DCN April 2017 | Page 26

cabling, Enclosures, Cabinets & Racks BUCK THE TREND When it comes to selecting the best IT infrastructure for your data centre, Luca Rozzoni, European business development manager at Chatsworth Products, explains that it’s not always about the latest tech trend. T echnological trends will always influence buying decisions, as they are driven not only by advancements in technology, but the evolving needs of the data centre itself. As more demands are being placed on the modern data centre, the focus has been on making purchasing decisions that drive efficiency, resiliency and redundancy, whilst still offering greater flexibility in the future. However, trying to decide on the best data centre design and the most appropriate products is not always about the latest trend. 26 | April 2017 What is right for one data centre might not be right for another Whilst it is important to adopt the latest technologies, what is right for one data centre might not be right for another. It is vital to understand the different options available in terms of server cabinets and racks and the different advantages that they can bring. The drive for efficiency has recently seen a decline in legacy open frame racks, with a rise in the adoption of enclosed cabinets. However, open frame racks still offer a perfectly viable solution for many data centre deployments, and address a variety of applications, from supporting active equipment such as switches and servers, to providing a straightforward cable patching platform. A key factor for choosing an open frame rack is usually financial. A complete rack solution, including cable management accessories, can reduce the cost by 50-75 per cent of the equivalent enclosed cabinet configuration. Open frame racks also have the benefit of providing straightforward