Front and rear rack doors must be adequately ventilated to allow ambient room air to enter the cabinet, and
the rear door must be adequately ventilated to allow the warm air to escape from the cabinet.
CAUTION:
To prevent improper cooling and damage to the equipment, do not block the ventilation
openings.
When vertical space in the rack is not filled by a chassis or rack component, the gaps between the
components cause changes in airflow through the rack and across the components. Cover all gaps with
blanking panels to maintain proper airflow.
CAUTION:
Always use blanking panels to fill empty vertical spaces in the rack. This arrangement
ensures proper airflow. Using a rack without blanking panels results in improper cooling that can lead to
thermal damage.
CAUTION:
If a third-party rack is used, observe the following additional requirements to ensure
adequate airflow and to prevent damage to the equipment:
• Front and rear doors—If the 42U rack includes closing front and rear doors, you must allow 5,350 sq
cm (830 sq in) of holes evenly distributed from top to bottom to permit adequate airflow (equivalent to
the required 64 percent open area for ventilation).
• Side—The clearance between the installed rack component and the side panels of the rack must be
a minimum of 7 cm (2.75 in).
Temperature requirements
To ensure continued safe and reliable equipment operation, install or position the rack in a well-ventilated,
climate-controlled environment.
The operating temperature inside the rack is always higher than the room temperature and is dependent on
the configuration of equipment in the rack. Check the TMRA for each piece of equipment before installation.
CAUTION:
To reduce the risk of damage to the equipment when installing third-party options:
• Do not permit optional equipment to impede airflow around the chassis or to increase the internal
rack temperature beyond the maximum allowable limits.
• Do not exceed the manufacturer’s TMRA.
Grounding requirements
• The building installation must provide a means of connection to protective earth.
• The equipment must be connected to that means of connection.
• A service person must check whether the socket-outlet from which the equipment is to be powered
provides a connection to the building protective earth. If the outlet does not provide a connection, the
service person must arrange for the installation of a protective earthing conductor from the separate
protective earthing terminal to the protective earth wire in the building.
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Temperature requirements
