Server Cabinets

Server cabinets serve as protective, structured storage solutions for IT hardware, including servers, routers, and switches. As essential infrastructure for modern network and data systems in the Philippines, a server cabinet offers superior cooling, protection for cable management accessories, and robust security for sensitive equipment.

At RS Philippines, you’ll find a comprehensive range of these data cabinets, ensuring optimal performance and protection for your technology infrastructure.

What Are Server Cabinets?

A server cabinet is a specialized enclosure designed to support and protect IT environments by housing rack-mounted equipment. These cabinets conform to the 19-inch rack enclosures standard, which is the globally accepted specification for housing servers and related hardware. The vertical mounting rails within the cabinets are spaced to align with equipment racks, measured in “rack units” (U) for systematic organization.

More than just storage facilities, a data cabinet or server rack often include several practical features such as:

Ventilation support: Mesh panels, perforated doors, or built-in fans actively promote airflow and cooling within the server cabinet. Proper ventilation ensures optimal operating temperatures for servers and network equipment, preventing overheating.
Cable management channels: Integrated trays, rings, or ducts efficiently route and organize cables neatly, reducing clutter and improving airflow.
Security options: Lockable front and rear doors, along with removable panels, protect hardware from unauthorized access. Some data cabinets feature tempered or mesh glass doors, balancing security with visual monitoring of internal equipment.
Structural durability: Constructed from steel or aluminum for strength and stability. A robust server cabinet offers vibration resistance, making it suitable for industrial environments or supporting heavy rack-mounted equipment.

Server cabinets are available in different configurations such as open frame, enclosed, wall-mount, and outdoor-rated to suit a wide range of installation contexts.

Types of Server Cabinets

Server cabinets in the Philippines come in various styles, such as:

Open Frame Cabinets: An open frame server rack provides superior cooling with maximum airflow and easy access to equipment. These are ideal for internal server rooms or data centers where environmental control and security are managed at the room level, ensuring optimal thermal performance.
Closed Frame Cabinets: Offering enhanced security and dust protection, closed frame server cabinets are often used in offices or shared areas. They typically feature lockable and removable doors, sometimes with glass fronts or mesh designs, balancing security with necessary airflow.
Wall-Mount Cabinets: A wall mount network cabinet is perfect for small setups or constrained spaces. These compact units, often ranging from 6U to 15U, efficiently house essential networking gear like switches and routers without occupying valuable floor space.
Outdoor Cabinets: An outdoor data cabinet is a weather-resistant enclosure built for external installations. These robust cabinets protect sensitive equipment from rain, dust, extreme temperatures, and vandalism, ensuring reliable performance in exposed environments.

Server Cabinet Sizes Explained

Understanding server cabinet sizes is crucial for optimizing your IT infrastructure in the Philippines, as dimensions are measured in Rack Units (U). Each U represents 1.75 inches or 44.5 mm of vertical space inside a cabinet, accommodating individual server racks typically 1U, 2U, 3U, or 4U high.

Data cabinets are classified by total U capacity, which determines how many rack-mounted devices they can hold:

Small Cabinets (1U–10U): These compact units, often a small server cabinet, are ideal for tight installations or housing single-purpose equipment like network switches, routers, or small servers in communication closets.
Medium Cabinets (11U–25U): Designed to support mid-sized office networks or growing IT needs, these cabinets offer a balance between capacity and footprint. Also, they provide ample space for multiple servers and networking devices.
Large Cabinets (26U+): Suited for full-scale data centers or extensive server rooms, these tall cabinets accommodate numerous servers, storage devices, and networking components, maximizing density and efficiency in enterprise-level deployments.

Selecting the proper cabinet size is essential to accommodate current hardware while allowing room for future expansion.

Mounting Types for Data Cabinets

In the Philippines, you’ll find various mounting types for data cabinets. Some of the most common mounting types of network cabinets you’ll find include:

Wall Mount: A wall mount server cabinet is an excellent solution for saving valuable floor space. These compact units are ideal for small offices, communication closets, surveillance system setups, or housing access control units where a full-sized server cabinet isn't necessary.
Floor Standing: These are full-sized data rack solutions offering higher capacity and often feature mobility options like casters for easier repositioning. They are the go-to choice for server rooms, data centers, and larger IT installations where significant equipment housing is required.
Desktop Mount: For smaller, localized setups, desktop-mounted data cabinets provide compact, low-profile solutions. These are well-suited for branch offices, laboratories, or individual workstations where only a few pieces of networking gear need secure and organized housing.

Where Server Cabinets Are Used Across Industries

Server cabinet solutions are fundamental infrastructure components across a multitude of industries in the Philippines, safeguarding critical IT and networking equipment.

Discrete Manufacturing

In discrete manufacturing, a server cabinet is crucial for housing programmable logic controllers (PLCs), industrial PCs, and associated network gear in automation setups. These robust enclosures protect sensitive electronics from dust, vibration, and interference on the shop floor, ensuring reliable control of machinery and production lines.

Process Manufacturing

Process manufacturing industries, such as food, chemical, and pharmaceutical plants, utilize server cabinets to house network switches and SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) systems. A specialized network cabinet helps maintain stringent environmental controls and data integrity within production facilities.

Energy and Utilities

In the energy and utilities sector, server cabinets are deployed in substations, power plants, and oil and gas facilities to support critical edge computing systems. A secure data center rack also ensures the continuous operation of monitoring and control systems, vital for grid stability and operational safety.

Facilities and Intralogistics

Offices, schools, and hospitals across the Philippines rely on large server cabinet installations for their campus-wide IT infrastructure. These units house essential servers, network equipment, and telecommunications hubs, providing centralized and secure management of vital computing resources.

Considerations When Buying Server Cabinets

Cooling and Airflow Management: Effective cooling is important for server reliability. Look for server cabinets with options like perforated or mesh doors, built-in fans, or compatibility with external cooling solutions (air conditioning, water cooling). Proper airflow management within the rack prevents overheating and reduces system failures in a data center.
Cable Management Features: Integrated cable trays, side panels with cable tie points, and rear cable access doors greatly simplify setup and maintenance. Good cable management improves airflow and reduces downtime caused by tangled or damaged cables within the server cabinet or network setup.
Weight Capacity and Build Quality: Ensure server cabinets have sufficient weight ratings to safely support all mounted equipment. Steel construction is standard for durability and vibration resistance, especially in industrial applications where a robust rack is needed.
Security Features: For sensitive or high-value equipment, lockable front and rear doors are recommended. Some data cabinets also support monitoring systems to detect unauthorized access, enhancing physical security for your network infrastructure.
Compliance and Standards: Verify that your server cabinets meet industry standards (e.g., EIA-310 for 19-inch racks). Such compliance ensures compatibility with existing equipment and adherence to best practices in any data center environment.

Why Buy Server Cabinets from RS Philippines

For reliable server cabinet solutions, RS Philippines is your trusted supplier. We offer an extensive selection of high-quality data center racks in various sizes and mounting types. What’s more, you can turn to us for essential cable management solutions and server accessories.

Discover server cabinets at reasonable prices, featuring our own dependable RS PRO products and renowned brands like Schneider Electric and StarTech.com.

In addition to our extensive inventory, we also provide reliable delivery services throughout the Philippines for all your purchases. For more information on delivery services and fees, please visit our Delivery page.