Tag Archives: server rack

Picking the Right Rack and Cabinet for Your Data Center

In the data center, the network rack and cabinet are used to house the router, switch, copper or fiber patch panel and other networking devices and accessories. They are meant to protect the hardware as well as make it easily accessible for modification, alteration as the business evolves and changes. This post will list tips that need to be kept in mind when picking your network rack and cabinet for your data center.

Why Use Network Rack and Cabinet in Data Center

The network rack and cabinet play a significant role in the data center. They organize networking devices, such as switches, into standardized assemblies. In this way, space and other resources can be effectively utilized. What’s more, to meet varied needs, the network rack and cabinet have multiple functions. They can improve rack cable management, device management, physical security, mobility, ease of installation and protection from harsh environmental conditions, etc. Therefore, the use of network racks and cabinets is very necessary.

Considerations When Picking the Right Rack and Cabinet

Picking the right network rack and cabinet, and configuring them as your needs can ensure that your equipment works reliably and efficiently. Besides, this frees your organization from costly downtime and other unnecessary expenses. Below are some considerations for picking the right network rack and cabinet.

  • Equipment

Before you choose a rack or cabinet, you need to clear what equipment you are going to house, such as switches, routers, and so on. Then you need to consider the weight and size of your equipment. If you are going to house large and heavy equipment, the amount of weight capacity of a rack or cabinet must be important.

  • Size and Housing Space

It is vital for your data center that your rack or cabinet has sufficient internal space to house your current devices and to accommodate your planned future expansion. Therefore, the size and the hosing space of a rack and cabinet such as height, width, and rated load must be taken into consideration.

  • Cooling System

In the data center, every piece of networking equipment has cooling requirements. Different racks or cabinets have different structures, so the airflow is different. Therefore, when picking your rack or cabinet, the cooling system is also a factor that needs to be considered.

  • Power Providing

There is no doubt that equipment in racks or cabinets also need plenty of power. There are multiple options to power the equipment in racks or cabinets. The power strips can be mounted horizontally and vertically. Therefore the power providing of the equipment in your rack or cabinet is another consideration you need to keep in mind.

Network Rack and Cabinet Recommendation

Here are some network rack and cabinet recommendations for reference.

  • 9U/12U 4-Post Wall Mount Network Cabinet

Suitable for enterprise data centers and computer rooms, the 9U wall mount cabinet is designed to house the 19-inch standard or non-standard network equipment, as well as network accessories. It is perfect for the areas with limited floor space, and it can provide the equipment with a secure and organized environment. It has convenient cable access openings, top cooling fan, vented glass front door, and lockable/removable side panels.

Rack and Cabinet: 9U12U 4-Post Wall Mount Network Cabinet

Figure 1: 9U/12U 4-Post Wall Mount Network Cabinet

  • 45U 4-Post Adjustable Open Frame Rack

The open-frame rack provides easy access and plenty of open space for rack cable management. All these make it perfect for network wiring closets and distribution frame applications with high-density cabling. The open-frame rack is typically used for server room and data center rack applications that don’t require physical security and added airflow control.

Rack and Cabinet: 45U 4-Post Adjustable Open Frame Rack

Figure 2: 45U 4-Post Adjustable Open Frame Rack

Conclusion

It has been stressed many times that network rack and cabinet play an indispensable role in organizing equipment in the data center. The process of choosing the right rack or cabinet is often important. FS.COM can provide not only network rack and cabinet, but also server rack and cabinet as well as other rack accessories. If you have any need about this, you can contact us just by visiting www.fs.com.

Understanding the Modular Patch Panel

Cable management is a significant part of a network which is designed well. Managing cables have contributed to maintaining the essential function of data centers and protect devices from airflow blockages caused by unorganized and disordered cables. Therefore, users usually solve cabling problems with fiber patch panel, splicing fiber enclosure, server rack and other cable management methods. Among them, fiber optic patch panel is an economical, efficient and easy-to-use cable management solution for the modern data center. However, depending on different standards, there are different types of patch panels. Today, our topic is one kind of patch panels: the modular patch panel.

modular patch panel: cable management

What Is Modular Patch Panel

The modular patch panel, or unloaded patch panel, is a kind blank fiber patch panel without pre-loaded built-in ports. But the modular patch panel has reserved holes. The empty slot allows users to install different ports according to his needs, such as CAT5E/CAT6 insertion module. Therefore, these panels can terminate different cables when different connectors are required to be installed. In addition, a modular patch panel can connect multiple types of cables. Generally, the modular patch panel is installed in the high-density 1U rack. It can be easily installed on the standard racks, cabinets or wall brackets. All empty ports are also numbered in advance to facilitate connection and identification.

Flat and Angled Modular Patch Panel

According to the style of design, the modular patch panel includes two types: flat modular patch panels and angled modular patch panels. I’ve once seen the jokingly stated that the difference between the flat panel and angled panel is the aesthetic difference. In fact, the most essential difference between the flat modular patch panel and angled modular patch panel is indeed the shape, the former is straight, and the latter has a “V” angle.

Flat modular patch panels help horizontal cable managers organize and route cables to vertical managers. The angled patch panels facilitate cabling improvement. They are substitutes for management and do not require horizontal management of rack space. The angled patch panels increase the rack density and manage high-density applications in a quarter of the area required for conventional cable management systems. However, due to the requirement of front depth, the angled patch panels are not conducive to the installation of cabinets.

Conclusion

The modular patch panel is useful for eliminating cable clutter, leaving enough room for airflow, and maximizing the performance and scalability of the data center. Today’s data centers need a reliable, scalable, and manageable cabling infrastructure, and then patch panel cable management solutions address these trends and promote high-density data center cabling efficiency. By the way, when buying patch panels, there is no single solution that meets all cable management needs. We hope you can get a little knowledge of patch panel cable management technology to successfully deploy cables in the data center. FS.COM can provide you with not only many kinds of fiber patch panels, but also fiber enclosures and server racks which support your cable managing work.