DATA CENTRE FUNDAMENTALS

Vincent Byrne• 26/06/2013

DATA CENTRE DESIGN
1. GENERAL DESIGN
THE FUNDAMENTALS
2. ELECTRICAL BASICS
3. ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS
4. COOLING
5. SAFETY SERVICES
6. IT NETWORKS
7. ENERGY EFFICIENCY
8. MAINTENANCE
9. PROJECT MANAGEMENT
 Section 1 – Introduction 5
Introduction 6
What is a Data Center? 7
What defines a modern Data Center? 8
Why are Data Centers important to any business? 9

Section 2 - Types of Data Centre 10

Types of Data Centre 11
Data Centers Types 12
Hyperscape 13

TABLE OF CONTENT
Section 2.1 - Types of Data Centers 14
Colocation 15
Wholesale Colocation 16
Enterprise 17
Telecoms 18

Section 1.2- Tier I – IV 19

Where do the Tiers come from? 20
Where do the Tiers come from? 21
What’s the difference between UPTIME and TIA 22
What’s the difference between their certificates? 23
Data Center Tiers 24
Tier I – Capacity 25
Tier II – Redundant Components 26
Tier III – Concurrently Maintainable – Industry Norm 27
Tier III – Concurrently Maintainable – What is acceptable to UTI 28
Tier IV – Fault Tolerant 29
Tier IV – Fault Tolerant 30
 Section 3 – Core Concepts 31
Telecoms 32
Hazards within a Data Center 33
Data Center Layout 34
Data Center Layout 35
Zoning of your Data Centre 36
Incoming Services 37

TABLE OF CONTENT External Services 38

Other Plant Equipment 39
Data Room Layout 40
Know your rack details 41
Equipment Air Flow 42
Aisle Pitch Allocation 43
Aisle Pitch Allocation 44
Weight Bearing Ability 45

Section 4 – Electrical Systems 46

SECTION 1
Introduction
Section 1 – Introduction

Types of Data Centers

• Data Center Tiers
• Tiers 1 - 4
 At its simplest, a data center is a physical facility that organiza-
tions use to house their critical applications and data. A data cen-
ter’s design is based on a network of computing and storage re-
sources that enable the delivery of shared applications and data”
Cisco

What is a Data Center?

 Data Centers and the IT operations they house are crucial
for business continuity.

Typical features are

What defines a modern High redundancy

• Backup Power
Data Center? • Resilient network infrastructure
• High speed data communications
• Complex environmental controls
• Fire prevention and suppression systems
• Multiple layered security systems
 In the world of enterprise IT, data centers are designed to
support business applications and activities that include:

Why are Data Centers • Email and file sharing

• Productivity applications
important to any business? • Customer relationship management (CRM) and enterprise re-
source planning (ERP)
• Big data, artificial intelligence, and machine learning
• Communications and collaboration service
 SECTION 2
Types of Data Centre
Section 2 – Types of Data Centre

Hyperscale
BANK
colo

CLOUD
Government

Telecoms
Enterprise
Data Centers Types
DC Class Features Size Racks Examples
Hyperscale Robust, Scalable 5,000sqm+ 500+ MAGA
Internet facing
Colocation Sells space, power and 1000sqm+ Sells to clients on a rack Equinix, Interxion
cooling to 3rd party. Also basis. Can house 1000’s of
SAAS and PAAS racks
Wholesale Sells space, power and 1000sqm+ Sells large space to smaller Digital Realty
colocation cooling to 3rd party number of customers such
as hyperscalers

Enterprise Facility owned and 100sqm Anywhere from 10 racks Enterprise,

operated by user. upwards Government,
Outsources much of its Banking, Pharma
operation
Telecom Facility owned and 1000sqm+ 100+ Verizon, BT,Colt
operated by Telecoms
provider.
 1. Owner occupier
2. Very large facilities, greater than 5,000 per facility
3. Client has Strong Engineering background
Hyperscape 4. Large number of similar servers
5. Open Compute Suitable
6. Servers are doing the same thing
1. Microsoft 7. Replicated elsewhere in country or in world
2. Google 8. Failure of one server does effect overall performance
3. Amazon
9. Tier 3 level of reliability
4. Facebook
10. High power density throughout
11. High server utilisation throughout
12. Inlet operating temperatures are high (25degC+)
13. Highly efficient cooling systems using Direct or Indirect
cooling
 SECTION 2.1
Types of Data Centers
 1. Medium/Large Data Centers in dedicated building
2. Outsourced facilities management
3. May offer Cloud services such as SAAS and PAAS
Colocation 4. May offer Disaster Recovery to customer
5. Failure of any service hits SLA
6. Tier 3 level of reliability
1. Interxion 7. Same reliability across all elements
2. Global Switch 8. Generally Low/medium density across the board
3. Telecity 9. May offer small areas of high density
10. Adhere to ASHRAE TC9.9 recommendations for
temperature
 1. Medium/Large Data Centers in dedicated building
2. Orent on a space/power basis to large customers
Wholesale Colocation 3. Outsourced facilities management
4. Do not own any servers or offer Cloud services
5. May offer Disaster Recovery to customer
6. Failure of any service hits SLA
1. Digital Realty 7. Tier 3 level of reliability
2. China Telecom
8. Low/medium density offered to tenant
3. Cyrus One
9. Fitout of facility is by customer
10. Environmental control defined by customer
 1. Large owner occupier Data Centers
2. Client has large IT Team in-house
Enterprise 3. Generally outsources facilities management
4. Wide range of servers accommodated
5. Servers are running different processes
6. Provide Disaster Recovery offsite
1. Banking 7. Generally reaching Tier 3
2. Pharma
8. High and low power density
3. Tech
9. Adhere to ASHRAE TC9.9 recommendations for
temperature
 1. Dedicated dark sites and Switch sites
2. Medium/High level Engineering background
Telecoms 3. Wide range of equipment
4. Disaster Recovery offered
5. Tier 2/3 redundancy level
6. Equipment which require different level so reliability
1. Telefonica 7. Lots of old equipment does not like temp change
2. Vodafone
8. Generally low density
3. BT
9. High level of connectivity offered
10. Now offering colocation space on site
SECTION 1.2
Tier I - IV
 Has been adopted by the TIA and included in TIA 942
Telecommunications Industry Association
Where do the Tiers Accredited by the American National Standards Institute
(ANSI) to develop voluntary, consensus-based industry
standards for a wide variety of ICT products, and current-
ly represents nearly 400 companies
• Originally developed by the
Uptime Institute
• Private company based in the Originally licensed by the Uptime Institute to TIA but that
US now owned by 451 Group agreement is no longer in place. TIA now use a difference
nomenclature to define the Tiers levels
UPTIME TIA
Tier I Tier 1
Tier II Tier 2
Tier III Tier 3
Tier IV Tier 4
Where do the Tiers come from?
• Originally developed by the Uptime Institute
• Private company based in the US now owned by Tier-
1Research

Has been adopted by the TIA and included in TIA 942.

Telecommunications Industry Association
Accredited by the American National Standards Insti-
tute (ANSI) to develop voluntary, consensus-based in-
dustry standards for a wide variety of ICT products, and
currently represents nearly 400 companies
What’s the difference TIA 942 concerns it-
self with
between UPTIME and Uptime Institute concerns
itself with
• Layout • Earthing

TIA • Power Systems

• Structure
• Location
• Ancillary services
• Monitoring
• Electrical
• Mechanical
• Cooling systems • Offices
• Break rooms
• Security
• Connectivity
• Fuel
• Guards
What’s the difference TIA 942 concerns it-
self with
between their • Uptime Institute Tier is
not a standard
• Layout • Earthing

certificates? • Certification can only be

issued by the UI
• Structure
• Location
• Ancillary services
• Monitoring
• Electrical
• Mechanical
• Offices
• Break rooms
• Security
• Connectivity
• Fuel
• Guards