Tips For Taming Cabinet Chaos

February 20, 2009

Server Cabinet Organization Is Essential For An Efficient Data Center

From Processor Magazine

Link to full article on Processor.com

Don't Restart From Scratch
As cabinets grow more unruly over time, data center personnel might be tempted to perform complete cabinet reorganizations to get things back on track. But experts recommend avoiding that tactic, as it could cause far more problems than it could potentially solve.

"Cabinet strategy should not occur randomly and in a vacuum," says Tom Deaderick, director of business development for OnePartner (www.onepartner.com). "Cabinets are one of many components that make up the data center environment. Affecting any one component introduces the risk of impact to others, or even the entire environment. All facets of the data center, including cabinets, should be incorporated into the design and only modified if a technology shift makes that action unavoidable."

Create guidelines
According to Tom Deaderick, director of business development for OnePartner (www.onepartner.com), it's a good idea to create guidelines that data center personnel can follow when it's time to integrate new cabinet equipment. He recommends that managers cover multiple areas in the guidelines, including a schedule for deployment and decommissioning, quality-assurance planning, staging and acclamation areas, a prework checklist, electrical considerations, thermal dynamic impact, and access for maintenance and servicing.

About Onepartner
The OnePartner ATAC data center is the first commercial data center in North America to receive a Tier III certification by The Uptime Institute. The ATAC data center has provided uninterrupted service since 2008. Organizations interested in OnePartner services will find more information at http://www.onepartner.com.