Structurally, the rack consists of 2 or 4 metal uprights with dedicated holes for fixing hardware. The main feature of the open structure is the absence of side panels and doors.
Pros and Cons of Open Shelving
A high-quality open-frame model is beneficial due to the following advantages:
Perfect air circulation and cooling. Proper ventilation and hardware cooling issues are critical in server rooms because computing equipment dissipates a lot of heat during the performance. Without adequate cooling, the device can overheat very quickly. With no side panels and doors, natural airflow is not hindered in any way. Therefore, air passes freely through the server system equipment and cools it.
Simplify accessibility during maintenance. Workers can access the equipment from either side, which simplifies maintenance and saves time.
Easy to assemble and transport. Rack assembly requires no special knowledge or skills, and the process takes very little time. Thanks to its compactness and flexibility, it is easy to transport the system.
acceptable price. Rack production requires less material. Since less metal is spent on the product, its price is lower. Therefore, open furniture is cheaper than closed furniture.
However, such a model has some disadvantages.
Dust formation comes first. With nothing to protect equipment from the outside world, dust, debris, and other pollutants from the environment can easily penetrate the system and land on servers and other equipment, causing increased heat.
The cables are tangled. There are no special holes for managing cables. Therefore, they are easy to get tangled and lost in a large bundle of wires.
Lack of security. Nothing can protect the device from external influences. Equipment is vulnerable to accidental or deliberate damage.