The issue of airflow management in server rooms is an important aspect of data center arrangement. The cooling issue is of great importance since network hardware tends to emit heat during operation. Insufficient cooling or an improper cooling strategy will inevitably result in breakdowns and malfunction. This is why a computing system requires sufficient cooling. DC airflow management stands as one of the first points to consider when planning a server room. The step implies:

• the analysis of the furniture used for equipment accommodation;
• the choice of a proper cooling strategy, depending on the used furniture models;
• Also, the estimate of the number of fans and accessories to cool down a functioning system;
• the development of the layout of correct furniture allocation in a premise to create hot and cold air aisles.

When dealing with server rack airflow management, system administrators should pay particular attention to the following areas: floors, premises, racks/cabinets, and rows.

TOP Effective Techniques to Cool Down DCs

When designing data centers, system administrators use particular techniques that help improve the speed and quality of air circulation.

Hot Aisle/Cold Aisle

By dividing the airflows in the data center room, you can eliminate hot spots and save energy. However, The choice of the best option for their isolation depends on the limitations of a particular data center. Server room airflow isolation improves the efficiency and predictability of a traditional data center cooling system. Due to the elimination of local overheating zones, the following tasks are performed:

• the reliability of IT equipment operation is increased;
• reducing the recirculation of hot air allows users to increase the energy density of the racks.

Also, A larger temperature difference between the cold supply air and the heated return air can increase the cooling capacity. To prevent the mixing of hot and cold air streams, it is enough to isolate only one of them.

Proper Server Furniture Setup

Server furniture requires particular attention since it houses dozens of computing devices. Thus, the service time of hardware directly depends on the ability of systems administrators to allocate equipment inside server racks and cabinets. Calculations or any other kind of task cause significant heat emissions. Thus, network equipment emits much heat, which can result in overheating if the cooling system inside the rack is improperly organized. System administrators use special tools and accessories to cool down hardware. If you plan to design a server rack cooling unit, here you’ll find a wide variety of items for your systems. System administrators usually use the following solutions to ensure the optimal temperature conditions inside serve cabinets:

Solutions to ensure the optimal temperature conditions

• a loose hardware layout. Remember that devices are never placed tightly. You should always leave extra space between network system components to allow the air to freely pass through them cooling hardware and exchanging heat.
• blank/filler panels. Enclosures of all server cabinets and racks have specialized holes for cabling, switching equipment, etc. Sometimes, systems administrators do not need all of them. It is quite problematic to develop a cooling map with such holes since the air from the outside will penetrate the enclosure and disorganize the system. Thus, blank panels are used. These are plastic or metal pieces used to plug unused holes.
• additional fans. In most cases, enclosed cabinets require the use of forced ventilation systems. The staff installs fans to force the air to circulate through parts and exchange heat.
• cable management tools. Also, Improperly organized wires lead to tangles, which creates an obstacle to air circulation. Arranged and bundled cords look neat and do not hinder airflow.
• floor grommets. These are plastic or metal bezels, which are attached to a hole in a particular material in order to extend its service life, hide imperfections, and facilitate its connection to another surface. By applying this accessory, employees leave some extra space on the bottom allowing the air to go through all corners and sides.

Tune up Raised Floors

Raised floors have become the architectural basis for building a modern data center facility. Existing solutions in this area provide efficient cooling, reduce the number and length of hidden cables, consolidate physical ports and reduce the number of cords for connecting equipment. The raised floor is a floor covering consisting of removable tiles that are installed on a supporting structure. Due to the latter, free space formed between the flooring and the base floor, in which cables for various purposes laid. Among other things, a ventilation system formed under the raised floor, ensuring that the cooling air flows where its needed.

Rack Chimneys

This technical solution allows users to increase the inflow of natural air for cooling strategies. Specialized metal and plastic designs produced for server rooms. Its construction looks like a long pipe installed on the premises with one end entering the outdoor space. Thus, cold air enters the premises according to physical laws and cools down the indoor environment. This device will help remove extra heat and maintain an optimal environment in both premises and cabinets.

Monitor Temperature

A great variety of sensors, tools, and controlling accessories offered on the modern market to allow the maintenance staff to control the environment remotely. Sensors equipped with alarm systems that send alarm messages to the control board when some indicators violated. Skilled employees can set up cooling strategies as they need due to smart sensors. The development of a cooling strategy for a server room is not an easy and quick task. Data center airflow management requires particular consideration, analysis, and preparation. Before planning the cooling strategy, it is necessary to analyze the type of premises, the furniture used, the number of cabinets, etc. The staff should decide what type of ventilation (passive, active, or both) will used, and make a list of the required accessories (blank panels, fans, etc.). In no case, system administrators can neglect this stage of server room arrangement since network equipment is responsible for datum storage and computing tasks. Heat can damage hardware and lead to downtime.