{"id":24320,"date":"2022-05-16T21:50:07","date_gmt":"2022-05-16T21:50:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/serverlift.com\/?p=24320"},"modified":"2026-01-18T23:06:52","modified_gmt":"2026-01-18T23:06:52","slug":"how-to-install-new-server-racks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/serverlift.com\/nl\/blog\/how-to-install-new-server-racks\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Install New Server Racks"},"content":{"rendered":"

Nearly every business needs at least one server rack to house networking equipment, and some businesses might need several. However, unless you or someone on your team has data center experience, installing server racks may be difficult.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

We put together this step-by-step guide to help you through the process. There may be some variation in steps depending on the brand and type of rack you choose (two-post racks versus four-post racks, for example), but generally these steps should translate across the board. You may want to look up rack-specific instructions from the manufacturer if you run into a situation that isn\u2019t addressed here.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Some of these steps may be completed out of order, but we advise working through them in the order listed. Decide how you\u2019re going to arrange your equipment before you plan for ventilation, for example, because the latter may change based on alterations to the former.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Measure the dimensions of all the equipment you will be storing in the new rack.<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
  2. Determine what size the rack needs to be.<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
  3. Decide whether you need one rack or multiple racks.<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
  4. Double-check that you have enough space to accommodate the new rack. Don\u2019t forget to build in a buffer to ensure that there will be enough room for air flow on the front, sides, and back of the rack.<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
  5. Decide how you want to arrange your equipment in the rack.<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
  6. Come up with a cooling and ventilation plan.<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
  7. Devise a system for monitoring temperatures.<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
  8. You can use room-level or rack-level temperature monitoring, depending on your needs.<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
  9. As you think of space, cooling, power, and other requirements, plan for possible future expansion.<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
  10. Decide on a cable management plan.<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
  11. Choose a power distribution unit (PDU) that can supply adequate power to each piece of equipment in the rack.<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
  12. Keep safety in mind. Try to anticipate any hazards that could impact workers in the area. In some cases, it\u2019s also a good idea to have a plan in case a fire breaks out.<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
  13. Address security concerns. If you are concerned about unauthorized access to your servers and network, iron out any wrinkles before you install your new equipment, which only adds complexity and risk to the situation.<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
  14. Order the rack based on your specifications. Realistically, you may have already ordered the rack several steps ago. However, when possible, complete as many planning steps as you can before you actually place an order. That way, if anything seems like it won\u2019t work during the planning process, you don\u2019t have to deal with the hassle of making returns and re-ordering different supplies.<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
  15. Check the list of included hardware that comes with your rack. Most manufacturers include all of the screws, nuts, and washers you will need, but it never hurts to be prepared with some extras if you know which kinds to purchase.<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
  16. Ensure you have all of the necessary tools. If you know ahead of time the hardware that is or isn\u2019t included, you can gather your tools and have them ready for installation the day your rack arrives. If you have to wait and order new tools unexpectedly after your rack arrives, it will slow the installation process significantly. So, when in doubt, allow yourself enough time to order tools and parts you may not have planned for.<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
  17. Decide on a safe way to move the rack. While some racks come in parts that can be moved easily and assembled on-site, others arrive fully assembled. If a fully assembled rack shows up in your warehouse, do you have the equipment to move it safely? Keep in mind that standard warehouse machinery such as forklifts are not designed to navigate the narrow hallways of your building and execute fine-detail maneuvering in aisles of expensive networking equipment. Attempting to move your rack with a forklift could result in incredible damage to your organization\u2019s property. It\u2019s much safer (and often more cost-effective) to use a server-handling device that was built for the purpose of moving delicate server racks and electronic equipment.<\/span><\/li>\n
  18. If your rack did not come pre-assembled, you will have to put it together yourself. Thankfully, the actual assembly isn\u2019t usually complicated, and can be done using the instruction manual that came with your rack. After construction is complete, you can begin to get your system up and running.<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
  19. Mount the switch on the rack rails. Usually, a diagram is included to show you exactly how this is done.<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
  20. Shut off power to all of the connected devices to avoid damage to your computers. Power each device down completely before unplugging.<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
  21. Connect your console to the switch using the available ports.<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
  22. Connect each computer to the switch.<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
  23. Power up the system. There may be a monitor that came with the rack; make sure this powers up as well.<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
  24. Most computers will recognize new switches and automatically download necessary drivers.<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
  25. From here, you are free to configure your system any way you choose!\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Download<\/a> our convenient server rack installation checklist.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Nearly every business needs at least one server rack to house networking equipment, and some businesses might need several. However, unless you or someone on your team has data center experience, installing server racks may be difficult.\u00a0 We put together this step-by-step guide to help you through the process. There may be some variation in […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":34,"featured_media":24323,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":"","_wpscppro_dont_share_socialmedia":null,"_wpscppro_custom_social_share_image":0,"_facebook_share_type":"default","_twitter_share_type":"default","_linkedin_share_type":"default","_pinterest_share_type":"default","_linkedin_share_type_page":"","_instagram_share_type":"default","_medium_share_type":"default","_threads_share_type":"default","_google_business_share_type":"default","_selected_social_profile":[],"_wpsp_enable_custom_social_template":false,"_wpsp_social_scheduling":{"enabled":false,"datetime":null,"platforms":[],"status":"template_only","dateOption":"today","timeOption":"now","customDays":"","customHours":"","customDate":"","customTime":"","schedulingType":"absolute"},"_wpsp_active_default_template":true},"categories":[78],"tags":[425,423,424],"class_list":["post-24320","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog","tag-how-to-install-a-server-rack","tag-installing-server-racks","tag-new-server-rack-installation"],"yoast_head":"\n25 Steps For Installing New Server Racks<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Intimidated by all of the planning that goes into installing up a new server rack? Use this checklist as your guide.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/serverlift.com\/nl\/blog\/how-to-install-new-server-racks\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"nl_NL\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"25 Steps For Installing New Server Racks\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Intimidated by all of the planning that goes into installing up a new server rack? 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