Server rooms, data centers and computer equipment rooms alike need reliable equipment storage for ease of access and security. To fit as many devices in a room as safely as possible while keeping them secure from physical infiltration, you'll need some creative solutions that may not be available from a specific vendor. Take the time to understand a few problems that could arise with vendor-specific equipment storage and how steel fabricators can help with computer storage at the industrial level.

Computer System Standards Aren't So Standard

At one time, the 19-inch server rack was a standard equipment rack for computer systems. Computer servers and networking devices either conformed to a size that the rack could accommodate, or came with adapters to make the fit easier.

Modern systems aren't so convenient. With the computer industry changing faster than ever, new devices with ambitious, new standards can throw your data center planning into a series of half-empty racks. In other situations, the best device may not be designed for industrial solutions at all; there may be a specific device designed for home use with a round, small design that can't fit safely in your equipment storage at all.

One option is to use server rack shelves, but this isn't always safe. It can work, as in you'll have the devices in the racks, but it's too easy for a technician to trip over a cable and pull the equipment to the floor. You could even drill into the devices, but extra cracks or holes could affect the cooling of devices that regularly reach critical heat.

Theft also becomes too easy with such loose equipment management. Not all hacks come from the outside; a rogue technician could have an easy task of stealing information, adding illegal peripherals and creating chaos if your devices aren't completely secured.

Steel fabricators can create a system that answers all of these problems.

Custom Racks And Cages

One solution to the stability problem is to build shelves with cages or stabilizing borders. With a steel fabricator, the cages can be designed with the specifications of your devices in mind so that technicians can easily press buttons and connect cables through the cages. It could be problematic if the cage is too big, as the cage may slide slightly out of reach and require some maneuvering, but at least the devices won't topple to the floor.

Security can be answered with a combination lock or key system. Although a rogue technician could still connect their tools of the hacking trade, tampering can be detected more easily because of the effort required to connect.

Fabricators can install rubber or other soft insulation on certain areas of the cage so insertion of cables is easy, but removing cables without proper access leads to broken tabs and evidence of tampering.

For a stable data center or computer network on a large scale, contact steel fabricators to begin discussing your custom rack designs.