A Hot Aisle Containment system encloses the hot exhaust side of the server racks, creating a contained hot aisle. This design features a ceiling-mounted hot air extraction system that pulls the hot air directly from the hot aisle, preventing it from mixing with the. The hot aisle /cold aisle data center layout was originated by IBM in 1992 and it is one of the oldest ways to save energy in the data center. 1 Hot aisle/cold aisle layout involves lining up server racks in alternating rows with cold air intakes – the fronts of servers – facing each other (the. Aisle containment ceilings, walls and end of row doors are designed to help maintain optimal operating temperature in server rooms and data centers in order to lower data center energy demands and save on energy costs.