What are server cabinets?

Server cabinets, sometimes called data cabinets or server rack cabinets, are a type of storage for rack mount servers. The majority can house 19” server racks (industry standard sizing). Server cabinets and computer cabinets are offered in a range of heights to suit the number of racks you want to mount and can be open frame or enclosed.

Why choose a server cabinet?

One of the key benefits to mounting your server rack into a cabinet is security. Safeguarding your network and data is essential and using a computer cabinet helps to protect the hardware on which your network is built.

Rack cabinets often have a number of integrated features including power management and distribution, cable management and network connectivity. This means that when you need to expand your network it is simply a case of mounting a new server into the existing cabinet.

Some server cabinets provide special features such as soundproofing. Soundproof server cabinets can be utilised within office space without the need for a separate room, as the noise generated by servers will be reduced. This means you can utilise office space in any way you want without negatively disturbing your workforce.

Open frame rack cabinet or closed frame?

Open frame cabinets offer superior cooling with greater air flow and circulation. However, enclosed cabinets are much more secure and provide more protection to the racks inside. They often have lockable and removable doors and some feature a glass front. Closed frame cabinets tend to have a mesh design to still allow for air flow.

Sizes

Rack units are commonly abbreviated to just U and are the measure of server size. Each unit is 1.75 inches or 44.5 mm tall. Individual server racks are typically 1U, 2U, 3U or 4U high. Some units are supplied as half racks, where they are the same height but half the width of a standard unit.

When choosing the cabinet for your application you should consider the number of server racks you want to mount.

• Small data cabinets cater for servers from 1U up to 10U
• Medium data cabinets accommodate 11U servers to 25U servers
• Large date cabinets accommodate 26U servers and above

Mounting types

The most common mounting types of network cabinets are wall mount, floor standing or desktop. Wall mount data cabinets and desktop data cabinets are ideal for smaller network installations. Freestanding data cabinets tend to house a much higher number of network installations that require more space.