Key Considerations When Implementing Data Center Containment
Hi all. Found an excellent article that I am sure many will relate to. Hope you get something useful out of this...
Hot Aisle Versus Cold Aisle Containment
When it comes to containment strategies, the most common confusion is usually regarding whether it’s better to contain the hot aisle or the cold aisle. One thing to keep in mind, the goal of both hot and cold aisle containment is the same: to separate the flow path of the conditioned air from the exhaust air so that changes can be made to reduce operating cost, reduce PUE, and increase cooling capacity.
Assuming a computer room is configured in such a way that either is viable, hot aisle containment may be seen as the better option because it has some working environment and ride-through advantages. However, because every computer room is unique, there is no one definitive solution. For this reason, it is important to understand all the differences between hot aisle containment and cold aisle containment so you can make a decision appropriate to a particular architectural environment and business strategy.
Maximizing the Benefits
Whether your strategy is to contain the hot aisle or the cold aisle, airflow containment solutions are a best practice for managing IT intake temperatures with maximum efficiency. However, even after containment strategies have been implemented, many sites fail to take full advantage of the efficiency and cost saving improvements containment can provide.
So before we go any further, it’s important to note that the first step in maximizing your containment is to understand the utilization of the computer room cooling infrastructure; this is easily done by calculating your computer room’s Cooling Capacity Factor (CCF). CCF is the ratio of total rated cooling capacity of running cooling units to the estimated heat load. Armed with this knowledge, you will be able to make informed decisions about maximizing the benefits of containment solutions in your facility.
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Thanks,
Tony