Modular application of peripheral panels as security protection screens with individual locking mechanisms within a rack-based information handling system
A rack-based information handling system (RIHS) includes a rack chassis having at least two opposing side panels which are structurally held in place by one or more segments spanning between the two opposing side panels to generate an internal volume between the at least two opposing side panels. The internal volume has structures that enable insertion and retention of information technology (IT) gear and other components of the IHS at one of a front access space and a rear access space of the rack chassis that extend between the two opposing side panels. The RIHS also includes at least one security screen that is removably affixed to opposing edges of the two opposing side panels and span across a first segment of an access space to prevent direct physical access to the IT gear or other components that are inserted within the rack chassis behind the security screen.
1. A rack-based information handling system (RIHS) comprising:
a rack chassis comprising at least two opposing side panels extending in a first direction and which are structurally held in place by one or more segments spanning between the two opposing side panels to generate an internal volume between the at least two opposing side panels, the internal volume having one or more structures that enable insertion and retention of information technology (IT) gear and other components of the IHS at one of a front access space and a rear access space of the rack chassis that extend between the two opposing side panels; and
at least one security screen that is removably affixed to opposing edges of the two opposing side panels and span across a first segment of one of the access spaces to prevent direct physical access to the IT gear or other components that are inserted within the rack chassis behind the security screen;
wherein the at least two opposing side panels extend vertically from a base to a top of the rack chassis and define a vertically extended volume of space including the front access space that supports insertion of a plurality of IT blocks;
wherein the security screen is designed with a width dimension to allow for spanning horizontally across the entire width of the rack chassis and a height dimension sized to cover only a subset of the number of IT blocks that can be inserted into the front access space of the rack chassis, such that multiple security screens can be concurrently inserted over the different vertical segments of the rack chassis; and
wherein each security screen of multiple security screens that are concurrently installed on the rack chassis has a separate configuration for locking or non-locking independent of the other security screens, such that both lockable security screens and un-lockable security screens can be concurrently utilized within a same rack chassis.
2. The RIHS of claim 1 , further comprising at least one IT gear inserted into a block chassis within the front access space of the rack chassis and behind the security screen, wherein the IT gear is inserted before the security screen is affixed to the two opposing side panels.
3. The RIHS of claim 1 , wherein:
the two opposing side panels further include one or more attachment affordances located within a first external edge of each of the two opposing side panels; and
the security screen includes corresponding connecting affordances to fixably attach the security screen to the two opposing side panels, the connecting affordances designed to allow for direct insertion and removal of the security screen without requiring swept volume.
4. The RIHS of claim 1 , wherein the at least one security screen is a mesh screen having a plurality of perforations that allow air to pass through for convection cooling of the IT components located behind the screen.
5. The RIHS of claim 1 , wherein the at least one security screen is a lockable security screen and comprises a locking mechanism that securely affixes the security screen to a locking affordance within at least one of the opposing edges of the two opposing side panels and which limits removal of the security screen and access to the space behind the security screen to personnel with a key to unlock the locking mechanism.
6. The RIHS of claim 5 , wherein when the locking mechanism is a physical lock, the key is a physical key, and when the locking mechanism is a digital lock, the key comprises a digital key or code.
7. The RIHS of claim 1 , wherein:
the two opposing panels further include a locking mechanism that enables the security screen to be securely locked in place via a locking affordance configured within the security screen.
8. The RIHS of claim 1 , further comprising:
a plurality of IT gear that are vertically arranged in multiple different IT blocks inserted within the rack, where at least one IT block has a restricted access security requirement; and
multiple different security screens each placed over one or more blocks among the multiple different IT blocks, including at least one lockable security screen that is placed over a corresponding IT block that has the restricted access security requirement.
9. The RIHS of claim 8 , wherein: the multiple different security screens comprise security screens having different sizes and locking functionality, and each IT block separated by a different security screen can be selectively locked or unlocked using security screens having the locking mechanism.
10. The RIHS of claim 1 , further comprising:
a pair of expansion panels affixed to a front edge of each of the opposing side panels and having a similar distal, exterior edge configuration of attachment affordances as the opposing side panels to support connection by and locking of the security screen, wherein the security screen is affixed to the exterior edge of the pair of expansion panels via the attachment affordances and connecting affordances of the expansion panels and the security screen, respectively.
11. The RIHS of claim 10 , wherein the pair of expansion panels are cable management panels.
12. A security screen for limiting physical security access to one or more IT gear within a rack-based information handling system (RIHS), the security screen comprising:
a perimeter section providing structure and dimension to the security screen;
a mesh section disposed within the perimeter section and having a plurality of perforations that enable passage of air flow through the mesh section of the security screen; and
one or more connecting affordances along a perimeter of the security screen for fixable connection to an attaching affordance of the RIHS, the connecting affordances designed to allow for direct insertion and removal of the security screen without requiring swept volume and designed for connecting to a pair of expansion panels affixed to a front edge of each of opposing side panels for a rack chassis, the pair of expansion panels having a similar distal, exterior edge configuration of attachment affordances as the opposing side panels to support connection by and locking of the security screen, wherein the security screen is affixed to the exterior edge of the pair of expansion panels via the attachment affordances and connecting affordances of the expansion panels and the security screen, respectively.
13. The security screen of claim 12 , further comprising:
a locking mechanism that enables the security screen to be physically locked into place on opposing side panels of the RIHS.
14. The security screen of claim 13 , wherein the locking mechanism comprises one of a physical lock requiring a physical key and a digital lock requiring a digital key or code.
15. The security screen of claim 12 , wherein the dimension of the security screen comprises one of (a) a full vertical height screen and (b) a partial height screen that covers one or more IT blocks, but not all blocks within the RIHS.
16. A rack assembly for use with an information handling system (RIHS), the rack assembly comprising:
a rack chassis comprising at least two opposing side panels extending in a first direction and which are structurally held in place by one or more segments spanning between the two opposing side panels to generate an internal volume between the at least two opposing side panels, the internal volume having one or more structures that enable insertion and retention of information technology (IT) gear and other components of the IHS at one of a front access space and a rear access space of the rack chassis that extend between the two opposing side panels;
at least one security screen that is removably affixed to opposing edges of the two opposing side panels and span across a first segment of one of the access spaces to prevent direct physical access to the IT gear or other components that are inserted within the rack chassis behind the security screen;
a pair of expansion panels affixed to a front edge of each of the opposing side panels and having a similar distal, exterior edge configuration of attachment affordances as the opposing side panels to support connection by and locking of the security screen, wherein the security screen is affixed to the exterior edge of the pair of expansion panels via the attachment affordances and connecting affordances of the expansion panels and the security screen, respectively; and
at least one block chassis defined within the front access space of the rack chassis and located behind the security screen, wherein one or more IT gear can be inserted into the at least one block chassis before the security screen is affixed to the two opposing side panels;
wherein the at least one security screen is a mesh screen having a plurality of perforations that allow air to pass through for convection cooling of the IT gear located behind the screen.
17. The rack assembly of claim 16 , wherein:
the two opposing side panels further include one or more attachment affordances located within a first external edge of each of the two opposing side panels; and
the security screen includes corresponding connecting affordances to fixably attach the security screen to the two opposing side panels, the connecting affordances designed to allow for direct insertion and removal of the security screen without requiring swept volume.
18. The rack assembly of claim 16 , wherein:
the at least one security screen is a lockable security screen and comprises a locking mechanism that securely affixes the security screen to a locking affordance within at least one of the opposing edges of the two opposing side panels and which limits removal of the security screen and access to the space behind the security screen to personnel with a key to unlock the locking mechanism; and
when the locking mechanism is a physical lock, the key is a physical key, and when the locking mechanism is a digital lock, the key comprises a digital key or code; and
the two opposing panels further include a locking mechanism that enables the security screen to be securely locked in place via a locking affordance configured within the security screen.
19. The rack assembly of claim 16 , wherein:
the at least two opposing side panels extend vertically from a base to a top of the rack chassis and define a vertically extended volume of space including the front access space that supports insertion of a plurality of IT blocks;
the security screen is designed with a width dimension to allow for spanning horizontally across the entire width of the rack chassis and a height dimension sized to cover only a subset of the number of IT blocks that can be inserted into the front access space of the rack chassis, such that multiple security screens can be concurrently inserted over the different vertical segments of the rack chassis;
each security screen of multiple security screens that are concurrently installed on the rack chassis has a separate configuration for locking or non-locking independent of the other security screens, such that both lockable security screens and un-lockable security screens can be concurrently utilized within a same rack chassis.
20. The rack assembly of claim 16 , further comprising:
a plurality of IT gear that are vertically arranged in multiple different IT blocks inserted within the rack, where at least one IT block has a restricted access security requirement;
multiple different security screens each placed over one or more blocks among the multiple different IT blocks, including at least one lockable security screen that is placed over a corresponding IT block that has the restricted access security requirement;
wherein the multiple different security screens comprise security screens having different sizes and locking functionality, and each IT block separated by a different security screen can be selectively locked or unlocked using security screens having the locking mechanism.