The server room is the heart of many companies’ technical operations. A business’s critical data is stored and shared within this room. Protecting the data center’s infrastructure is essential to every organization’s functionality. Cool aisle containment is crucial when you need to keep that data and equipment protected. Here is how cold aisle containment works for data centers.
What Is Cold Aisle Containment?
Cold aisle containment (CAC) is one of the most efficient ways to prevent your servers and other equipment from overheating. Many data centers worldwide use these systems to keep everything running at an optimal level. When servers are in use, the equipment can generate heat. With no action, the servers will overheat and shut down. As you may have guessed, that can cause damage to all the equipment. This system creates a cooler environment where the air is sent to the server room, keeping everything cool. In some cases, a data center will use cold aisle containment with a hot air containment system to remove the hot air.
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Cold aisle containment will enclose an aisle for the data center. With that, there is a uniform flow of cold air delivered directly to the equipment. All the airflow containment can be utilized to match the specialized needs of an individual aisle, maintaining operational efficiency and eliminating hot spots. Cold aisle containment is a great option to ensure you have the proper intake air temperatures throughout your data center.
Do you want to keep your data center cooled, so you don’t have to worry about overheating? Check our cold aisle data containment solutions. Schedule a consultation with C&C Technology Group today.
Benefits of Cold Aisle Containment
You could do nothing to cool down your servers, but you are running the risk of damage to your equipment. In many cases, the servers will likely overheat with continuous use. Overheating will lead to the stored data becoming degraded or destroyed. Along with losing data, the entire network system will become weaker with damaged equipment. Plus, uncooled servers can also produce heat that may affect the health of your human operators. If you want to protect your equipment and employees, you need to think about cold aisle containment.
Since cold air aisle containment allows you to direct air to specific parts of your data center, you can always be assured that these equipment pieces operate efficiently. When servers are too hot, they often have shorter life spans. Those short lifespans will cost money for your business since you need to replace or service servers regularly. When you need to replace servers, it will become a burden for your IT department. All data will need to move, causing downtime and wasting labor hours. Cold aisle containment allows you to keep everything up and running, maximizing the efficiency of your data center.
How is cold aisle containment different from other types of cooling systems? You might want to cool down the whole room, but that is hardly efficient. Aisle containment gives you the highest cooling capacity. With that, you will spend less money than trying to cool down an entire room. In many cases, the system can reduce your energy cost by over 40%. Plus, these aisle containment systems will eliminate hot spots, which can be a big problem when you try to cool down an entire room.
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Types of Cold Aisle Containment Systems
There are several types of cold aisle containment systems, with many that can be customized for your needs. All of these cooling options have their pros and cons. A company with a whole server room needs a more cost-effective solution for its multiple servers. In those cases, an entire containment system may be the best choice. A single-row system for a cold aisle containment could be a better option for a company with three or four servers. Some systems can be self-contained and not attached to the walls or ceiling.
There are various that go into customizing a cold aisle containment system. They include containment panels, doors, ceiling panels, and containment strips. With these components and other accessories, you can design a cold aisle containment that will keep the equipment cool and help the center operate more efficiently.
Why Cold Aisle Containment Is So Important To Modern Data Centers
Cold aisle containment helps to regulate the temperature of your data center. There are many cooling options, but not many are energy efficient or have all of the benefits of cold aisle containment. With all the available options, you can customize the system. For example, fixed ceiling panels are often used to control the airflow in the center. These panels are transparent, so you don’t have to worry about adding light to the server room. Additionally, they have versatile mounting options that are great for those with limited space.
Related: Data Center Cooling 101: From Start to Finish
Cold Aisle Containment Protects Your Data Center
The servers could be the most critical part of your business operations. Within a data center, it is an essential room that stores equipment and controls data. The servers affect how your data moves throughout your organization. Not thinking about cooling down the data center will eventually lead to problems and downtime. One of the ideal ways to protect your business is by installing a cold aisle containment system.
As you already know, there are several ways to customize these systems. With all that in mind, there is no reason you should not install a cold aisle containment system in your data center.
Last Updated on January 20, 2023 by Josh Mahan
