Airflow management system for thermal control of data centers

A data center system, comprising:

• an information technology (IT) room containing a plurality of electronic racks, each electronic rack of the plurality of electronic racks having a plurality of heat-generating IT components in a stack, wherein the plurality of electronic racks are arranged in a first row of electronic racks having a front end that receives cold air from a cold aisle of the IT room and a back end that exhausts hot air into a hot aisle in the IT room, the first row of electronic racks being otherwise enclosed, and the hot aisle is enclosed by a containment structure that prevents the hot air from spilling into the cold aisle of the IT room, wherein the first row of electronic racks is positioned between the cold aisle and the hot aisle to allow an airflow flowing from the cold aisle to the hot aisle through an airspace of the plurality of electronic racks to exchange heat generated from the heat-generating IT components;
• a cold air room disposed adjacent to a first side of the IT room, wherein the cold air room is to receive cold air from a cold air source and to distribute the cold air to the cold aisle;
• and
• a hot air room disposed adjacent to a second side of the IT room that is opposite to the first side, wherein the hot air room to receives the hot air from the hot aisles and returns the hot air to the cold air source for heat exchange, wherein the containment structure of the hot aisle is coupled to the hot air room such that the hot air in the hot air aisle is prevented from spilling into the cold aisle of the IT room, and the hot includes one or more openings that a person to fully walk into the hot aisle from the hot air room and enable the person to access the back end of the first row of electronic racks from the hot aisle.