server rack
Servers are typically placed in racks (also called server cabinets). A common standard rack is usually 42U in height. U is a unit of measurement for the external dimensions of a server, an abbreviation for unit, and 1U equals 4.445cm. Rack widths are typically 600mm or 800mm.
Rack depths come in various sizes, including 600mm, 800mm, 900mm, 1000mm, and 1200mm. Generally speaking, IT equipment (server) racks are deeper (1100mm or 1200mm), while communication equipment racks are shallower (600mm).
storage devices
Big data is all the rage now, and the amount of data in data centers is increasing every year, which in turn increases the demand for storage devices in terms of both quantity and performance.
As we all know, the mainstream computer storage hard drives are now divided into two types: HDD and SSD. HDD is the traditional mechanical hard drive, while SSD is the solid-state drive that is gradually becoming more popular.
Communication equipment
Besides IT computing equipment, there are also data communication equipment such as switches, routers, and firewalls.
A switch is a network switching device at the lowest level of a data center, responsible for connecting servers within the rack and connecting to upper-level switches.
It’s worth noting that data centers now widely use fiber optic cables instead of network cables for high-bandwidth data transmission. Therefore, fiber optic cables, optical modules, and optical communication equipment (OTN, etc.) have become crucial components of data centers.
In particular, optical modules, especially high-speed optical modules (such as 400G), are very expensive and account for a large portion of the cost of data centers.
Power supply and distribution system
Power supply is fundamental to the normal operation of a data center. Without electricity, a data center is just scrap metal.
The main function of power distribution equipment in a data center is to control, switch on, and protect electrical power. The most important piece of power distribution equipment is the power distribution cabinet.
Data center power distribution cabinets are divided into medium-voltage and low-voltage cabinets. Medium-voltage cabinets are mainly 10kV, connected to the mains power supply and to the low-voltage cabinets. Low-voltage cabinets are mainly 400V, used for further conversion, distribution, control, protection, and monitoring of electrical energy.
In addition to power distribution cabinets, data centers are also equipped with a large number of UPS (uninterruptible power supplies) and even diesel generator sets to ensure normal power supply in emergencies.
Cooling system
Currently, data center cooling mainly includes two methods: air cooling and liquid cooling.
Regarding air cooling, it’s worth mentioning that near-end cooling methods such as rack-level pool-level, row-level, and rack-level are emerging and becoming the mainstream choice for newly built data centers.
Traditional cooling is room-level, air conditioning the entire computer room. This method has too long a cooling path, is too inefficient, cannot meet the heat dissipation needs of high-power devices, and consumes a lot of energy.
Rack pool, row, and rack level are heat dissipation designs centered around a rack pool, a row of racks, or a single rack.
The rack-level cooling system is designed with a row of racks as the target for airflow design.
This method significantly shortens the airflow path and results in high heat dissipation efficiency.
Liquid cooling uses liquid as a refrigerant to cool and dissipate heat.
From a noise perspective, liquid cooling reduces noise by 20-35 decibels compared to air cooling at the same heat dissipation level. From an energy consumption perspective, liquid cooling saves 30%-50% of electricity compared to air cooling. Currently, liquid cooling technology is widely favored by the industry, but it is still in the exploratory stage. Overall, the market prospects for liquid cooling are very broad, with a market size reportedly exceeding 100 billion yuan.