Data center containment has gone mainstream over the past decade, which has led to widespread implementation and adoption by many sites. However, although containment is experiencing a high rate of adoption, there are still many misconceptions and therefore many considerations to look at when evaluating the different options and strategies that are available.

Perhaps the two most commonly known strategies available are containing the ends of aisles with doors, and then containing the tops of cabinets with a full ceiling or baffles.

We purposely break out aisle-end doors here because they can be extremely effective on their own. In fact, cabinets at the ends of rows are the most vulnerable to increased IT equipment intake temperatures because of the large potential for hot exhaust air to wrap around the ends of rows. Whether applied to hot aisles or cold aisles, you will still reap the benefits of aisle-end doors by effectively eliminating exhaust air recirculation in this area. There are many door solutions available that range in price, but the real cost savings benefit with this practice is avoiding the cost of full containment. Whether containment is something you are doing in phases or simply a budgetary decision, aisle-end doors are an effective solution that can be applied in singularity and still be extremely effective in reducing IT equipment intake temperatures.

When it comes to containing the tops of cabinets, this is typically deployed in situations with high cabinet densities or when the highest possible efficiency is desired. In cold aisles, this involves some form of partitions, baffles, or roof over the cold aisle to contain conditioned supply air. In hot aisles, this involves a configuration of baffles or duct work from the hot aisle to the returns of the cooling units to effectively direct and contain exhaust air. As with doors, there are many solutions available that range in price, however unlike doors, the styles of options can vary greatly. In some cases, full containment (full roof over cold aisles or complete duct from tops of hot aisles to cooling unit returns) may not necessary. Either angled baffles for cold aisles or vertical baffles for hot aisles are the most cost-effective solutions that will significantly impact IT equipment intake temperatures.

When it comes to data center containment, knowing the solutions that are available to you and being able to identify what type of containment is best suited for your data center will help you not only save time, but also money.

To learn more about data center containment strategies and considerations, check out our recent webinar titled, Data Center Containment Considerations: Determining the Right Solution for Your Facility and How to Maximize ROI.