With Enconnex DC Series Server Cabinets, Custom Features Come Standard

Large data centers and colocation facilities invest considerable time and effort in developing standards that enable operational and environmental efficiencies. As the skeletal system of the data center, server racks and cabinets play an essential role in this strategy. However, standard “off-the-shelf” server racks and cabinets typically do not meet the specific requirements of today’s large-scale data center.

In fact, data center personnel can spend as much as two hours preparing each server cabinet for installation — reconfiguring rails, doors, and shelving, mounting PDU brackets, and installing cable management systems. Time means money as well as delays in implementing IT equipment within the server cabinet.

Many data centers hesitate to buy custom server racks and cabinets because they’re more expensive than standard products and come with significant lead times. Enconnex has eliminated these drawbacks with its DC Series server cabinets.

What Data Centers Look for in a Server Cabinet

Well-built server racks and cabinets are core components of any well-run data center. Server cabinets should have high-quality construction with the capacity and strength to support ever-increasing densities and the weight of modern equipment. Beyond those basics, however, the features of standard server cabinets vary widely.

For example, the footprint of a server cabinet tells only part of the story. If the interior is not properly designed, there may not be adequate space for today’s oversized servers. Additionally, the positioning of mounting rails and other interior components can impede access to equipment for maintenance. This can hamper efficiency and delay troubleshooting in a large data center.

Airflow management is another important consideration. Data center managers recognize the importance of properly sealing server racks and cabinets to prevent the mixing of hot exhaust air with chilled supply air. In many server cabinets, the space between the rails and the sides of the server cabinets becomes the primary location of airflow problems. A 1.5-inch space the height of the server cabinet on both sides creates more than 220 square inches of open area.

Poor cable management can also impede airflow and create maintenance and troubleshooting headaches. But while cable management is an essential part of data center best practices, it’s an add-on component with many standard racks.

Features of Enconnex DC Series Server Cabinets

Enconnex designed its DC Series server cabinets based upon years of experience working with some of the largest data centers and colocation facilities in the world. The DC Series incorporates commonly requested upgrades and modifications, eliminating the need to retrofit traditional server racks.

Extended Server Depth

The distance from the front mounting rail to the PDU is 980mm to accommodate longer servers in a traditional rack footprint.

Easy Maintenance Access

PDU mounting rails are flush with the side panels so that they don’t interfere with server maintenance access.

Improved Airflow Management

Elimination of gaps between the rails and side panels helps to prevent the recirculation of exhaust air and loss of conditioned airflow.

Built-In Cable Management

Specially designed cable management slots meet the needs of most data centers.

Best Value on the Market

Enconnex DC Series server cabinets save our customers’ IT teams from having to design or modify an existing rack to fit their needs—our engineering team has done all the heavy lifting for them. But even with industry-leading features made standard out of the box, Enconnex DC Series server cabinets are up to 50% cheaper than leading competitors. What’s more, Enconnex DC Series racks have significantly shorter lead times than custom server cabinets.

Simply put, they’re the best value on the market. Give us a call to learn more.