Data centers are essential to various businesses’ needs because they hold valuable customer and company information. Because of this, you have to make sure that your data center is safeguarded and properly maintained. So how do you do this effectively?
One of the first things you should consider is getting network switches for your data center. But what is a network switch, why is it important, and how do you keep it cool? We’ll let you know how below. Check out our analysis of the importance of cooling network switches.
What Are Network Switches?
A data center switch is a bridge designed to build a network connection in a data center. This lets your data center process-receive and route data from one part of the center to the next. Cloud service providers and large enterprises use data center switches to manage this activity. You need it because the workload of data centers today relies on high-performance, scalable, and reliable network switching operations.
There’s a huge demand for network switches, and this trend will only grow in the future. This is because there are a ton of connectivity requirements between a large number of servers across various tiers. Because of this, it’s important to know how to maintain your network switches, which involves cooling them so they don’t overheat.
Why Is Cooling Important?
Many network switches are mounted at the top of the rack or cabinet with servers beneath them. It’s important to understand that servers release a ton of heat, and this heat—like any high school teacher will tell you—rises to the top. While it’s convenient to place switches here, they can overheat and short. This is detrimental because it can cause the entire network to shut down, leading to substantial downtime and halting operations. This illustrates the importance of cooling network switches.
What Strategies Can You Use To Keep Switches From Overheating?
There are a few cooling strategies you can use. Computer room air conditioning cools down an area, but your strategy needs to include more nuance, especially regarding equipment that generates massive amounts of heat, causing hot spots. One option is to install blank panels in every open RU space in your racks and cabinets. Another option to consider is cold or hot aisle containment to fully separate the cold and hot air in your data center. There are many possibilities; it’s up to you to make changes to keep your data center safe.
If you’re looking for server racks to affix your switches on, consider our Titan DT server racks. You won’t be disappointed, as they are fully customizable and have millions of standard configurations available. If you go with AMCO, you’ll be completely satisfied.