Server and storage considerations

Most IBM servers and storage products are designed to pull chilled air through the front of the server and exhaust hot air out of the back. The most important requirement is to ensure that the inlet air temperature to the front of the equipment does not exceed IBM environmental specifications. See the environmental requirements in the server specifications or hardware specification sheets. Make sure that the air inlet and exit areas are not blocked by paper, cables, or other obstructions when upgrading or repairing your server. After your work is completed, be sure to reinstall all fans, heat sinks, air baffles, and other devices per IBM your documentation.

Manufacturers, including IBM, are reporting heat loads in a format suggested by the ASHRAE publication, "Thermal Guidelines for Data Processing Environments", dated January, 2004. Although this data is meant to be used to for heat load balancing, care is required when using the data to balance cooling supply and demand as many applications are transient and do not dissipate constant rates of heat. A thorough understanding of how the equipment and application behave with regard to heat load, including considerations for future growth, is required.