What You Should Look For in a Server Data Cabinet

    LONDON, ENGLAND, April 22, 2012 /24-7PressRelease/ -- You can't afford computer breakdowns or failure in a modern business so you have to find a server data cabinet that provides the best possible environment for your system components. So what should you look out for?

Quality - server data cabinets are required to house some fairly heavy and very expensive equipment. You need to be sure that your cabinet is strongly built to the highest standards with long lasting materials so that it can safely handle these loads.

Cabinet size - it is important to have a clear idea of the type and amount of equipment you intend to install in your cabinet. With careful planning you will be able to establish the number of rack units required and choose your data cabinet accordingly. But, don't forget, you will need extra space for rack-mounted accessories such as cooling fans and shelves and it is vital to leave sufficient room for cable management purposes. You may also want to have a little extra space to facilitate expansion at a later date.

Ventilation and cooling - overheating is the enemy of all server systems and can lead to catastrophic failure. How your cabinet is cooled is, therefore a major consideration. Your server room should have its own cooling system but if you your facility is very small or you only need a small number of cabinets, then it best that each cabinet contributes to its own cooling. Good cabinet ventilation will help reduce heat build-up. This can be achieved by using vented doors and side panels and, in some cases where security is not an issue, it might prove useful to have a cabinet on which the side panels can be removed altogether. Some cabinets come with built-in cooling fans but, if your choice is for a server data cabinet that does not have integral fans, then you should ensure that there is space for a fan rack to be installed. Airflow can be assisted by having adequate space within the cabinet and by ensuring good cable management that avoids restricting circulation.

Noise - all data servers put out a disturbing amount of noise. This may not only be annoying for your staff but it can adversely affect their performance and may lead to illness. While a properly insulated server room will mitigate the effects of noise from your server cabinet, it is possible to purchase data cabinets with built-in noise reduction technology which, in some circumstances (where you don't have a dedicated server room for example), might serve your needs better.

External size and mobility - sometimes users forget about the intended location of their data cabinets. It is important to make sure that there is adequate space for the cabinet you choose and that it is possible to get it to that space; fortunately, some cabinets can be flat-packed and assembled on-site. Also, remember that once your system is up and running the cabinet and its contents will be quite heavy. If you need to move it, you will want it to be mounted on casters.

These are some of the main points to consider before deciding on which data cabinet is right for you. Your supplier should have the expertise to give you any further advice that you may need and will always be worth consulting before you make a final decision.

We build our server cabinets in Zintec - British Steel's toughest electro-zinc coated steel sheet and coil. This means they're covered by a lifetime warranty, and the servers your business relies on are protected - no catches, quibbles or nasty surprises.

Website: http://www.toughrack.co.uk

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