08
Aug
If you rely heavily on your IT network equipment, buying appropriate equipment rack should be your number one priority. The equipment rack helps you to eliminate all the cable mess in your office or home. Furthermore, the equipment rack allows your to store and keep all your IT infrastructure in one place. With so many options on the market, buying equipment rack can be difficult task, because these racks come in different sizes, shapes and with different accessories. There are few important things that need to be closely considered when planning to buy a equipment rack for your office. In order to help you, we present a simple guide that can help to choose the most appropriate equipment rack for your IT devices.
The server and equipment racks have their own measurement unit for height, and that is the unit “U”. One U is approximately 44.45mm. This unit for height is used to indicate the number of units that can be placed in the equipment rack. 42U is the most popular height dimension for the equipment rack, but this dimension can range from 12U to 47U. In order to choose the right equipment rack, you need to measure the total U height of all devices you are planning to store in the equipment rack. It is suggested to leave enough space between the units. This way, they can be accessed easily and a proper ventilation will be provided. You should consider buying a larger equipment rack for future needs, of course if your budget and office space allow that.
Unlike the special height unit, the width of the equipment rack is measured by standard units. The most common width dimensions for equipment racks are in the range of 600mm to 800mm. However the width dimensions can vary depending on the equipment rack model and manufacturer. If your IT equipment comes with extensive cabling system, then a 800mm equipment rack would be the ideal choice.
The depth of the equipment rack is another important thing that needs to be closely considered, because today the server systems come with much bigger dimensions than before. Where once the 800mm depth equipment racks were considered as big enough, today the things are quite different, and 1000mm depths are now more common. A 1200mm deep equipment rack is also available on the market. The external dimension of the equipment racks can vary depending on the manufacturer and the rack model.
Weight is very important factor when assessing which equipment rack is the right option for you. You need to remember that the weights will become bigger as your business and IT infrastructure becomes larger. You should consider the items on which the equipment rack sits on, like castors, adjustable legs and plinths. Can they handle everything you put in the equipment rack? As stated above, it is recommended to buy a bigger equipment rack that can satisfy your existing and future needs.
The IT devices you are planning to store in the equipment rack generate heat. When assessing which equipment rack to choose, you need to closely consider the ambient temperature of your office and the heat which will be generated by the electronic devices. You should look for equipment racks that come with: glass doors or mesh steel doors that provide better ventilation, roof fans and air conditioning options.
