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Service variants and sizing
Colocation 1U, 2U, 4U, rack cabinet and tower
The same colocation service can mean a single 1U server, a larger 2U or 4U chassis, a tower server or a rack cabinet for a growing environment. The landing explains how to choose the variant; final pricing and availability are still calculated by the current DataHouse configurators and backend.
1U colocation
For a single rack server, firewall, router or compact appliance. Usually the first choice when the device is standard 19-inch and does not need much vertical space.
Best for: one server, predictable power, simple migration
2U colocation
For larger chassis, more drives, stronger cooling, additional NICs or a server that is not comfortable in 1U. Useful when storage and serviceability matter.
Best for: databases, storage, heavier network cards
4U colocation
For dense storage, GPU-ready chassis, non-standard cooling or many expansion cards. Requires checking power, heat and rack depth before ordering.
Best for: storage, GPU, custom bare metal
Rack cabinet
For several devices, separated switching, private cabling and a more predictable growth path. The cabinet model should be checked with power, cross-connect and access assumptions.
Best for: multi-server environments and private racks
Tower colocation
For a tower server or workstation-class machine that is not mounted in a standard rack. It needs a different physical placement and compatibility check.
Best for: non-rackable servers and workstations
What decides between 1U, 2U, 4U, rack and tower
Physical space and depth
The number of rack units is only the first parameter. Depth, rails, airflow direction, cable routing and access to disks or cards can make a 2U or 4U option more practical than squeezing the device into 1U.
Power and heat budget
A larger chassis can use more drives, CPUs, NICs or GPUs. Before ordering colocation, check expected power draw, peak load, cooling and whether the device needs redundant power feeds.
Network and addressing
Colocation should be planned together with uplinks, public addressing, firewall policy, BGP needs, AS20853 visibility and diagnostics through Looking Glass.
Operations and growth
If the environment will grow from one server to several devices, plan rack space, switching, backup, monitoring, remote hands and documentation from the beginning.
Which configurator should I use?
Single server per U
Use the per-U colocation configurator for 1U, 2U, 4U or a custom U count. It is the right path when you colocate one physical server or a small number of independent devices.
Rack cabinet
Use the rack cabinet configurator when you plan a larger environment, private switching, more cabling, growth space or a coherent rack-level design.
Tower server
Use the tower configurator when the device is not rack-mounted. The important checks are dimensions, airflow, power, access and operational handling.
Choose the service path
Network and data center context
Before production
Frequently asked questions
Is 1U colocation enough for a company?
Yes, if the server is a standard 1U rack device, has predictable power draw and does not need additional storage, GPUs or many expansion cards. It is often the first step before a larger rack design.
When should I choose 2U or 4U?
Choose 2U or 4U when the server needs more disks, stronger cooling, easier service access, GPU-ready space, additional NICs or a non-standard chassis.
How is rack cabinet colocation different from per-U colocation?
Per-U colocation is designed around individual devices. Rack cabinet colocation is better for several devices, private switching, cleaner cabling, growth space and a more coherent network design.
Can a tower server be colocated?
Yes, but it needs a separate compatibility check: dimensions, airflow, power, physical placement and operational access. That is why tower colocation has a separate configurator path.