This probably does not apply to the Cisco rack hardware you mentioned, but odd rack units does serve a purpose: I was part of a group designing some proprietary hardware for our company, and I suggested 1.5U height on puprose: That way whoever installed it would be forced to leave a gap over it, because that's where the air intakes for the fans were.
Sure, but you had the extra 0.5U that you'd left as a gap. Run the airflow through that, but don't make it just a gap or you end up with hot air flowing back to the cold side.
I'm not trying to reengineer your product, Ive just had enough frustrations with rack mount hardware to make me cranky if it isn't just the way I want it!
This probably does not apply to the Cisco rack hardware you mentioned, but odd rack units does serve a purpose: I was part of a group designing some proprietary hardware for our company, and I suggested 1.5U height on puprose: That way whoever installed it would be forced to leave a gap over it, because that's where the air intakes for the fans were.
If you're doing that, just make it 2U and direct the inlet from the front so that we can have proper hot and cold aisles!
Front and back was occupied by other hardware. The innards came with some design constraints.
Sure, but you had the extra 0.5U that you'd left as a gap. Run the airflow through that, but don't make it just a gap or you end up with hot air flowing back to the cold side.
I'm not trying to reengineer your product, Ive just had enough frustrations with rack mount hardware to make me cranky if it isn't just the way I want it!