Maxi-Cool and the Museum: server rack cooling in confined spaces

Efficient server rack cooling is mission-critical for museums of all sizes, and our Maxi-Cool system is well-suited for museum environments, as evidenced by the successful installation of Maxi-Cool server racks in a national museum.[1] Digital functions are critical to museums and, therefore, museums require rack cooling that supports the requirements of equipment safety, conservation needs, and visitor experience.  At Maxi-Cool, we have provided a safe and reliable IT environment for our customers, combining airflow management, targeted cooling, and robust monitoring.

The significance of IT in museums has increased exponentially over the past 20 years due to the growing integration of digital technology into the core functions of museums, including exhibitions, collection management, and visitor outreach. Museums are now highly dependent on IT infrastructure to fulfil their missions, manage themselves effectively, and maintain strict environmental conditions and the safety of the valuable collections and staff.

Maxi-Cool has supported the IT function of one of the UK’s large museums, enabling critical museum operations. Primarily, the museum required a cooling system to keep the servers safe, clean, and cooled, and to ensure optimised server function for the digitised visitor services and collections management. Our team conducted a site survey and proposed the installation of a 36U cabinet and TM5 cooling system. The museum’s IT team agreed to install the cabinet in the plant room, a dusty and high-traffic area without windows or ventilation,  located in the basement. The museum has an IT department, and the equipment, including the Maxi-Cool cooling system, is constantly monitored for variations in performance and to address any issues that may arise. The IT team at the museum integrate the data generated within the cabinet into the museum’s larger IT data set.

The process of working with the museum was exciting and successful.  The IT staff in the museum were highly engaged in ensuring they chose the correct item for the location. We have had an ongoing relationship with the museums and supplied a smaller version of the TM5 cabinet for use in an off-site workshop. We have continued to work with them on a scheduled maintenance plan.

Museums can be mysterious and imposing places, and we have learned that far from being intimidating, museums are complex organisations with a set of unique and complicated variables. IT is imperative to the daily function of a museum, and the demand for IT services in museums is high and increasing, particularly with the development of AV collections and the emergence of digital assets as a distinct class of assets. On-site server racks and efficient cooling in closed racks provide museums with total control and exclusive access to their systems. Maxi-Cool server rack cooling supports the protection and preservation of national heritage through its work with museums, and we are delighted to be part of this effort.

If you have server racks in an unusual environment and need them to be secure and operate as efficiently as possible with minimal environmental impact, please give us a call to find out more.  We enjoy finding solutions to your server cooling problems! Email: info@maxi-cool.co.uk, call: 01733873262.

[1] All our case studies are anonymised to protect our customers’ confidentiality.