Rack mounting is commonly used in small businesses to safely house computer equipment, such as computers, routers, switches and various other devices. You are able to choose the type of equipment that you want to secure on the rack, which is beneficial in keeping important items out of reach of children or customers who do not need the equipment. You can also choose the appropriate size, memory, processor, hard drive options and nearly any other accessory you might desire when customizing your rack mount computer. There are a few things you should know before you begin making plans.
The first thing to consider is how many drives are you going to require for your rack mount computer. Typically, there is a dedicated eight drive rack mount computer for one computer system. However, if you require additional storage for your larger office equipment, such as workstations, servers and graphics cards, then you will probably need at least ten drives. Typically, these systems offer a standard number of expansion slots per drive, which means that you should have at least four slots per drive. However, some manufacturers offer optional and standard drive racks, which give you the ability to install more drives. You can determine how many expansion slots per drive you require in the rack mount computer guide that came with your system.
You will also need to determine how many power supply sources are available for your rack mount computer system. There are typically four to six power supply options from which you can choose. You should ensure that each power source provides at least eighteen amps of power to ensure that your computer and all of your rackmount equipment can function properly during normal operation. You should also ensure that all of the expansion cards and drives to draw enough power from the power supply that they can operate normally.
Many rack mount computers offer standard Ethernet ports, but you should consider purchasing an Ethernet card if at all possible. This will enable you to connect your computers to the network that you have created, as well as to other computers in your home or office. One of the primary advantages of using an Ethernet card is that there is no dedicated wiring necessary. Another advantage of using an Ethernet card is that it is quite affordable, especially compared to the price of rack space and power supplies. In fact, a single Ethernet card can provide all of the connections necessary for several servers.
There are a number of advantages and disadvantages to using rack servers. The primary advantage is that rack servers make it easier to expand your storage area. They allow you to create a wide network of computers that can be accessed simultaneously. Furthermore, rack servers allow you to utilize all of the computers in your home or office without having to run expensive WAN or LAN wires between each set of computers. This makes rack servers ideal for home offices and small work offices.
While rack mount computers make it easier to expand your storage area and allow you to quickly add more computers to your network, they are often less expensive to purchase than their larger counterparts. Furthermore, when you use rack mount computer systems, you do not need to buy any expensive additional hardware to support additional computers. You can save money by eliminating the purchase of drive bays and other expansion slots.
