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  Asked: Oct 20 2004   11:35 AM GMT
  Asked by: gregschulz

More BTUs than a backyard BBQ?


Data center design, Cooling, Data center operations, Space/structure

TorontoMCS wrote: Has anyone actually been able to fully populate an HP blade server rack with 5 enclosures and 40 BL20p-G2 blades and manage to keep them cool? If so, how?? The numbers we get from HP would suggest the entire rack would put out more BTU's than a large backyard BBQ.

Thnx.

gregschulz replies: In general one of the disadvantages of Blade servers is the heat problem reminiscent of early mainframes given the density. I'm not sure what HP has up their sleeve, however I have heard of some other blade server vendors who are taking a page out of the history book and integrating special cooling (air and liquid) to keep blade server shelves and complexes cool. In the meantime I would suggest maximizing airflow around the blade servers including keeping the room they are in extra cool. Otherwise, get some bratwurst, burgers, and beer and make use of the heat or deploy the blade server as a heater in a garage or ice house some where it really gets cold...

GS

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Last Answered: Oct 27 2004  9:48 AM GMT  by santoscardenas




If you have these racks on a raised floor, make sure that you have plenty of pressure in the sub floor and install fan kits on top of the racks, I fully populated several racks with Dell blades and managed to keep the devices within operating temperature by making sure that the venting was sufficient. Depending on whether the HP's are vented through the front or back, make sure that your floor openings are appropriatly placed to maximize the venting capability.
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pedwards17  |   Oct 27 2004  9:58AM GMT

Sometimes it’s not enough just to have the racks in the raised floor area. When we relocated our data center earlier this year, I was careful to place the vented tiles in the floor in front of the racks. That way, the air that the servers are pulling in is the cold air right from the A/C. Another thing–and this is data center 101, so please don’t be offended if you already know this but it has to be said–make sure that your racks are back-to-back and front-to-front. It doesn’t do much good if the servers in one rack are pulling the hot air from the back of another rack.