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Storage Area Network: Architecture
Environmental Concerns
When planning a SAN, you must make sure the SAN room has sufficient air conditioning and power to support the equipment. A SAN features a number of high-powered devices, each of which generates a tremendous amount of heat, and each of which operates under very specific environmental constraints.
Humidity, a lack of proper ventilation, or inadequate/inconsistent voltage levels can seriously damage the components of a SAN.
Appendix B (Site Planning Information) of Dell's PowerVault SAN Administrator Guide contains a listing of the environmental requirements of Dell's switches, disk enclosures, and tape autoloaders. You should consult this guide prior to building a SAN or adding a component to an existing SAN.
General Environmental Guidelines
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In order to ensure that a SAN operates safely, a number of factors must be taken into consideration. This section provides a general description of safety precautions to follow. Please consult the SAN Administrator Guide for additional information. |
On the graphic below, click on the highlighted sections (ceiling, floor, and rack considerations) to learn more.
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Ceiling Guidelines
- For a 42-U rack or a 4210 42-U rack, check that the ceiling height is at least 2.74 meters (m) (9 ft) high. For a 24-U rack, the ceiling should be at least 1.83 m (6 ft) high.
- Make certain that no heavy equipment or magnetic fields are in the vicinity of the site.
- The site must be relatively clean and free from airborne particles that can affect performance.
- Lighting should be adequate for servicing the equipment.
Rack Guidelines
- Leave at least 30.5 cm (1 ft) in front and back of the rack while it is operational.
- Leave at least 61.0 cm (2 ft) in front and back of the rack for servicing the equipment and a total of 165 cm (5.42 ft) for when the shelves are extended.
- Leave room for the addition of equipment when upgrades are needed (optional).
- The rack system should not be connected to an AC power source that is also being used by industrial equipment.
- Use a line analyzer to check AC power for voltage variations and transient spikes.
Floor Guidelines
- The floor must be well grounded.
- Carpeted floors must be antistatic.
- For a 42-U rack, a raised floor must support 1587 kilograms per square meter (kg/sq m) (325 pounds per square foot [lb/sq ft]) with an identical concentrated load. For a 4210 42-U rack, the floor must support 2193 kg/sq m (450 lb/sq ft) with an identical concentrated load.
- For a 24-U rack, the floor should support 493 kg/sq m (101 lb/sq ft) with an identical concentrated load.
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 NOTE: The above floor plan and ceiling measurements are Dell specifications. You may need to amend them for compliance with local ordinances. |
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