In order to keep the datacentre as energy efficient as possible, gone have the days of huge air-conditioning units cooling the entire environment. Instead we operate Hot Aisle/Cold Aisle containment within our Hosting Pods.
For this to work effectively airflow must kept flowing in the same direction, from the front (Cold air drawn into your fans) to the back. It might seem like a good idea to mount a switch at the back of the rack to save space, but 6 months of the switch bathing in 35c air wont do it any favours.
As such we ask all clients to follow these basic rules of air-flow within the pods:
- Replace all blank gaps with the provided blanking plates. Air flowing from cold to hot without cooling your equipment is a waste.
- Mount all gear within your assigned 'U' space, this includes free mounting equipment. You will be charged for 'U' that you intrude upon.
- Mount your equipment with the air intake facing the Cold Aisle (They are lit up blue), kicking air to the back of the rack at the rear 'Red' Aisle.
Finally, just remember that a hot environment can and will trigger CPU thermal throttling reducing performance. Installed correctly, in a datacentre environment your equipment should last longer and perform better.
