Aside from space, why use a rack mountable server over a tower server?
Or is space the only reason…
Tower servers are cheaper, more space for cooling, and more expandable… Why rack mount?
Why use rack servers over tower servers
rackrackmount
rackrackmount
Aside from space, why use a rack mountable server over a tower server?
Or is space the only reason…
Tower servers are cheaper, more space for cooling, and more expandable… Why rack mount?
Best Answer
When you rack mount the servers you end up creating what are called hot and cold isles. The hot isle is the where all the servers vent their hot air into, and the cold isles are where you pump the chilled air from the AC into. In a server room it isn't about how many fans you can put inside the machine, it is about how much cold air can you get to the machine. Rack mount servers are configured to allow for the maximum amount of cold air to move through the machine as quickly as possible.
Rack mounted servers also make it much easier to get into the machines as you just slide the machine out on the rails do what ever needs to be done, then slide it back into place. When done correctly there is no need to unplug a single cable when doing this.
You mentioned space, but I'll talk a little about that. When towers they come in all shapes and sizes. If you start putting towers in a rack, you can probably fit 3-6 machines in a rack, depending on tall they all, and if you can put two on a shelf and have them fit. With rack mounted servers you can easily get 42 machines in a rack (assuming 1U servers and a 42U rack). That is a much more efficient use of space, and space costs money.