Data Center Rack Install

       I worte this to provides guidelines for the process of data center rack installations at your company(s). Server installation is addressed specifically in the Server Installation standard. This will be achieved by a workforce including, but not limited to, contractors, vendor partners and employees who consistently apply safe work practices. Safe work practices, including emergency procedures in the event of disasters. A safe and secure environment helps ensure the health and well being of all individuals (including workforce and visitors) as well as minimizes the impact of incidents that could affect business operations.

       To mitigate potential and preventable impacts to facilities IT equipment caused by the incorrect installation of equipment racks and through the application of industry standards, governmental regulations and current best practices with the goal of ensuring 100% operability and reliability when called upon for service.

Workforce members should assist each other in following the guidelines.

       Rack standards are necessary to ensure the maximum levels of safety, reliability and compliance in the data center. Racks form an important part of the IT and telecom infrastructure as they house valuable equipment. Nineteen-inch NEMA rack cabinets are used for a myriad of applications, including mounting IT (servers and data storage products) and telecommunications products (switches and networking equipment).  Rack cabinets are available for variable height and depth requirements, but the standard height is 42 Units (1 U = 1.75 inches).

Data Center Rack Install Procedure
       The data center manager is responsible for ensuring that all racks meet the standards and are installed properly.

Rack General Requirements

• Place the leveling feet down on each rack so that it does not sit on the casters and is secure and level.
• Do not mix power and data cables in the same cable tray.
• Do not install cable management arms on the servers as they block air flow.
• Insure that both signal and power cables are segregated in the rear of the racks, appropriately tie wrapped with service loops in the cabling so that the servers can be extended and maintained without having to disconnect the cabling.
• Fill the open space in the racks with both horizontal and vertical blanking plates. This reduces the amount of bypass air in the data center. Bypass air is the unintended movement of hot or cold air into areas where the two mix and reduce overall cooling efficiency.
• Ground every rack in the data center per the Grounding SOP and Chevron Data Center Design Standards. 
• Use plastic covers over the front cable trays.
• Install all racks with the front of the rack on the seam between floor tiles when installed on raised floor.
• All racks are to be installed with side panels and fully perforated front and rear doors. 
• Leave two full floor tiles or approximately 4 feet in all cold rows.
• All equipment in the rack should be installed so that the cold air intake is from the cold row and discharges hot air into the hot row (front to rear airflow).
• Ensure that all cable hole openings in the racks are protected with a grommet.
• Installing a folding monitor and KVM as the server density requires is a good practice.
• Seismic bracing of racks is required for equipment in active earthquake zones.
• Ensure that racks are labeled per the DCOE Labeling.
• Ensure that racks are installed in a manner to comply with the DCOE Raised Floor.
• Ensure that racks are installed in a manner to comply with the DCOE Airflow.
• Internal cage of the rack is a standard 19 inches.
• External rack is 30 inches wide instead of the standard 24 inches (800MM instead of traditional 600MM). (HP rack is for server and storage use).
• (4) 4 inch by 4 inch cable trays installed in the corners of the rack to house the cables.
• 40 amp Hewlett Packard Power Distribution Unit (PDU)or similar power strip installed in the back of the rack. This PDU provides power from two different sources.

Installation of a Vendor Rack (rack which server equipment was loaded by a vendor) 
Example – HDS storage rack, ETC PC cluster rack loaded offsite

1. _ Verify power configuration in rack matches power installed at rack location exactly            a._ if not, recycle to data center power installation procedures
2. _ Verify power inside the rack is actually dual power corded or attached via a static switch
3. _ Label the power cords with UPS information and rack location which plug into the DC Branch circuits 
4. _ Grommet installed under the rack for cable pass thru – where required
5. _ Install rack with the front of the rack on the seam between the floor tiles – leaving the required 2 solid floor tiles in the cold row in front of the rack.
6. _ Ground the rack to under floor ground cable or bolt to the row of racks
7. _ Seismic brace the rack / bolt to the floor where required (active earthquake zones)  
8. _ Label the rack with the grid location
9. _ Add the rack to inventory and turn on data center billing

Installation of a New Empty Rack 

1. _ Verify power configuration in rack matches power installed at rack location exactly     a._if not, recycle to data center power installation procedures
2. _ Label the power cords with UPS information and rack location which plug into the DC Branch circuits 
3. _ Grommet installed under the rack for cable pass thru – where required
4. _ Install rack with the front of the rack on the seam between the floor tiles – leaving the required 2 solid floor tiles in the cold row in front of the rack.
5. _ Ground the rack to under floor ground cable or bolt to the row of racks
6. _ Seismic brace the rack / bolt to the floor where required (active earthquake zones) 
7. _ Label the rack with the grid location

Instructions
When to use it:
During the development of site-specific standard operating procedures (SOPs)

Why is it important? 
This template helps standardize procedure writing. This template complies with the requirements of the OEMS.

Sample Visio Diagram: Typical Telecommunications Room Design.vsd