How are Data Centers Cooled?

Network devices are designed to perform difficult computing tasks and store important datum. Thus, it emits much heat during operation. If the ventilation system does not work properly, this will lead to equipment overheating and downtime. Cooling is an essential and one of the most crucial aspects of data center organization.

To create optimal conditions and ensure a smooth running of an entire system, the optimal temperature must be maintained ranging from 291K to 298K. Now, let’s see how data center cooling works and how system administrators monitor the environment remotely.

How does data center cooling work?

The principle of cooling data centers is based on removing hot air from premises and replacing it with cold air. Hot and cold air exchange can be achieved by one of the following means:

• Venting hot air out of the room and letting the outside air in;
• Airflow recirculation inside the premise due to server furniture arranged according to the map of cold and hot aisles;
• Free cooling using outside air. Venting heated air outside the premise and letting pre-chilled air in. This is a common option for cold climatic zones, where the difference between inside and outside air is significant;
• Heating or cooling the premise to the maximum optimal temperate using a central cooling and heating system. When heating or cooling equipment fails to work, replace it. Replacing the equipment of facilities can be cheaper than risking high-precision server hardware.

Note that not only temperature but also humidity and some other indicators are monitored since they also cause malfunction of server systems.

Top Cooling Solutions for Server Cabinets

We have analyzed how to cool a data center. Yet, server cabinets themselves need cooling too. If you want to improve server cabinet cooling, one of the following solutions will come in handy:

• A temperature control panel with fans

This is a set of sensors with fans. Sensors are designed to control the optimal environment inside the cabinet, while fans force the air to circulate and cool down functioning devices.

• Shelf fan trays

These are durable metal constructions for accommodating several fans in a row. Such solutions are used for large floor-standing server cabinets where a lot of devices are housed.

• Wall-mount roof fan kit

This is a set of fans designed for installation on top of the cabinet. It allows directing the airflow and achieving the best possible circulation. The kit is equipped with all the necessary accessories to install and support fans reliably.

Before buying an accessory for cooling, analyze how deep, tall, and wide your server should be. It is possible to pick models to any cabinet dimensions (depth, width, height). When selecting a cabinet model, remember that the width of furniture is usually 19 inches to fit most server types of hardware fastened to mounting rails.

Other Solutions that Can Affect the Airflow

Besides the use of forced ventilation systems, it is possible to regulate the airflow via hardware placement and some other solutions. So, let’s find out how are servers cooled without fans.

1. Rack placement. The location of furniture is not occasional. Racks and cabinets are organized in data centers according to the map of hot and cold aisles. If placed correctly, racks will be additionally cooled by a building’s ventilation system.
2. Cable management. Hundreds of cables are used to connect different units of server systems to each other, as well as to a PDU. If they are routed in special accessories (boxes, trays, fasteners), they won’t tangle and will be organized and neat. Tangled wires not only harden the maintenance process but also impede the airflow circulation.
3. Blanking panels. Sometimes, cabinet space is not used at full capacity. If free slots are left, this can lead to the drain of cold air and an ineffective cooling strategy. To make the air circulate inside the cabinet and ensure its easy monitoring, blanking panels are used. They allow plugging unused slots and holes in server cabinet bodies.
4. Environmental monitoring sensors. Climate control sensors are obligatory tools for the organization of a proper cooling system and monitoring compliance with the set conditions. Sensors will allow systems administrators to simplify their duties since the climate will be controlled automatically. In the case of deviations from the specified parameters, an alarm will be immediately sent to the control office.

The question of maintaining optimal humidity and temperature in data centers is vital for hardware and server systems. Any change in environmental conditions immediately influences the quality and service time of IT equipment. That is why the issue of cooling both sever cabinets and premises in which they are placed is one of the first things to consider at the stage of planning server room organization.