Chilling Out: APC Rack Cools In Tight Spaces

So it&s easy to understand how a rack crammed full of servers, tape backup devices and other enterprise IT equipment can produce enough heat to adversely affect the proper operation of the equipment. And it&s not hard to see why it can be difficult for solution providers to correct this thorny problem: Simply put, in most enterprise data centers, physical space is at a premium. So in most instances solution providers can&t simply add another rack and spread out the equipment in question.

Enter American Power Conversion, which recently introduced a new piece of computer rack cooling equipment designed to eliminate overheating problems and prevent infrastructure downtime without taking up additional floor space.

APC&s Rack Side Air Distribution Unit lets solution providers install side-vented equipment in the same rack as conventional equipment with a different air-flow design, while simultaneously improving the equipment&s availability and its life expectancy. The unit presents an ideal answer for addressing cramped server closets.

The Rack Side Air Distribution Unit is a new addition to APC&s InfraStruXure architecture line, which integrates power management features, cooling functions, rack enclosure designs and other technologies helpful with data-center design. Most rack-mount equipment is designed with the air vents placed in front and back; likewise, most rack enclosures are designed for a front-to-back airflow. That makes it difficult to maintain proper temperatures for equipment designed with side-to-side airflow. The Rack Side Air Distribution Unit, however, is billed as the first air distribution product designed for equipment of this type, allowing racks to be placed right next to one another without blocking airflow.

The Rack Side Air Distribution Unit is a 2U rack-mountable device that distributes conditioned air from the front of the rack to the side air intake of the equipment that needs extra cooling. The unit can be placed above or below the networking equipment, since the airflow is directed by an adjustable air-turning vane.

The product features dual fans with status indicators, and one or both fans can be turned on depending on the heat load being managed at a given moment in time. Dual power inputs provide redundancy, and each power input includes its own circuit breaker and LED status indicator that shows the operating condition and alarm state. Adjustable-depth mounting rails enable the Rack Side Air Distribution Unit to be installed in one of APC&s NetShelter racks or any other 19-inch enclosure.

The factory configuration for the Rack Side Air Distribution Unit calls for it to discharge air from the right side of the unit. Depending on the venting design of the equipment that needs additional cooling, the solution provider might have to adjust the air-turning vane to the left side of the unit. It is important not to block any air vents and to secure equipment cables away from the vents. Blanking panels should be used to prevent hot exhaust air from re-entering the intake vents of the equipment being cooled.

The Rack Side Air Distribution Unit helps get cool air into devices that have side vents, but it does nothing to remove hot air from the rack itself. If the inside temperature of a rack is still too high for comfort, APC&s Rack Air Removal Unit is just the ticket. The Rack Air Removal Unit is basically a replacement rear door for computer racks, available in 19- and 23-inch widths. Three temperature-controlled fans built into the door remove up to 1,200 cubic feet per minute of air.

The Rack Side Air Distribution Unit has a list price of $579, and the Rack Air Removal Unit ranges from $2,475 to $2,625.

APC&s channel program has been in existence for more than 10 years. Three partnership levels include Authorized, Certified Silver and Certified Gold, with technical and sales support offered at all levels. Solution providers can gain access to telephone or Web chat support line 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Authorized partners gain access to a dedicated technical and sales hotline; Certified Silver partners receive the same benefits plus a dedicated APC inside sales representative. Certified Gold partners get all of this plus a dedicated APC account manager. Reseller margins for the products in this review average 10 percent to 15 percent.