by Emily Newton
Did you know optimizing data center cooling can be as simple as turning your server racks around? Airflow and cooling are vital for success in any data center, but achieving good airflow isn’t as complicated as it might seem. You can use a few simple strategies to optimize your data center airflow management for maximum performance and efficiency.
Hot Aisle/Cold Aisle
The hot aisle/cold aisle strategy is one of today’s most popular data center airflow management solutions. It may seem simple, but it’s incredibly effective at minimizing cooling costs. Hot aisle/cold aisle creates cold intake aisles between the front faces of racks and hot exhaust aisles between the back faces.
This airflow design prevents hot exhaust air from feeding into intake vents. When that happens, data centers experience what is known as cascading heat rise. Each consecutive row of server racks gets hotter because it is getting intake air from a warm aisle.
The hot aisle/cold aisle configuration resolves that problem. It is especially effective if you seal off each aisle so the hot exhaust air doesn’t bleed into cold aisles.
Increase Indoor Temperature
It might sound counterintuitive, but increasing your data center’s indoor temperature can help you save money on airflow and cooling. In fact, Google operates its data centers at 80° Fahrenheit yet has some of the most efficient facilities in the world.
Its strategy is a case study in optimizing airflow to minimize energy spent on data center cooling. Google lowers its overhead air conditioning costs by increasing the base indoor temperature. The airflow strategy also brings in outdoor air to provide natural cooling, which Google maximizes with the help of custom server rack designs.
PUE is another important facet of Google’s innovative data center cooling strategy. Increasing your indoor temperature and utilizing new airflow techniques is only effective if you can compare before-and-after energy consumption. You can measure power usage effectiveness — or PUE — to get a concrete data-based look at how your data center uses electricity and manages temperature.
Rethink Your Server Cabinet Design
The design of your server cabinets can have a major impact on airflow management. Many data centers opt for basic, standardized ones, but that’s not always the best option available. By customizing your server racks, cabinets and equipment, you can design a setup optimized for your data center.
A creative approach to cabinet modification can allow you to balance airflow with other unique needs. For example, if you have a data center in an area prone to natural disasters, basic server cabinets will not have the durability you require. Using bulkier server cabinets isn’t necessarily ideal since it will likely inhibit airflow.
By taking a custom approach to your cabinet designs, you can opt for something like ruggedized carbon steel racks that optimize airflow while providing high durability. Hybrid rack materials are also a good option in this use case. These materials are tough enough to stand up to vibration and physical shock without adding unnecessary bulk or minimizing airflow.
Plus, when you go for a custom cabinet design, you can add quality-of-life features like TOR switch mounting with front-facing intake. TOR switch mounting is often helpful for cable organization, which can help with data center airflow management.
Organize and Minimize Cables
Cables are a critical part of your airflow design. If you organize and optimize your cable layout, you’ll maximize the effectiveness of your racks’ intake and exhaust vents.
Cable organization is especially important if you’re using a variety of data storage solutions, such as edge and cloud storage with on-prem servers. Different types of data storage will require varying hardware, so you must have systems to prevent anything from getting mixed up.
A few best practices can simplify cable organization. For example, a good cable labeling system is one of the best strategies to reduce clutter. You can opt for various industry-standard labeling systems, but the important part is choosing one that makes sense for your team.
You can create a custom system or use a mix of labeling strategies. Whichever you choose, make sure you mark which port, patch or outlet a cable connects to at each end, and what the cable does. It’s also helpful to color-code your cables and labels if possible.
Additionally, consider investing in some cable-organization equipment. Vertical cable organizers that run along your cabinet’s left and right edges are particularly helpful. They pull cables off to the sides so they aren’t blocking exhaust ventilation.
Aim and Utilize All Cold Air
Data center cooling doesn’t need to be complicated. You can often use outdoor air to lower your energy costs and optimize airflow. While you don’t want to have open windows all around your server racks, you can design your HVAC system to pull in more outdoor air.
Use fans to direct incoming air to your hot aisle. You can reuse air from the cold aisle, as well. Your airflow design should return air from cold aisles to cooling systems, then deposit that air back into your hot aisles. This layout minimizes the cooling energy required since the cold aisle air is already at a low temperature when it returns to the cooling system.
Optimizing Data Center Airflow Management
Creating a data center airflow management strategy starts with arranging your servers in a hot aisle/cold aisle layout. From there, you can raise your interior temperature to reduce energy consumption while pulling in more outdoor air to provide low-cost cooling.
Consider shifting to a custom cabinet design like Google’s data centers use, as well. Custom cabinets give you the flexibility to maximize airflow. Finally, make sure you optimize your cable layout to ensure good exhaust ventilation.
