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Industry Shift Toward Larger Rack Formats
Hyperscale data center operators are increasingly adopting 21-inch rack formats to meet the demanding cooling requirements of artificial intelligence infrastructure, according to recent industry analysis. Reports indicate that major cloud service providers including Microsoft, Amazon, Meta, Google, ByteDance, Huawei, and Oracle have standardized on the larger format, which originated through the Open Compute Project (OCP).
Technical Advantages Driving Adoption
Analysts suggest the transition to wider racks addresses critical thermal management challenges in modern computing environments. The additional space reportedly enables better airflow dynamics, larger fan arrays, and more room for high-capacity power distribution systems. Sources indicate the format also provides necessary clearance for piping required by direct-to-chip liquid cooling technologies, which have become essential for AI-optimized infrastructure.
The report states that the 21-inch standard offers future-proofing benefits since equipment designed for traditional 19-inch racks can be mounted in the larger frames, while the reverse isn’t possible. This compatibility advantage is said to be accelerating adoption across the industry as organizations plan for information technology infrastructure upgrades amid broader industry developments.
Market Projections and Vendor Support
According to analysis from Omdia, the 21-inch rack format is projected to constitute over 70% of equipment shipped by 2030. The firm’s research suggests that traditional server manufacturers including Hewlett Packard Enterprise and Dell are embracing the standard as they capitalize on the AI infrastructure boom. These market trends reflect the growing dominance of AI servers, which reportedly accounted for 66% of overall server spending last year.
Sources indicate that Huawei transitioned its entire data center infrastructure to the 21-inch standard back in 2019, while other major providers have followed suit more recently. The shift comes as organizations navigate various industry developments and related innovations in infrastructure management.
Historical Context and Industry Evolution
The traditional 19-inch rack standard predates modern computing, with origins in railway relay circuits and telephone exchange equipment before being adopted by the IT industry. According to reports, dissatisfaction with the limitations of this century-old standard prompted Meta Platforms (then Facebook) to initiate the Open Compute Project in 2012, beginning the push toward more modern rack specifications.
Modular Architecture and Rack-Scale Design
Analysts suggest that rack-scale server designs are becoming the de facto standard for cloud providers, enabling pre-assembled racks of equipment to be wheeled directly into data centers. Nvidia’s DGX GB200 NVL72 system is cited as an example of this approach already in production deployment.
Reports indicate that major vendors are also adopting the OCP’s Data Center Modular Hardware System (DC-MHS), where each component functions as a swappable module. This modular approach reportedly enables hardware upgrades while maintaining consistent I/O configurations, representing significant recent technology advancements in data center design. The transition occurs alongside other market trends affecting technology investment priorities.
Future Outlook
With hyperscalers and specialized AI cloud providers driving infrastructure spending, industry analysis suggests the 21-inch OCP rack format will continue gaining market share. The superior cooling capabilities and future-proof design are reportedly making the standard increasingly attractive as computational demands grow, particularly for AI workloads that generate substantial heat and require advanced thermal management solutions.
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