Most companies use an internal computer network tied to a server. However the need for huge server rooms is dwindling and businesses are putting servers into smaller spaces. This has changed the design of server room air conditioning.

Shrinking Server Rooms

One reason server rooms used to be larger is the equipment was more expensive. An internal network was cost effective only for large organizations. These large networks needed multiple servers that required equally large server room air conditioning units. With today’s cheap computer technology, any organization with more than one computer networks them. Peer to peer configurations are rare and most networks use a central server, but may use only one machine to fill all roles including printing, file storage and domain management.

The other need for large server rooms was a function of the size of the computers. The computers themselves were much larger and the need for equipment such as tape backups and huge line printers necessitated significant storage space. Modern servers and peripherals are more powerful and smaller, taking up a fraction of the space to provide the same service.

Making Maximum Use of Space

Office space is a commodity and there is no reason to make a server room or any other facility larger than it needs to be. New buildings can be designed with smaller server areas but existing office space is more difficult to convert. Moving walls to shrink the server space is not cost effective in most cases, especially since it is difficult to keep servers running during major construction. However excess server room space can be converted to other functions such as storage or additional offices.

Small organizations may use server closets, very small spaces with barely enough room for needed equipment. While this may be appropriate in some situations, it is important to remember the IT personnel who need to get in there. Even if routine functions can be performed from outside the closet, it will be nearly impossible to do any hardware replacement or upgrades if the space is too small.

Don’t Forget About Server Room Air Conditioning

Small servers run as hot as or hotter than their bulky predecessors. When a server is put in a smaller space, there is less air to be warmed. Ambient temperature can spike to dangerous levels in a fraction of the time as in a larger room.

Smaller server spaces don’t need the huge central cooling units the larger rooms do. Organizations use spot coolers to provide server room air conditioning in these miniature server farms. Although these units are seen as portable and temporary, they are finding a new role as permanent additions to office cooling in hot spots such as server rooms.

An efficiently designed server room doesn’t have to be the huge space most people think of. Careful planning which includes equipment placement, personnel access and server room air conditioning will result in an efficient space with all the functionality of older designs.