Half Rack vs Full Rack vs Private Cage: Choosing the Right Toronto Colocation Setup
05.14.2026
Choosing the wrong colocation configuration is one of the most avoidable mistakes Toronto enterprises make. Undersize and you're cramped within six months. Oversize and you're paying for empty rack units. This guide walks you through the three main configurations — half rack, full rack, and private cage; so you can make the right call before signing anything.
What's covered in this guide
- What each configuration actually means in practice
- Power and U-space planning for each option
- Security and compliance differences
- Toronto colocation pricing factors — broken down by line item
- A four-question decision framework to find the right fit
- Side-by-side comparison table
The three configurations at a glance
A 20–24U portion of a standard 42U cabinet. Your space is separately locked within a shared enclosure. Lowest entry cost, but the highest cost per rack unit.
Best for: Organisations with fewer than 10 servers, first-time colo deployments, disaster recovery environments, and businesses that need a low-cost starting point with room to grow.
Watch out for: Power limits. Half rack allocations typically cap at 1–4kW. If you're running power-dense hardware, you may hit the power ceiling before you run out of U space.
A dedicated 42U cabinet assigned entirely to your organisation. No shared enclosure; your cabinet, your lock, your access only.
Best for: Mid-market enterprises with 10–40 servers, organisations migrating from on-premises infrastructure, regulated businesses (finance, healthcare, legal) that need dedicated space, and teams that want room to grow without jumping to cage-scale.
Watch out for: Power density. Standard full rack allocations support 4–10kW. High-density compute environments (AI, virtualisation, storage-heavy) should confirm the power ceiling per cabinet before signing.
A dedicated, floor-to-ceiling enclosed area on the data centre floor, housing multiple racks behind locked mesh walls with access restricted entirely to your team.
Best for: Large enterprises with 5+ full racks, regulated industries where physical segregation is a compliance requirement (OSFI, PHIPA), organisations with strict security frameworks, and businesses planning significant infrastructure growth.
Watch out for: Overkill for smaller footprints. Private cages are priced on square footage and power draw — the economics only work in your favour at scale.
Side-by-side comparison
The four questions that point to the right configuration
How much equipment do you have today — and in 18 months?
Count Unit space, add 20–30% for growth. Over 30U today? Start at a full rack.
What is your power draw?
Add up rated power consumption for all equipment. Power often runs out before rack space does.
Do you have compliance requirements around physical access?
OSFI, PHIPA, and government contractors frequently require demonstrable physical segregation — that means a cage.
What does your growth trajectory look like?
If you're growing, build in headroom. Expanding mid-contract is possible but more disruptive than starting right.
Get the complete guide
The full guide goes deeper on every section, including a power planning worksheet, a line-by-line breakdown of what to look for in a Toronto colocation pricing proposal, and the compliance considerations for regulated industries.
Download: The Complete Toronto Colocation Sizing Guide.
Ready to size your deployment?
Hut 8 Canada's GTA facility offers half racks, full cabinets, and private cages — all in a Tier III-grade, Canadian-owned facility in Mississauga. Every proposal is fully itemised with no hidden fees, and our team responds within one business day.
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Free. Instant download. Includes specs, power planning worksheet, pricing factors, and a decision framework.