Data center cooling was once regarded as a retrospective cost. Managers would spend a small portion of their budget on the practice — purchasing a sizable AC and that would be that. Nowadays, it is understood that data center cooling is truly an investment that you should make to keep your equipment running smoothly. Those who refrain from making the switch to an upgraded cooling system leave their data centers vulnerable to a number of consequences.

But which cooling method is best suited for your individual data center service plan? We will dive into just a few of the options that managers consider.

Computer Room Air Conditioner

A Computer Room Air Conditioner, often referred to solely as CRAC, is a more modern take on the days of old. CRAC works similarly to residential air conditioners — removing hot air from a room and pushing in cooler air through floor tiles between server racks. That being said, this data center air conditioning does more than just that. This system will also typically keep track of the air distribution and humidity within your server room, providing you the option to adjust these factors as needed. This ability to control humidity to minimize moisture is truly what sets this apart from a traditional AC unit.

Hot Aisle Containment

This method of data center cooling is often used in tandem with a CRAC system. Hot aisle containment is a method of positioning server racks in a designated area — separating the hot air from the cool air to prevent the two from mixing and creating undesired moisture. Cooling certain areas, as opposed to the entire server room, also means that less energy is used for the cooling process.

Liquid Immersion Cooling

Liquid immersion cooling is an on-the-rise form of data center cooling that has many data center managers excited. This process involves cooling data center racks with liquid. Coolant runs through the server components that tend to heat the quickest. This is an incredibly efficient method of data center cooling, however, some managers shy away from the practice — fearful of the prospect of a liquid mishap damaging equipment. This is an understandable hesitation as, according to Statista, information technology (IT) spending on data center systems worldwide was predicted to reach $208 billion in 2020. That being said, the method is inexpensive, saves space, and could have positive environmental effects in the long run.

For more information about data center cooling, as well as data center maintenance services, please contact LDP Associates.