OK…so they may not come with sprinkles and delicious west country cream, but our London data centre cold aisle containment pods are just as effective at keeping you nice and chilled during heatwaves.
We also have to admit that the term ‘cold aisle containment (CAC) pods’ does not have quite the same ring to it as ‘Salted Caramel’ or ‘Raspberry Ripple’ but at least it describes what it does.
Cold aisle containment helps keep data centres cool – even during heatwave periods – by maximising cooling efficiency and preventing the mixing of hot air (generated by servers etc) with cold air (generated by cooling systems). This is achieved by creating enclosed cold aisles (in front of server racks), typically with walls or doors and sometimes ceiling panels, to isolate the cold air from the hot air exhaust coming from the racks.
It’s a particularly powerful strategy during periods of temperature extremes, as it prevents hot air contamination, which without containment, can lead to hot air circulating from the servers back into the cold aisle, warming it up. During a heatwave, ambient temperatures are already high, so any mixing makes cooling less effective. Containment stops this by physically separating the cold air supply from the hot return air and directing the cooled air directly at the servers – not the data centre suite in general.
Another bonus, with this CAC is that it improves overall efficiency, as the cooling systems don’t have to work as hard to lower the temperature because the cold air isn’t getting diluted. This is critical during a heatwave when outdoor air handlers or chillers are under stress. It also helps maintain a consistent intake temperature – servers operate best within a narrow temperature range – even if the ambient room or outdoor temperature rises.
This is critical.
Just as we need to hydrate more, stay in the shade, avoid harmful UV rays to function effectively in a heatwave so IT equipment also needs additional care. Overheating can lead to serious, immediate, and long-term consequences for both the hardware and the business.
When IT equipment overheats, the consequences can be immediate and damaging. Hardware components like CPUs, GPUs, and memory modules degrade faster under excessive heat, leading to permanent damage and reduced lifespan. Systems may crash, reboot unexpectedly, or shut down entirely to prevent failure, potentially causing data loss or corruption. Even before complete failure, overheating can trigger thermal throttling—slowing down processors to manage heat—which directly impacts system performance and user experience.
Beyond technical issues, the business impacts are significant. Overheating leads to increased downtime, costly repairs, and higher energy consumption from emergency cooling measures. Additionally, overheating can pose compliance and security risks if systems fail during sensitive operations. In rare cases, extreme overheating may even lead to fire hazards, making proactive temperature management essential for any IT infrastructure.
It may not come with a flake, or a swirl of chewy caramel, but utilising cold aisle containment for the cooling of your IT infrastructure and the benefits it brings, can be just as sweet. Operational resilience, potential lower energy costs, reduced business risk and longer hardware lifespan.
If only it had a better name.‘Chill Aisle Crunch’, ‘Rack n’ Cool Ripple’ or ‘Server Sorbet’ perhaps?
If you would like to learn more about Cold Aisle Containment at our London Data Centre, please get in touch.
Photo by Sheri Silver on Unsplash
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