Rack mount depth is a commonly confused term. The term is commonly confused with the overall rack depth including the door. The term is defined as the dimension from the front of the front mounting post to the back of the back mounting post. Due to the fact that many cabinets have adjustable mounting posts, the depth can only be accurately determined by measuring it.
Common Depths
The rack mounting depth has been increasing over the years, along with the overall depth of racks. This is caused by the steady increase of the depths of standard servers made by Dell, HP and IBM. Here are the OEM standards:
- Dell standard depth is 28 7/8″
- HP standard depth is 29 1/8″
- IBM standard depth is 28 1/2″
The depth was commonly 19″ to 24″. This depth is still used for Audio Racks. The most common depth is now approximately 29″ since this is close to all OEM’s.
Measuring 4Post Rack Mount Depth
Measuring 2Post Rack Mount Depth (Upright Depth)
2Post relay rack’s mounting depth is also called the Upright Depth. This most common upright depth is 3″, although 5″ and 6.5″ are also readily available.