Patent ID: 8817465

Claim:
A method comprising: providing a multi-rack assembly, the providing comprising: disposing a first electronics rack and a second electronics rack adjacent to each other, each electronics rack of the first electronics rack and the second electronics rack being at least partially air-cooled and each having an air inlet side, a left side wall, and a right side wall, relative to the air inlet side, and an air outlet side, wherein the first electronics rack and the second electronics rack are disposed with the right side wall of the first electronics rack directly adjacent to the left side wall of the second electronics rack, or the left side wall of the first electronics rack directly adjacent to the right side wall of the second electronics rack, with the air inlet sides facing a first direction and the air outlet sides facing a second direction; providing an air-to-liquid heat exchanger associated with the first electronics rack for cooling at least a portion of air passing through the first electronics rack, the air-to-liquid heat exchanger being disposed at and substantially aligned over only the air inlet side or the air outlet side of the first electronics rack and being coupled in fluid communication with a coolant loop to receive coolant therefrom and exhaust coolant thereto, the air-to-liquid heat exchanger transferring heat from air passing thereacross to coolant passing therethrough; providing at least one cooling unit associated with the first electronics rack and cooling coolant in the coolant loop to, at least in part, facilitate extraction of heat by the air-to-liquid heat exchanger from air passing thereacross passing through the first electronics rack as well as air passing thereacross passing through the second electronics rack; and providing an airflow director associated with the second electronics rack to turn at least a portion of air passing through the second electronics rack to also pass across the air-to-liquid heat exchanger aligned over the air inlet side or the air outlet side of the first electronics rack.