The following figure shows an example rack layout for this design:Figure 5. Example rack configuration

This rack was created by using the Dell Enterprise Infrastructure Planning Tool (with the illustrations of the switches enhanced). Filler panels are not shown. You can use the tool to determine your solution and determine weight, power requirements, airflow, and other details.

This example shows eight PowerEdge XE9680 servers in two racks. The four PowerEdge XE9680 servers in a single rack require four 17kW Power Distribution Units (PDUs) per rack. However, carefully evaluate your own power and cooling requirements and your preference for rack layout, power distribution, airflow management, and cabling design.

Where significant growth is anticipated in the size of the deployment, consider separate racks for compute, storage, and management nodes to allow sufficient capacity for that growth.

The following table provides example APC rack and PDU recommendations for the Americas region. Other rack and PDU vendors and options may be used. We recommend that you consult your Dell or APC representative to understand your unique data center requirements to provide an accurate PDU recommendation.

Table 5. Example rack and PDU recommendations for the PowerEdge XE9680 server

To understand the physical aspects of deploying a PowerEdge XE9680 server, see the PowerEdge XE9680 Rack Integration technical white paper.