Liquid-cooled
electronics racks and methods of fabrication are provided wherein a liquid-based cooling apparatus facilitates cooling of electronic subsystems when docked within the
electronics rack. The cooling apparatus includes a liquid-cooled cooling structure mounted to a front of the rack, and a plurality of
heat transfer elements. The cooling structure is a thermally conductive material which has a
coolant-carrying channel for facilitating
coolant flow through the structure. Each
heat transfer element couples to one or more heat-generating components of a respective electronic subsystem, physically contacts the cooling structure when that electronic subsystem is docked within the rack, and provides a
thermal transport path from the heat-generating components of the electronic subsystem to the liquid-cooled cooling structure. Advantageously, electronic subsystems may be docked within or undocked from the
electronics rack without affecting flow of
coolant through the liquid-cooled cooling structure.