Network & Server Rack Setup Best Practices

When designing a data center, the first step is to choose the right type of rack for your particular use case. Next, you need to ensure that the rack or cabinet has the right dimensions to support your equipment and allow for proper airflow. The racks should be positioned in a way that optimizes cooling and facilitates management, maintenance, and troubleshooting.

Once you have the right racks in the right place, you’re faced with installing the IT equipment. Where should the equipment be placed within the rack? What accessories can help streamline rack layout and simplify management?

Tips for How to Setup a Server or Network Rack

The layout of equipment in a server or network rack should consider the safety of both equipment and people as well as administrative efficiency.

Server Rack Equipment Layout Best Practices

Servers, uninterruptible power supplies (UPSs), and other equipment can be quite heavy. It’s important to place the heavier equipment in the lower part of the rack. This reduces the risk that an administrator will be injured when installing the equipment. Even if a power lift is available, heavy equipment should not be placed near the top — taller racks can easily tip over when a server is pulled out of the cabinet on its rails, damaging the equipment and potentially harming personnel.

Networking equipment housed within the server rack should be installed in the upper portion of the cabinet to simplify cable management. Lightweight, rarely accessed equipment should be placed nearest the top. Obviously, human interfaces such as keyboards should be accessible at a comfortable working height.

Network Rack Equipment Layout Best Practices

Network racks contain routers, switches, and other networking gear. They generally aren’t as deep as server racks, and the equipment they contain isn’t as heavy. Often, network racks are open two- or four-post racks that are secured to the floor to prevent tipping. Although network racks contain different equipment than server racks, the same equipment layout best practices apply. Equipment needs to be easy for administrators to access, and heavy equipment should be placed near the bottom of the rack.

A key consideration in network rack setup is cable management. Equipment housed in a network rack generally comes with more cables than the equipment in standard server racks. Proper cable management must be considered to ensure the equipment performs to its peak capabilities. Ideally, equipment is placed to minimize the lengths of cables, which reduces costs and prevents overcrowding. In a previous post, we touched on a few key network rack cable management tips.

Network & Server Rack Setup Enhancements

Installing the equipment in the right position is the first step. Next, it’s important to consider accessories that can optimize the setup of your server or network rack.

Cable Management

Proper cable management is critically important. Oftentimes, data centers have hundreds of racks and cabinets with various equipment and cables. Following data center cable management best practices and utilizing cable management accessories can help. Some cable managers have “fingers” for routing cables and may be single- or double-sided; others have rings. There are vertical cable managers and ducts used to corral cables running from the lower part of the rack to the upper and horizontal cable managers for cables needing to be routed left and right.

Airflow Management

Facilitating effective airflow is important for all IT equipment, but it is absolutely crucial for enclosed racks and cabinets since it is easy for air to get trapped in them. Without adequate airflow, you risk overheating equipment and downtime. It’s important to consider two elements when it comes to airflow management:

1. Ensuring that air moves properly through the rack or cabinet.
2. Preventing hot exhaust air from mixing with chilled intake air.

Blanking panels serve both purposes and should be installed in every open vertical space. Server rack fans can also be built into doors to boost ventilation. Additionally, air seal kits can prevent the mixing of hot and cold air in the cabinet. Typically, they are mounted at the front of the cabinet, between the vertical mounting rail and side panels to fill gaps between the two. In a previous post, we covered even more strategies for effective data center server rack airflow management.

Shelves

Shelving is a handy addition for equipment that doesn’t mount directly to the rack. Sliding shelves pull out for easy access to the equipment. Be careful to consider the weight capacity of your shelves vs. your equipment before buying, though. Some shelves are designed to hold more weight than others.

Rack and Cabinet Accessories from Enconnex

Enconnex has a wide array of server rack and cabinet accessories, including cable management solutions, equipment shelves, blanking panels, and fan doors. All of our accessories meet our exacting specifications for quality, durability, and cost-efficiency, and most are ready to ship from our Reno, NV warehouse.

We also have data center design specialists on staff who can assist you with the layout and organization of your server racks and cabinets. Let our team help you optimize your data center's manageability, safety, and cooling efficiency. Get in touch today.