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Old 11-17-2011, 05:10 PM
bline bline is offline
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Default Average rack configuration and power

We're building out a new DC and I have a couple of questions on what is average for a couple items.

1) Rack Configuration - What is the usual depth of a rack? My initial hunting seems to point at 36". What is acceptable row spacing? We are taking part of a building and are trying to get 4 rows in. Our footprint can adjust to accommodate, but we need to understand how far apart to space.

2) Rack Power - What is an average power feed into a rack? Since most modern computer/network equipment can run at 208VAC, I'm assuming we will be able to get away with mostly 208V to each rack. Which amperage do you guys default with for an average customer? 15? 30?

Thanks for your help.
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Old 11-17-2011, 08:38 PM
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KenB KenB is offline
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Because of the length of some newer tape libraries and rackmount servers, we have migrated from 42 in. to 48 in. deep racks. You should plan on 48 in. access for the front of the racks and 36 in. rear access. This gives racks an 11 ft. footprint. Maybe others can chime in on average rack power, but we have one facility using subfloor cooling that averages around 6 kW per rack and another using hot aisle containment that can accommodate 20 kW per rack.


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Last edited by KenB; 11-17-2011 at 08:45 PM.
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Old 11-17-2011, 10:06 PM
bline bline is offline
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What about rack options besides depth? Square vs drilled, dead space for cables or PDU, etc.. Which options are required best compatibility? Any manufacturer suggestions?
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Old 11-18-2011, 12:02 AM
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KenB KenB is offline
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Not knowing any of your requirements, I'll say what works well for us. We use cabinets with built-in casters that are 42U high and 24 in. wide. The 24 in. width nicely accommodates our 19 in. wide servers and indexes well with our 24 in. raised floor panels. Higher than 42U racks bump into many overhead obstacles. We end up using the bottom few spaces for cable entry and UPS and the top of the rack for patch panels and rack switches, so we plan for a maximum of 75% rack fill.

We use racks with square hole rails, which accommodate most modern equipment mounting rails, and use cage nuts in case something needs to be mounted with screws. We try to limit rack weight to 2,000 lbs. to stay within the limits of the raised floor specs.

We prefer racks made by companies who do not manufacture servers and find APC's AR3300 racks to offer excellent value. Other very good brands recommended in other threads include Rittal, Emerson and Chatsworth.

Hope that helps.


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Last edited by KenB; 11-21-2011 at 01:05 AM.
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Old 11-21-2011, 12:01 AM
medialover medialover is offline
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We have proceeded on a similar path Ken. We use Emerson racks and find they work very well for us. Some of our older servers fit more comfortably into these racks although I'm certain they would fit into other racks as well. We planned from the outset to limit each rack to less than 1,500 lbs. as we currently have lots of space for growth. The only thing we feel would limit the use of racks of the type we use would be some of the new rack cooling systems. Currently we use underfloor cooling and standard air-conditioning to keep our center cool.
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