Five Basic Steps For Efficient Space Organization Within High-Density Enclosures

By Joe Kramer, GM, Racks and Power Distribution Product Segment, Schneider Electric

Many data center professionals recognize the negative impact that crowded enclosures have on efficiency, on uptime, and on the overall look and feel of their data centers. The biggest concern is the impact on uptime, which is most often influenced by human error. A systems operator or employee who opens the door to a crowded enclosure can be easily confused by the mess of cables. Sometimes the wrong plug is pulled or jostled when attempting to move a piece of equipment.

Data center efficiency is driven by energy consumption, which is determined by the amount of power coming into the enclosure, and by the amount of cooling required to remove the heat generated by the equipment within the enclosure. The structure and organization of the enclosure plays a significant role in determining whether the heat removal process is efficient.