Thanks for returning for Part Eight of Tech Service Today's 9-part technical buyer's guide series called Size Matters - Especially When Choosing A Network Rack. This series explains why IT professionals must evaluate every dimension of a cabinet or rack before purchasing one. You can avoid the costly mistake of purchasing the wrong rack or cabinet just by following the advice and buying tips offered in this series.
In today's segment, we will address some final aspects of rack-mount enclosures (aka Cabinets) that IT professionals should consider when shopping for a new network equipment or server cabinet. These are features or components that are sometimes included with a new enclosure, but not always. So if you want to avoid a "gotcha" situation, find out if these key cabinet options are included for free, sold separately, or not available at all before you place an order.
Part 8 - WHAT'S INCLUDED (or not) WITH YOUR Rackmount Enclosure
In segment 7 of this series, we reviewed the various types of front and rear doors available for rackmount enclosures, and offered guidance for choosing the ones that best meet your needs. But there are a few other door-related features to look for when choosing a network equipment or server cabinet.
The first is whether or not the doors are removable. In some situations you may want to remove the doors from a cabinet. It may be when you are first mounting all of your servers and/or equipment in them. Or it may be a case where you are putting a cabinet in a locked room or closet and there is no need for the additional layer of protection or security afforded by the cabinet doors. Either way, you may find it advantageous to have the option of removing the doors if needed.
The next feature to look for is whether or not the front and rear doors are reversible. If the cabinet is going into a small telco closet/IDF that has an entry door offset to the left of the room, it may be difficult to open the door to your cabinet - or get around the door to access your equipment - if the cabinet door swings open to the left. By choosing a cabinet with fully-reversible doors, you can always switch the side of the cabinet on which the door hinges connect to accommodate your access.
In this day and age, most rackmount enclosures come with locking doors. But does the cabinet you are considering offer the type of door locks you want? The most common lock options are key locks. When choosing key lock, you should find out whether all locks are keyed the same (so that one set of keys will open every cabinet) or if they are keyed differently (which requires you to keep track of lots of different sets of keys).
Beyond the popular key locks, most rack and cabinet manufacturers also offer optional push-button combination locks, hasps (which allow you to attach your own padlocks), and even electronic and biometric locks. So make sure you think about which method of security and access best meets your needs, and then choose a cabinet that offers the kind of locks you desire.
When contemplating the topic of security and access into your cabinet, the same consideration should be given to the side panels of your cabinet. Are you considering a cabinet with removable, lockable side panels? If you are planning to mount PDUs and/or cable managers to the sides of your front and rear vertical mounting rails, the easiest way to install them is by removing the side panels. So it is important to determine whether or not the cabinet you are planning to purchase has removable side panels. Additionally, if they are not lockable side panels, then you probably shouldn't bother putting locks on the front and rear doors because any unauthorized person who wants to tamper with your sensitive network equipment can do so easily by removing the side panels.
It is also important to consider the mobility of your rackmount enclosure. Does it come with Casters and/or Leveling Legs, or are they sold separately? If you need to move your cabinet through your facility before it reaches its final destination, or if you occasionally need to relocate cabinets, casters are a necessary option. And if your floors are not level, leg levelers are a critical, necessary accessory to have.
Finally, while you can always order them separately, try to find out whether or not your new cabinet comes with mounting hardware like M6 cage nuts and mounting screws. Every cabinet manufacturer has their own set of accessories that they either include or sell separately - or do not offer at all. So before you order a cabinet, make sure you know exactly what IS and what IS NOT included.
Tech Tip #8 - DETERMINING WHAT'S INCLUDED
If the specifications you have found online for a rack-mount enclosure do not clearly indicate exactly what is - and what is not - included with a cabinet, just ask the manufacturer. Just because the picture you are looking at shows side panels and doors and locks on a cabinet does not mean that they are always included. As a buyer, it is your responsibility to make sure you know what you are buying before you place an order.
In our final segment tomorrow, we will discuss the Optional Rack-Mount Accessories that IT professionals must give serious thought to before placing an order for a new rack or cabinet.
DID YOU MISS EARLIER SEGMENTS OF THIS SERIES?
Not to worry! Here are links to our previous discussions about every dimension of racks and cabinets, the importance of each of these measurements, and tips for calculating your size requirements for each.
Internal Depth andMaximum Rail Depth
Door Types (on rack-mount enclosures/cabinets)
Are you planning an IT rollout project involving the installation of new hardware and/or racks to multiple sites? Then download a free copy of TST's Best Practices for IT Rollout Projects.
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