Written by Rack Alley
Server rooms and data center house hundreds if not thousands of devices. These devices are either networking equipment like switches or servers. Look at any image of a server room and they will all be housed in racks or cabinets. Here are three most popular types that should be used in server rooms today:
Two post rack – These racks are two forward posts with rear legs for support. These are used for light networking and switching equipment as they cannot handle heavy server loads. Typical devices would be routers and edge switches. Larger core switches are too heavy to hold in large numbers.
Four-post rack – Similar to the above, but with four posts. These can handle heavier loads and are used for a combination of servers and networking devices. They can also handle a heavier total load. There are also options for cable management on the rear posts.
Rack cabinet – This is a full server rack that has four posts, lockable front and rear doors and two side panels. In addition, for air flow, these closed racks come with an option for overhead extractor fans. However, the fans will not be necessary for a cold/hot air aisle system. These are the most expensive of the racks as they also provide physical security. This is typically what is used in most data centers. Some models come with built-in air conditioning and power distribution.
These are three most popular rack types available. Any large server room or data center should not be using anything else.
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Rack Alley is a provider of LA web hosting and colocation services at their LA data center.