The first floor of the NetApp data center houses the server area. Rather than an open floor, NetApp's design features a series of enclosed data rooms that are accessible through a center entrance hallway (pictured above). Each data room uses cold-aisle containment and overhead air distribution. Instead of pumping cold air up through raised floors, overhead air distribution takes advantage of cold/hot air buoyancy and eliminates ductwork, which reduces energy needed for fans. This also reduces construction costs as raised floors are expensive to build.
The First Energy Star Data Center
Design Overview | Following the Airflow | Data Halls | Server Rooms