Aisle Containment Extends the Life of Data Centers

Containment Enclosures

If you operate a computer room, data center, cleanroom for sensitive air containment, or technology center, you know the challenges presented when it comes to maintaining a high level of efficiency. One of the things that can cause significant setbacks is when equipment fails; this can lead to downtime and costly repairs or hardware replacement. If you’ve been looking for ways to increase efficiency and extend the life of your data center, one method for doing as such is managing air flow. By managing the air flow within a data center, you can effectively control temperature zones and hot spots. A data center enclosure is designed to separate hot and cold air flow patterns and provide a customized, air-tight space around server cabinets and server aisles.

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What Do Containment Enclosures Do, Exactly?

Air containment enclosures are created by installing ceiling mounted bracket hardware, then attaching softwall panels or rigid panels, cabinet blanking panels, or partition barriers, around the cabinet racks. Simply maintaining temperature zones and air flow containment can help the servers work more efficiently. Additionally, separating cold, conditioned air from heat generated by the servers can also help boost efficiency, help control the climate in the facility, and maintain cleanliness near the hardware. Data center curtains control the air patterns created by air conditioned input, which can increase the efficiency of the server units in your data center.

How Can They Extend the Lifecycle of Your Equipment?

When your data center or technology center is maintained well, it will last for years. One way to shock the equipment, though, is not keeping it set up in an area with temperature control. Temperatures that are too hot, too cold, or too inconsistent are all things that can shorten the lifecycle of technical equipment like server units. The benefits of hot and cold aisle containment include:

  • Increased “up-time” of hardware
  • Increased rack capacity (server population)
  • Longer hardware life
  • Increased server performance

Air flow control and containment can also prevent a data center enclosure from becoming infiltrated with dust and other particles in the air. An aisle containment strategy is to control air flow patterns and keep contaminates away from servers so that the equipment stays clean and dust free. Air flow management controls air flow patterns inside the enclosure and channels the hot air generated by the servers directly back to the CRAC units in the data center. Research has proven that there are a lot of benefits to air flow containment, including energy efficiency and longer server life by containing air in hot and cold aisles.

When you’re determining how to set up containment enclosures, consider things like the space available within your facility, as well as the room configurations that are possible with the number of servers and cabinets you have. Consider what obstructions there are in your layout when designing a new enclosure. Finally, consider your budget. An effective data center environment doesn’t have to mean breaking your budget—FabraCraft is dedicated to delivering easy to install enclosure options that provide the best value for your data center. Contact us today to learn more.

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