 mm. Zato bo zadostovala omara z globino 1000 mm, odvisno tudi od števila opreme, nameščene zadaj.
Upoštevajte, da je razdalja 150 mm za napeljavo splošna smernica, seveda pa so glede na razpoložljivi prostor lahko potrebne prilagoditve. Priporočamo, da so napajalni in omrežni kabli tesno ob zadnjih vratih, pri čemer je še vedno treba ohraniti dovolj prostora za rokovanje.
What else to consider when planning your cabinets
Investing in server cabinets is not a short-term investment, so it makes sense to consider your business needs and plans for at least three years when determining the number of cabinets you need. This is because cabinets are generally difficult to replace or relocate, either because of their size or because of network cabling and connections.
There will also need to be some spare space in the cabinets themselves, which adds up to an extra 20 to 30%. Our recommendation is to leave at least 20% of the space for ‘forgotten’ equipment, such as routers and modems that cannot be installed.
An often overlooked aspect of the selection process is the overall height difference. If you have suspended cable ducts, fibre optic trunking or diffusers, there is a physical height limit. It is also important to consider the delivery route when considering height restrictions. It is true that most cabinets can be disassembled or assembled on site, but the latter complicates the installation process.
More information about Panduit cabinets and racks: Peter Süssinger (sales@egal-eu.com) or +386 (0)31 737 831.
