Facilities Estimator

Aspen Systems standard rack sizes are 42U and 25U (a rack unit is 1.75 vertical inches). We can provide larger racks by special order, but the taller racks can be difficult to install or move about your facility. The dimensions of our standard racks are:

Make sure the rack size you select will make it through all doors, under all exit signs or other obstacles, and fit in any elevators you might need to use to install the system.

How densely your systems are racked directly affects rack usage. The facilities cooling capabilities and available rack power may also play a role in determining how much equipment can be placed in each rack.

The Aspen Systems Cluster Estimator Utility utilizes all possible space within the rack and assumes adequate cooling for that standard density. We can work with you to create special configurations if lower density is desired. For instance, in some facilities with less adequate cooling, your nodes could be racked with a 1/3U space between each node. This allows front to rear air flow between nodes and eliminates metal to metal heat transfer between nodes. This may be needed in some less well cooled environments.

In larger clusters with high node counts, throughput considerations will dictate the topology and the equipment necessary to implement the network. Often, the main low latency interconnect switches for a larger cluster will need to be located toward the center racks of the cluster to minimize cable lengths, and this can affect your rack space requirements.

Aspen standard racking practices are outlined in the Cluster Racking section of our Detailed Buyers Reference .