Definition of Rack Space
Rack space defines the area where computer servers, and video and audio equipment are located. Rack space is an integral part of a computer server cabinet installation or a video editing suite. Placing equipment in a rack is useful, and it saves energy.
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Measurements
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A rack is commonly either 19 inches (482.6 millimeters) or 23 inches (584.2 millimeters), and accommodates several pieces of equipment which are arranged inside. The space offered by one rack unit is 1.75 inches (44.45 millimeters).
Common Parlance
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A unit of rack space is commonly known as a "U" (for example: 1U or 2U), depending on how wide the device is that occupies the space. A typical blade server will take up between 1 and 2 U spaces in the rack. So you could have between 8 and 15 servers in a typical rack. You may have other devices in the casing, like switches, catalysts, hubs and routers, so these can also be measured by the unit of "U."
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Rack Mount Efficiency
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A rack mount will offer more efficiency than a traditional server room where equipment is located with less dense space considerations. Rack mounting can afford better cooling and easier access because the airflow is directed from front to back. More server installations are using this methodology, and by doing so, are becoming more compact while using less energy.
Other Equipment in a Rack
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Frequently video and audio equipment is mounted in a 19 inch rack. A video-editing facility, for example, will be mounted in a rack for easy access by the personnel using the facility. When tapes and discs have to be changed quickly, this is the easiest way of doing it. A DVD player will probably take up between 2U and 4U, whereas a patch panel of jacks will probably only use 2U.
History
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Racks have been around for many years. With the direction taken by centralized networked resources, they have become more and more popular as a method of storing central equipment, both video and audio, and computer server units. The direction of the future is to make these even more efficient and energy-saving, so they will become smaller and be able to do more.
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References
- Photo Credit All Images by Steve Tuffill
