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What are hot aisles and cold aisles in a Data Centre?

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Question added by immad girach , Assistant Director , Federal Government
Date Posted: 2015/04/05
Ibrahim Abdullatif
by Ibrahim Abdullatif , Projects Section Head , Saudi Maximum Power

the hot aisles are the area behind the server racks, where the racks will blow the hot air to it, the cold aisles are the areas in front of the racks where the servers will take the cold air to cool down, you will need to make the perforated tiles in the cold aisles and the suction for the return in the hot aisles, pay attention to make sure that the cold aisles are shared by two server tacks rows (that mean they are facing each other) and the same should be for the hot aisles (a server rack row back side will be to the back of another server racks row), never mix cold and hot aisles as this will result in humid wet areas that could cause troubles and reduce cooling effeciancy

Muhannad AlHaj Issa
by Muhannad AlHaj Issa , Group IT Manager , Jordanian For Investment & Transportation

The Air Cycling in the Data Center which allow Cold Aisles to decrease the Racks Temperature by passing Cold Air through the  underfloor air distributes  and the Side or Upper exhausting collectors for hot air through the Hot Aisles back to the Air Conditioning Chillers as an Air Cycling system controlled by appropriate sensors and controlling system. 

Khaled Zaky
by Khaled Zaky , Director of Product Management - Public Cloud , Royal Bank of Canada

In its simplest form, hot aisle/cold aisle data center design involves lining up server racks in alternating rows with cold air intakes facing one way and hot air exhausts facing the other. The rows composed of rack fronts are called cold aisles. Typically, cold aisles face air conditioner output ducts. The rows the heated exhausts pour into are called hot aisles. Typically, hot aisles face air conditioner return ducts.

Muhammad Yahya Siddiqui
by Muhammad Yahya Siddiqui , Chief Executive , MYSTech Pvt Ltd

In a medium to large size server room, racks are lined up in two or more lines. In each line, there are in-row cooling racks (preferably1 after two server racks) which have ACs installed. Now these two lines of racks are lined up backs facing each other, with a walking passage/aisle in between. This is a called a 'hot aisle' as the exhausts of servers from both rack lines are towards this aisle (remember? Back to back?). We close this aisle from top and sides with doors and overhead covers to keep the warm air inside and also sucked into AC racks.

Outside, the front facing portions or lines of racks are called cold aisles as ACs are throwing cold air this way.

This is a smart way of containing the heat generated from servers and machines from spreading into entire room.

SAFDAR KHAN
by SAFDAR KHAN , Sr Manager Critical Data Center Facility , verizon

Hot aisle/cold aisle is a layout design for server racks and other computing equipment in a data center. The goal of a hot aisle/cold aisle configuration is to conserve energy and lower cooling costs by managing air flow.

Salman Sarang
by Salman Sarang , Design Manager - Mechanical Engineering , Cenomi Centers

These are basically the rows on either side of the server racks. The row behind the array of servers is referred as HOT AISLE, from where hot air must be extracted; whereas the area on the face of array of servers is referred as COLD AISLE. In case of UFAD (Underfloor Air Distribution) system, the cold air from CRAC/CRAH units is supplied through perforated tiles. Otherwise through low level discharge.

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