First, buy the most suitable server rack
Before buying a server rack, it is best to understand the basic features of the product. The height of a server rack is expressed in terms of rack units, usually abbreviated as RU or U. One rack unit is equivalent to 1.75 inches (44.45mm) high, and the corresponding height of the equipment is expressed in terms of the number of U's. The height of a network switch is usually 1.75 inches (44.45mm) high. Network switches typically range from 1U to 2U in height, servers from 1U to 4U, and blade servers from 5U to 10U and beyond.
Also, consider the width and depth of the server rack, which is typically 19 inches wide and 600mm to 1,000mm deep. some server racks also come with adjustable rear baffles, though most rackmount servers come with adjustable mounting kits that can come in handy as long as the rack is set aside enough depth for the servers.
Probably the most common server rack on the market today is the four-post rack, which allows for 19-inch-wide servers and networking equipment. Typically, full-height racks are 42 U and half-height racks are 24 U. There are also a number of other options available, including desktop derivatives ranging in size from 5 U to 20 U. Optional casters come in handy to provide some maneuverability to the racks.
Where space is at a premium, you can choose from open racks or small wall-mounted cabinets. Note that open racks may have special mounting requirements, such as needing to be bolted to the floor, while wall-mounted cabinets can't carry heavy equipment and are only suitable for network switches or one or two servers.
Second, rack-mounted equipment makes sense
For small businesses, their operations often begin with stacks of server hardware and network equipment on desktops or shelves. While this deployment is not expensive in terms of price, as businesses continue to grow, these devices typically become cluttered. Exposed devices have no resistance to vandalism. Spilled coffee, dust, and even an employee tripping over messy wiring can be a ticking time bomb for these exposed devices.
Rackmounted equipment is designed to hold this hardware in a logical place. Although rackmount devices are more expensive than non-rackmount devices, they certainly offer a better price/performance ratio over time. In addition, shelves and drawers specifically designed to be mounted on server racks are readily available in the market. With these shelves and drawers, non-rack mounted equipment can be installed in the rack when necessary.
Third, separate servers to reduce noise
Organizations that don't have the space to dedicate a room for server equipment should consider noise management. If possible, or should make a dedicated room for server equipment. In addition to radically dampening or eliminating equipment noise, a dedicated room for servers protects IT equipment from being stolen or vandalized.
For small businesses, they may have no choice but to place racks in the corner of a room or in the IT department's office. When shopping for a rack, it's important to choose one that's quiet. Since vents can never be fully soundproofed, their noise reduction performance should be considered when purchasing. Good or bad noise control depends on the noise level of the equipment itself and the overall noise reduction level of the rack.
Fourth, take cooling measures, install an air conditioning unit (or two)
If you're only going to deploy two network switches and a five-drive NAS (Network Attached Storage) system, then you probably don't need to worry about cooling. But if you're planning to deploy multiple servers, a medium-sized uninterruptible power supply, and a large NAS in a crowded space, then temperatures can quickly rise. Needless to say, high temperatures can drastically shorten the life of your equipment, as well as cause frequent and inexplicable failures.
We should try to match the heat load of the rack to the heat output of the server equipment as much as possible, and the common methods used to measure the internal temperature of the rack tend to be very effective. To keep equipment cool you can't ignore the server rack's ability to dissipate heat. In addition, the ambient temperature outside the rack can directly affect the temperature of the equipment. This is why we strongly recommend installing air conditioning units in server rooms.
An often-overlooked issue is that servers remain operational after employees leave work. In this case, you'll need a standalone air conditioning unit that's independent of the building's central air conditioning system, although power to the standalone air conditioner is usually cut off when you reach a certain time. Ideally, a business would install two separate air-conditioning units in the server room, which should be connected to two separate circuit breakers, which would allow the two air-conditioners to provide cooling on a rotating basis.
Correct cable management (see step five) can also help ensure that air can circulate properly. In short, it's not wise to cram all 42 1U servers into a single full-height rack, which would result in restricted cabling. Also older server chassis may need to leave 1U to 2U of space between them to ensure that air can flow. (The latest rack-mounted servers no longer require such space.
Fifth, managing cables is tedious but necessary
Installing a server rack isn't just a matter of tightening a few screws to securely fasten equipment in place. Proper cable management cannot be overemphasized, as almost all rack-mounted devices have network cables attached to them. In addition to internal rack routing, it's important to eliminate cables from Ethernet LAN access points for desktops, webcams, and other network devices in the rack.
The best way to properly manage these cables is to use an RJ45 patch panel to eliminate the network cables. A patch panel typically takes up only 1U of space and can provide 24 ports. Using a patch panel involves stripping the cables yourself to connect the network cables to the patch panel, and then running them through a network cable test tool to confirm connectivity. (If you pay to hire a professional, they may be able to do all of the above in a day.)
Besides patch panels, cable ties can also help make it easy to secure large numbers of cables. Standard cable ties are disposable and can be very cheap when purchased in bulk, while reusable ones are not very expensive.
Sixth, label everything to make it easy to manage
Lastly, you can't skip the step of labeling and archiving all of your equipment, even for relatively simple deployments. What may be mundane to the employee deploying them may be difficult for a new IT employee or a vendor responsible for contracting a particular part of the system to handle. In addition to saving time, labeling reduces the chance of catastrophic errors such as unplugging mission-critical systems or rebooting them without adequate warning
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