Evaluation Data Center

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A Proposed Framework for Evaluating Performance of Data Center
Article in International Journal of Computer Science and Information Security, · November 2018
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(IJCSIS) International Journal of Computer Science and Information Security,
Vol. 16, No. 11, November 2018
A Proposed Framework for Evaluating

Performance of Data Center
Manal A.Abdel-Fattah Yehia Helmy Alaa Mohamed El-Sayed
Information Systems Department Management Information System Business Information System
Faculty of Computers and Information Department Department
Helwan University Faculty of Commerce and Business Faculty of Commerce and Business
Cairo,Egypt Administration Administration
Manal_8@hotmail.com Helwan University Helwan University
Cairo,Egypt Cairo,Egypt
ymhelmy@yahoo.com alaa_gabr_20@live.com
Abstract—Data center is a repository that houses computing facilities like servers, routers, switches and firewalls, as
well as supporting components like backup equipment, fire suppression facilities and air conditioning. As data
center is a key parameter for business value. So data centers are needed for any financial organization and
educational institutions for its effective and efficient business processes. Therefore data center requires
proper and easy maintenance, cooling systems, electrical system, security systems and proper placement of
equipment. This paper represents the way for how to evaluate the performance of data centers using some
related international standards for evaluating performance of data center and also a proposed framework is
provided that will help in evaluating performance of the data center.
Keywords-Data center; cooling and electrical requirements; Security; Tiers levels; server
I. INTRODUCTION:
Data centers are amongst the most complex and energy demanding building indoor environments that aimed to host
the computational equipment, data storage and telecommunication equipment, as a result of high internal loads, low
indoor temperature and humidity settings, and continuous (uninterrupted) operation. The facilities are characterized
by very high concentration of information technology (IT) equipment, peripherals (e.g. servers, computers, data
storage media, network devices,..) and facility equipment, for example, power distribution equipment, generators,
uninterruptible power supplies (UPS), cooling systems (chillers, fans, pumps etc.), computer room air conditioner
(CRAC) units ,air-handling units, and security systems.[1][2]
In this chapter we are going to introduce a proposed framework for evaluation of the Performance of data centers.
As Performance Evaluation are a problem-defining method that results in an accurate identification of the actual and
desired organizational, process, and individual performance levels (Swanson 1994). The performance evaluation
process will help in framing the situation to determine the causes of perceived performance problems. [3]
II. PROBLEM STATEMENT:
As After data has been collected and analyzed through an interview evaluation model done with IT staff of the
data center .There is many issues that has found in the Helwan University data center that face in power, cooling,
security, servers.
III. METHODOLOGY:
This study was based on a multiple case study that is used for evaluation of the performance of the data center.
A sample of three (3) universities in Egypt was taken. The Egyptian universities data centers that is investigated
are Supreme council of universities, Ain shams University and Helwan university. The data was obtained
through an interview model .After that data was analyzed in order to prioritize issue .Then a user interface was
developed that helped in improving efficiency of the data centers.
IV. A Proposed Framework for Evaluating Performance of Data Center:

This framework is built by considering compatibility with existing facility standards such as Uptime Institute and
TIA- 942 Standards and provisions in ASHRAE or IEEE as guidelines. Also FISC standard for security measures.
 Uptime Institute: Tier Classifications Define Site Infrastructure Performance.
 TIA-942Telecommunications Infrastructure Standard for Data Centers.（TIA-942-2005)
 ASHRAE: The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers
 IEEE: Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers.
 FISC STD: Security measure standards for computer systems of financial institutions.
The framework is comprised of six phases or levels:

 Phase 1:Building Requirements
 Phase 2: Electrical Requirements
 Phase 3: Cooling Requirements
 Phase 4: Server Performance Requirements
 Phase 5: Security Requirements
 Phase 6: Tier Classification
Phase 1: Building Requirements
Phase 2: Electrical Requirements
Phase 3: Cooling Requirements
Phase 4: Server Performance Requirements
Disk Usage CPU utilization
Memory Utilization
Figure 1. A Proposed framework for Evaluating Performance of Data Center
(Synthesized by the authors)
A. Phase 1: Building Requirements:
To evaluate building requirements of the data center, there should present the following key parameters
that we should follow according to TIA 942 standards:
1) Location:
 We should avoid location that restrict expansion as the data center should be designed with plenty of white
space or empty space that can accommodate future racks or cabinets.[9]
 Avoid setting up computer center in a place subject to disasters or failures.
 It is recommended to allocate the Entrance room outside of computer room for better security.[9]
2) Size(no magic formula):
The data center room should be sized to meet the known requirement of specific equipment.
3) Raised floor:
It is preferred that data center should be designed on a raised floor as :
 It improves operational efficiency and allows greater flexibility in the arrangement of equipment .[11]
 It permits the space between the two floors to be used to supply cooling air to the equipment or
area.[11]
 It allows future layout change with minimum reconstruction cost.[11]
 It protects the interconnecting cables and power receptacles.[11]
 It is better to align racks and cabinets on a raised floor to enable easy lifting of tiles.[4][9]
4) Ceiling Height:
 Minimum ceiling height is 2.6 m (8.5 ft) from finished floor to any obstruction (sprinklers, lighting
fixtures or cameras).[10]
 Cooling architecture may require higher ceiling.
5) Labeling:
TIA-942 standards also extends to TIA 606 A administration Standards to data centers, which specifies
that there should be a labelling schema for racks,cabinets,patch panels,patch cords and cables. [4][9]
6) Doors:
 Redundant access to facility.
 Doors should be fireproof.
 There should only be two doors in each computer room.
 It is not preferred to have windows in the doors for security risk.[10]
7) Windows:
 The Computer room should not have any exterior windows for security risk. Such windows could
provide access to confidential information via Van Eck Radiation and also windows can increase
heat to a computer room which unnecessarily affects servers [10]
 If there are windows in a proposed computer room space, they should be covered for security
reasons and to minimize any solar heat gain.[10]
8) Equipment Arrangement:
 TIA Standard recommends specific functional areas which will help in the placement of equipment
based on the standard hierarchical star topology design for regular commercial spaces as this will help
in creating an environment where servers and applications can be added and upgraded with minimal
downtime and disruption. [9]
 Adequate space must be provided within and between racks where the standard requires 3 feet in rows(4
feet reccommended and also adequate space must be provided between cabinets, in pathways for better
cable management and access.[9]
9) Monitoring:
There should be a communication system:
Communications system (bus) allows the system to connect to external devices such as a PC or
alarm/monitoring system.
The communications bus can allow the control system to be used for data acquisition and for
creating a graphical user interface for monitoring system status, trending, alarms, and operator
adjustments.[5]
There should be a data center environmental control in data center for maintaining temperature, humidity,
and other physical qualities of air within a specific range in order to allow the equipment housed in a data
center to perform optimally throughout its lifespan as there are types of controls illustrated below:
 Stand alone electromechanical environmental controls:
such as thermostats, humidistat, relays, timers, and switches (no digital communications are
available with this type of control).[5]
 electronic set point controllers:
It combines a sensor or other device with an electronic device that reads the sensor input and
electronically performs a control action (some models offer basic digital communications in addition
to their control functions).[5]
 Direct Digital Controllers(DDC):
DDC combine a series of input and output signals with a microprocessor and memory to run a user-
programmable control strategy. [5]
TABLE I Represent the building requirements for the data center according to TIA 942 standard:
Building Requirements Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Level 4
Raised Floor 12 to 18 inch raised floor 13 to 18 inch raised floor 24 to 36 inch raised floor 25 to 36 inch raised floor
Text only alarm and event Text only alarm and event Graphic alarm and event Graphic alarm and event
Monitoring - Not App. logging and system logging and system logging and system logging and system
monitoring monitoring monitoring monitoring
Stand alone Stand alone
Stand alone electromechanical electromechanical
DDC environmental
Monitoring electromechanical environmental controls or environmental controls or
controls and trend logging
environmental controls DDC environmental DDC environmental
controls controls
14 ft. ceiling or higher/
Ceiling Ceiling 8 to 10 ft. ceiling 10 ft. ceiling 12 ft. ceiling or higher
Vented Grills
TABLE II summarizes phase 1
TABLE II phase 1(Buliding Requirements)
Phase 1: Building Requirements:
1)Location:
Is the data center located in a place that cannot restrict expansion in the future? Yes No
2) Size:
Do you have extra equipment in Computer room/data center? Yes No
3)Raised floor:
Is the data center built on a raised floor? Yes No
In which level is height of the raised floor of data center? Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Level 4
4)Ceiling Height:
In which level is the height of the ceiling of data center? Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Level 4
5) Labeling:
Are all the racks, patch panels, patch cords, cabinets, cables labeled according to a
Yes No
labeling schema?
6) Doors:
Does the data center have another door for access in case of any emergency? Yes No
7)Windows:
Does data center have windows in any of the doors? Yes No
Is Computer room/data center Enclosed (no visibility from outside) Yes No
8)Equipment Arrangement:
Is there is an adequate space left between racks (3or 4 feet in row)? Yes No
9)Monitoring:
In which level is data center monitored-not application? Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Level 4
In which level is data center monitored? Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Level 4
B. Phase 2: Electrical Requirements:
Power installation process start with the electrical equipment (or standby generator) that is fed to UPS
systems which provide power conditioning which is typically supplied via a distribution transformer,
switchgear, suitable bus bar and cabling systems which after that are handled by power distribution units which
after that supply the rack distribution units and finally the IT equipments s as shown in “Fig. 2”. [1]
Figure2.Data center backup power
1) Uninterruptable power supplies (UPS):

 Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) units provide back-up power in the event of an electrical failure
for critical and essential loads in the facility. [13]
 UPS in the recent years are playing significant role in achieving protection against power interruptions
and in improving efficiency and cost effectiveness and providing high secured data. [12]
 As racks and cooling infrastructure typically represents the largest loads on power delivery system so
redundant UPS systems is needed in order to provide conditioned electrical power to this equipment .
[14]
 The UPS should be sized to energize all computer equipment, HVAC systems and other electrical
devices (such as emergency lighting and security devices) for 100 percent of the power demand
for no less than 15 to 20 minutes after a power interruption.[32]
 The UPS should be sized for "peak" load or fault overload conditions.[32]
 Also UPS’s provide both active power conditioning to control voltage sags and spikes, and emergency
power in the event of a loss of utility power. [14]
 The UPS should be continuously operational to filter and condition the power.[32]
2) Backup Generator:
 Data center should be Provided with generator as generator provide power to the Data Center in the
event of power failure.[15]
 To ensure that the generator is always ready for immediate service, a preset test-firing sequence should
be executed once each calendar month.[16][32]
 The generator should be checked on a regular basis to make sure that fuel is at an acceptable level for
extended run time if needed.[16]
 The data center should be provided with a diesel supply to re-fuel the generator[15]
3) Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE):
Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) is the recommended metric for characterizing and reporting overall data
center infrastructure efficiency.
This metrics is represented by Organizations including the 7x24 Exchange, ASHRAE, The Green Grid, Silicon
Valley Leadership Group, U.S. Department of Energy Save Energy Now and Federal Energy Management
Programs, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s ENERGY STAR Program, U.S. Green Building Council, and
Uptime Institute represented metrics that will help in improving data center efficiencies and reducing energy
consumption using certain guiding principles which are:
 Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) which is a measurement of the total energy of the data center divided
by the IT energy consumption.
 When calculating PUE, IT energy consumption should be at a minimum, where the output of the
uninterruptible power supply (UPS) will be measured. However, the industry should progressively
improve measurement capabilities over time so that measurement of IT energy consumption
directly at the IT load (i.e. servers) becomes the common practice.
For a dedicated data center, the total energy in the PUE equation will include all energy sources at the point
of utility handoff to the data center owner or operator. For a data center in a mixed-use building, the total
energy will be all energy required to operate the data center, similar to a dedicated data center, and should
include cooling, lighting, and support infrastructure for the data center operations.
PUE is defined by the following formula in “Fig. 3” below:
PUE= Total facility power/ IT equipment power [2]
Figure3.Power Usage Effectiveness 1
The Green Grid site presented Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) and its reciprocal Data Center infrastructure
Efficiency (DCIE) which is widely accepted benchmarking standards that can help IT Professionals to determine
how energy efficient data centers are.[33]
TABLE III below will be a guide in knowing the level of efficiency based on PUE and DCIE calculated: [33]
PUE DCIE Level of Efficiency
3.0 33% Very Inefficient

2.5 40% Inefficient
2.0 50% Average
1.5 67% Efficient
1.2 83% Very Efficient
TABLEIV Represent the electrical requirements for the data center according to TIA 942 standard:
Electrical Requirements Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Level 4

Service Single electrical service Single electrical service Dual electrical service Dual electrical service
Generator backup for critical
Generator backup for Generator backup for all
Generator backup No generator backup equipment loads and cooling
critical loads building loads
system.
UPS UPS for critical loads Dual UPS systems Dual UPS systems Dual UPS systems
Single electrical Single electrical
Distribution Dual electrical distribution Dual electrical distribution
distribution distribution
TABLEV summarizes phase 2

TABLEV Phase 2(Electrical Requirements):
Phase 2: Electrical Requirements:
Is the power regular, without spikes or Surges? Yes No
How many UPS do you have in your data center? 1UPS More than 1 UPS
Are redundancies built into the facility's electrical switches that power the floor? Yes No
Do you have dual UPS units for all network equipment that has dual power supplies? Yes No
Is UPS monitoring application set to notify you when the load has exceeded 80% of
Yes No
the UPS system's maximum capacity?
In which level UPS of data center is in? Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Level 4
2) Generator:
Is the data center provided with generators? Yes No

More than 1
How many generators do you have in data center? 1 Generator
Generator
Has the generator has been sized with future growth in mind and easily provides
Yes No
ongoing emergency power?
Is the data center provided with a diesel supply to refuel the generator? Yes No
To ensure that the generator is always ready for immediate service, Is your generator
Yes No
tested on a regular basis?
To ensure that the generator is always ready for immediate service, is a preset test-
Yes No
firing sequence executed once each calendar month?
In which level do you think your generator is in? Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Level 4
3)Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE):
Determine the level of efficiency of data center after calculating PUE? Very Inefficient Average Efficient Very
Inefficient Inefficient
C. Phase 3: Cooling Requirements:
The cooling is one of the three main infrastructures of a data center as it maintains IT equipment working in a
safe and reliable manner and it can account for up to 40% of the total energy consumption in a data center. The
complicated connection of chillers, compressors and air handlers create the best possible computing
environment which ensures the long life of the servers and the strength of the organization they support.[17][18]
Cooling system has to be able to achieve a full environmental control, including air temperature, humidity and
pollution concentration. Hence Air-cooled systems represent the backbone of data center cooling systems so
cooling systems should be designed to cover the worst case scenario although most servers generally work at
much lower capacity than 100%, and also can cope with the advance in IT equipment. The control and
prediction of temperature rising during a utility power outage is an important aspect for cooling system design.
[18]
1) Room based Cooling:
a) Computer Room Air Conditioning units (CRACs):
 CRAC devices should work full time all over the year by operation of different devices to remove the
heat added to the system.[19]
 To overcome heating problem it is better to add more cooling equipment instead of improving cooling
operation.[19]
 There should be air management of the server room to make sure that the cool air that is provided by
the CRAC is transferred to IT servers and the hot air returned to the CRAC after neutralizing the heat
production.[19]
 Take precautions for preventing leakage from air conditioning facilities.[13]
 Regular maintenance of the cooling equipment is very essential in the data center and there should be a
report monthly about the condition of the cooling equipment.
 Server rooms should have individual air conditioning units
b) Hot-Aisle and Cold-Aisle:
 The racks should be arranged into rows of hot and cold aisles in order to minimize the mixing of air in
the data center. If warm air is allowed to mix with the server inlet air, the air supplied by the air
conditioning system must be at an even colder temperature to compensate as shown in” Fig. 4” .[19]
 The use of hot and cold aisles Configurations can help in doubling the computer server capacity of the
data center and help in air management.[20]
Figure4. Air re-circulation and by-pass in data center racks[18]
c) Computer Room Air Handler (CRAH):

A Computer Room Air Handler is needed especially when outside temperature is not
appropriate for cooling. As an air-side economizer does not include humidity control, a dedicated
humidification system is needed to stabilize the fluctuation of relative humidity (RH). The Air-side
economizer can offer more hours of economization which is more energy efficient and it reduces the cooling
load and cooling costs for data centers.[21]
d) Recommended temperature and humidity:
 The recommended operating temperature range for IT equipment, according to the American Society of
Heating, Refrigeration, and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE), is 64.4- 80.6°F (18-27°C) and also
the recommended humidity range for IT equipment according to the American Society of Heating,
Refrigeration, and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE), is41.9-50°F (5.5-15°C) which is provided in
TABLE VI .
 To be able to maintain safe temperature there should be a regular maintenance for the mechanical
systems as it requires regular inspection of normal and abnormal bearing wear and the periodic
replacement of oils and lubricants.[22]
TABLE VI ASHRAE - Recommended Temperature and Relative Humidity Range:[21]
Property Recommended Value

Lower limit temperature 64.4°F [18°C]
Upper limit temperature 80.6°F [27°C]
Lower limit humidity 40% relative humidity and 41.9°F (5.5°C) dew point
Upper limit humidity 60% relative humidity and 50°F (15°C) dew point
2) Rack based Cooling:

a) Air filtration system:
Racks must have air filtration system for the balance of the data center space.[23]
b) Rack Coolers:
In order to increase air flow for racks it is better to use Rack coolers which is the best if designed for
sensible cooling only as it increase fan speed and lower supply air temperature. [23][4]
c) Electronically Commutated(EC) fans:
 It is preferred that racks have EC fans as it helps in increasing air flow.[24]
 EC fans are more efficient for reducing operating costs as less power is needed.[24]
 EC fans save energy even when the thermal unit is running at full load.[24]
 EC fans distribute air more evenly under the floor resulting in more balanced cooling.[24]
 EC fans have no fan belts that wear and have integrated motors that virtually eliminate fan dust
thus requiring less maintenance. [24]
d) Humidity Control System:
Racks must have a separate humidity control system if rack cooler can’t handle condensate (and cooling
flow temperature must remain at the dew point). [23]
TABLE VII Represent the electrical requirements for the data center according to TIA 942 standard:
Cooling Requirements Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Level 4

Dual water source to Dual water source to

Single water
Water Source No consideration maintain critical load maintain full cooling
source
cooling requirements capacity
Redundant down
Front or top Redundant down flow
flow cooling for Redundant down flow
Cooling Redundancy discharge cooling cooling for all equipment
critical equipment cooling for all spaces
units loads
loads
Single cooling Dual cooling
Dual cooling medium, Dual cooling medium,
Cooling Transfer medium and heat medium and heat
transfer and distribution transfer and distribution
transfer transfer
TABLE VIII Summarizes phase 3

TABLE VIII Phase 3(Cooling Requirements):
Phase 3: Cooling Requirements:
a)Computer Room Air Conditioning units (CRACs):
Is there a regular maintenance for the air conditioning? Yes No
Do you have Fans to Put in Computer room in case of Air conditioning fails? Yes No
Do you have an Individual Air conditioning Unit for server room? Yes No
Is the room provided with hot-aisle and cold aisle? Yes No

Any redundant Air Handling units that control temperature and humidity? Yes No
The climate within a storage vault should be maintained between 60 and 70 degrees to
prevent tape damage, Did you find it within these degrees? Yes No
Humidity must be regulated with levels varying between 40% and 50% to prevent harmful
condensation; Did you find it within these levels? Yes No
Is the racks provided with air filtration system? Yes No

b) Rack Coolers:
Is the racks provided with the rack coolers? Yes No

Is the racks provided with EC fans? Yes No

Is the racks provided with a separate humidity control system? Yes No
D. Phase 4:Server Performance Requirements:

In order to evaluate Performance of server systems we need to take into account the interaction of the various
processes involved in processing a request, for software processes and data structures, as well as contention for
hardware components (e.g., processors, disks, and networks) .
We have to evaluate various hardware resources (e.g., processors, disks, local area net-works, and wide area
networks) that is used to support a C/S system. [25]
Centralized tool such as BMC TrueSight program will help us in evaluating server performance as it will provide
dashboards for the health of the server and memory usage and if the CPU usage is high it will send alarms to the IT
staff.
The server performance is being evaluated according to:
1) CPU utilization:
As response times grow exponentially for high CPU usage, CPU utilization must not be exceeded than 65% as
an average.
1) Memory usage:
When the computer is idle, it would use the amount of RAM required by system processes. So that depends on your
operating system. For example it should be around 15-20% of your total memory for windows 10. Most Linux
distributions use less than what windows would use, so that would be around 10% of your total memory.
2) Disk usage:
The most important thing that slows down system is the hard disk usage, if the hard disk usage is 90%, the
system will slow down. Larger size hard disks have thousands of files which should be properly indexed .
TABLEIX summarizes phase 4
TABLE IX Phase 4 (Server Performance Requirements):
Phase 4: Server Performance Requirements:
1) CPU Utilization:
Does the CPU utilization exceeding than 75%? Yes No

2) Memory Usage:
Is your memory usage between 15-20% if you are using windows or less than 10% if you
are using Linux? Yes No
3) Disk Usage:
Does the Disk Usage exceeding than 90%? Yes No
E. Phase 5: Security Requirements:

1) Network Security:
Every day, we use a wide variety of network services and applications, which produces a huge amount of network
data.
So in order to be able to evaluate network security we have to collect data about network which will help in
detecting network attacks and assist network administration. Through real-time monitoring, testing, configuring,
controlling and evaluating based on network data, network administrators are able to obtain network system
performance, evaluate Quality of Service (QoS) and find out network fault points. [26]
There are certain network security guards that we should have in order to protect network security of data
centers which are:
a) Access control:
Not every user should have access to your network. To keep out potential attackers, you need to
recognize each user and each device. Then you can enforce your security policies. You can block
noncompliant endpoint devices or give them
only limited access. This process is network access control.[27]
b) Antivirus and antimalware software:
"Malware," short for "malicious software," includes viruses, worms, Trojans, ransom ware, and spyware.
Best antimalware programs should be installed in order to scan for malware upon entry and also to track
files continuously afterward to find anomalies, remove malware, and fix damage.[27]
c) Application security:
Software usually needs protection, whether it is internally built or purchased. Unfortunately, any
application may contain imperfections, or vulnerabilities that attackers can use to penetrate the network.
Application security includes the hardware, software, and processes that is used to eliminate those
imperfections.[27]
d) Data loss prevention:
Organizations must make sure that their staff does not send sensitive information outside the network.
Data loss prevention (DLP) technologies can stop people from uploading, forwarding, or even printing
critical information in an unsafe manner.[27]
e) Email security:
There should be an email security application which will help in preventing incoming attacks and
controls outbound messages.
And also an email security application will help in preventing the loss of sensitive data especially from
attackers who use personal information and social engineering tactics to build sophisticated phishing
campaigns to deceive recipients and send them to sites serving up malware. [27]
f) Firewalls:
Firewalls will help in putting up a barrier between trusted internal network and un-trusted outside
networks, such as the Internet. They use a set of defined rules to allow or block traffic. A firewall can be
hardware, software, or both. [27]
g) Intrusion prevention systems:
There should be an intrusion prevention system (IPS) which scans network traffic to actively block attacks.
[27]
2) Data Security:
Data to be more secure it should start with a secure and reliable storage mechanism:
-The system should ensure there are at least two copies of any data on the system in order to reduce the risk of
data loss. One of the two copies should reside in a backup data center
at a separate location in case a disaster impacts the main data center. The system should ensure that the two
copies are permanently synchronized.[29]
-Database is stored on RAID-10(Redundant Array of Independent Disks, originally Redundant Array of
Inexpensive Disks) (1+0) disk system. RAID-10 provides high availability and performance when there is a
need to reconstruct data in the case of disk failure.[29]
-Data is stored on RAID-6. While this type of RAID is slower to reconstruct in case of disk failure, it offers
excellent reliability with a higher ratio of usable storage to physical storage.[29]
It is not enough to maintain two copies of data, we must also ensure that each copy of the data
maintains its integrity and that any damaged files can be quickly detected and reconstructed from a RAID copy
and this is done through a validation process.[29]
3) Physical Security:
a) Alarms:
 Temperature and Humidity Alarm: There should be an alarm system for high temperature and high
humidity with automatic telephone dial-up or SMS text warnings to key personnel.[28]
 Water Detection Alarm:

There should be an alarm alert to sense the presence of water and alert a central monitoring system. An alarm
alert for water detection can be throughout the raised floor area or around possible sources.
b) Fire protection:
 Very Early Smoke Detection Avoidance (VESDA) system:
The room should have a smoke detection system to protect equipment from external heavy pollution
such as fire.[29]
 Gaseous Fire Suppression System:
The data center should have a fire suppression system especially for the server rooms itself. As a fire
suppression system will automatically extinguish a fire without the need of human intervention.
 Water fire suppression methods:
Wet pipe fire protection:
A wet pipe sprinkler system is the most basic sprinkler system option. This system, however, is always
water-filled and is therefore usually not a preferred approach in data centers. These pipes have the
potential for false discharge and water leaks or pipe failure, which could damage equipment and
disrupt service.
Single interlock pre-action fire protection:

Single interlock systems rely on a separate event such as a smoke detector to activate before water is
released into the system. In this case, if an individual sprinkler were to fail or break due to mechanical
damage without a detector in alarm, the system will not release water into the pipes. After water fills
the pipes, the system acts as a traditional wet pipe system and will not discharge water until
temperatures in the room are high enough to activate a sprinkler.
Dual interlock pre-action fire protection:
A dual-interlock pre-action system provides additional redundancy before water is released into pipes.
Both a detector actuation, typically a smoke detector, and a sprinkler actuation must occur
simultaneously before water will enter pipes.[30]
c) CCTV((closed circuit television camera):
All entrances and exits should have CCTV cameras (closed circuit television camera) to ensure each person
entering the facility is identified.
d) Security Card Access:
All doors on the outside of the building should have some automatic authentication method such as a card
access with monthly report.
TABLE X Represent the Security requirements for the data center :
Physical Security
Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Level 4
Requirements
Water detection
Water detection around
Alarm – Water No water detection No water detection throughout raised floor
possible sources
area
High temp. and humidity High temp. and humidity Full building monitoring
Alarm - High Temp High temp. alarm
alarm alarm of spaces
No Very Early Smoke Very Early Smoke Very Early Smoke Very Early Smoke
Fire Protection Detection Avoidance Detection Avoidance Detection Avoidance Detection Avoidance
(VESDA) system (VESDA) system (VESDA) system (VESDA) system
Gaseous fire suppression Gaseous fire suppression
No gaseous fire Gaseous fire suppression
Fire Protection system above and below system above and below
suppression system system below floor only
raised floor raised floor
Wet pipe fire Single interlock pre- Dual interlock pre-action Dual interlock pre-action
Fire Protection
protection action fire protection fire protection fire protection
Physical building
Complete secure
No physical building No physical building entrances and exits
Security Physical perimeter limited site
segregation segregation controlled by data center
access
space
Card access in only with Card access in/out with Card access in/out with
Security Card Access Card access
reporting monthly reporting monthly reporting monthly
Site, building, entrance
CCTV on entrances and CCTV on all entrances
Security CCTV No CCTV and data center space
exits to data center space and exists
CCTV
TABLEXI summarizes phase 5
TABLE XI Phase 5 (Security Requirements):
Phase 5: Security Requirements:
How many network disruptions have occurred in the past 5 years? Network disruptions
How long (were) the disruption(s)?
Access control
Antivirus and antimalware software
Application security
What are the current Safeguards to ensure continuous connectivity? Data loss prevention
Email security
Firewalls.
Intrusion prevention systems
a) Access control:
Is Network servers, which contain sensitive or critical applications, are protected from
unauthorized physical access? Yes No
Is access to the Internet from servers prohibited? Yes No

Is access to operating system and application software limited to authorized personnel? Yes No
Can IT staff access network equipment remotely? Yes No
Do all of the systems on the network have anti-virus software installed and configured to
detect and remove viruses? Yes No
c) Application security:
Do you have an application security that can prevent attackers from penetration of network
Yes No
server?
Does Network server security software prevent unauthorized personnel from uploading,
forwarding, or even printing critical information in an unsafe manner? Yes No
e) Email security:
Do you have an email security application? Yes No

f) Firewalls:
Are periodic test conducted for firewall technology to ensure compliance with security No
Yes
policies?
Does firewall technology have security logging turned on? Yes No
Do you utilize an Intrusion prevention System? Yes No

Does Network server security software prevent unauthorized personnel from deleting, Yes No
changing or adding Network server system software?
2) Data Security:
Hourly
How Frequently do you take backups of data? Nightly
Weekly
Are backups taken offsite? Yes No
Are Backup tapes Stored in Computer room? Yes No
And probably the worst cause of failure in a recovery: have the backup tapes been tested? Yes No
a)Alarms:
Is there is an alarm alert for high temperature? Yes No

Is there is an alarm alert for high Humidity? Yes No
Is there is an alarm alert for water leakage? Yes No
b) Fire protection:
Do you have a Very Early Smoke Detection system in the Data Center for early warnings
Yes No
of fire?
Do you have a Gaseous Fire Suppression system in the data center? Yes No
Wet pipe fire protection
Which method of water fire protection system do you have? Single interlock pre-action
Dual interlock pre-action
F. Phase 6: Security Requirements:
Now you are able to classify which tier you data center is in as there are 4 tiers.
Achieving a Tier rating signals to investors, customers, and the marketplace, that your facility meets the highest
standards for infrastructure (Topology) functionality and capacity as demonstrated on the design documents. It
validates that the facility and system design is consistent with your uptime objectives. Tier Certification helps align
the infrastructure design with the business mission, ensuring that your organization’s significant capital investment
yields the desired result.
Tier classification is described more in details below according to Uptime Institute tier standard, American
standard TIA 942 and BICSI best practices and recommendations as well as references to external organizations'
standards and also illustrated using( fig4) and TABLEXII.[2][31]
Tier classification which is illustrated using( fig4) and TABLE XII and described more in details below is
described in few documents as Uptime Institute tier standard, American standard TIA 942 and BICSI best practices
and recommendations as well as references to external organizations' standards.[2][31]
TABLE XII Data center Tier Ratings according to Uptime Institute tier standard: [31]
Tier 1 No Basic UPS for Single Utility or on 99.671%

Generator IDF Room, Radial line from Loop
Non-redundant
Tier 2 Generator N+1 UPS with Single Utility Feeders 99.741%
redundant N+1 Mechanical
components System
Tier 3 N+1 N+1 UPS with One Active, One 99.982%
Concurrently Generator redundant Passive, Utility
Maintainable System components Source , N+1 Mechanical System
Tier 4 2N 2N UPS Dual Active, Utility Feeders 2N 99.995%
Fault Tolerant Generator Systems Mechanical System
System Compartmentalization
Figure4 .Tier Classification
TABLE XIII summarizes phase 6

TABLE XIII phase 6(Tier Classification):
Phase 6: Tier Classification:
Which Tier your data center is in according to Uptime Institute Standards? Tier 1 Tier 2 Tier 3 Tier 4
v. Case Study:
Case study represents a sample of interview model which is applied in Helwan University data center to
evaluate its performance:
Phase 1: Building Requirements:
1)Location:
Is the data center located in a place that cannot restrict expansion in the future? Yes No 

2) Size: 

Do you have extra equipment in Computer room/data center? Yes  No

3)Raised floor: 
Is the data center built on a raised floor? Yes No 

In which level is height of the raised floor of data center? Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Level 4
4)Ceiling Height:
In which level is the height of the ceiling of data center? Level 1  Level 2 Level 3 Level 4
5) Labeling:
Are all the racks, patch panels, patch cords, cabinets, cables labeled according to a labeling
Yes  No
schema? 
6) Doors: 
Does the data center have another door for access in case of any emergency? Yes  No 
 
7)Windows:
 
Does data center have windows in any of the doors? Yes  No
 
 
Is Computer room/data center Enclosed (no visibility from outside) Yes No 
8)Equipment Arrangement:
Is there is an adequate space left between racks (3or 4 feet in row)? Yes  No

9)Monitoring:
In which level is data center monitored-not application? Level 1  Level 2 Level 3 Level 4
In which level is data center monitored? Level 1  Level 2 Level 3 Level 4
Phase 2: Electrical Requirements:
Is the power regular, without spikes or Surges? Yes No 
How many UPS do you have in your data center? 1UPS  More than 1 UPS
Are redundancies built into the facility's electrical switches that power the floor? Yes No 
Do you have dual UPS units for all network equipment that has dual power supplies? Yes No 
Is UPS monitoring application set to notify you when the load has exceeded 80% of the
Yes No 
UPS system's maximum capacity?
In which level UPS of data center is in? Level 1  Level 2 Level 3 Level 4
2) Generator:
Is the data center provided with generators? Yes No 

More than 1
How many generators do you have in data center? 1 Generator 
 Generator
Has the generator has been sized with future growth in mind and easily provides ongoing
Yes No 
emergency power?
Is the data center provided with a diesel supply to refuel the generator? Yes No 
To ensure that the generator is always ready for immediate service, Is your generator No
Yes
tested on a regular basis? 
To ensure that the generator is always ready for immediate service, is a preset test-firing
sequence executed once each calendar month?
Yes No 

In which level do you think your generator is in? Level 1  Level 2 Level 3 Level 4
3)Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE):
Very Inefficient Average Efficient
Determine the level of efficiency of data center after calculating PUE? Inefficient 
Phase 3: Cooling Requirements:
a)Computer Room Air Conditioning units (CRACs):
Is there a regular maintenance for the air conditioning? Yes No 
Do you have Fans to Put in Computer room in case of Air conditioning fails? Yes  No
Do you have an Individual Air conditioning Unit for server room? Yes No 
Is the room provided with hot-aisle and cold aisle? Yes No 

Any redundant Air Handling units that control temperature and humidity? Yes No 
The climate within a storage vault should be maintained between 60 and 70 degrees to
prevent tape damage, Did you find it within these degrees? Yes  No
Humidity must be regulated with levels varying between 40% and 50% to prevent harmful
condensation; Did you find it within these levels? Yes  No
Is the racks provided with air filtration system? Yes  No

b) Rack Coolers:
Is the racks provided with the rack coolers? Yes No 

Is the racks provided with EC fans? Yes  No

Is the racks provided with a separate humidity control system? Yes No 


Phase 4: Server Performance Requirements:
1) CPU Utilization:
Does the CPU utilization exceeding than 75%? Yes  No


2) Memory Usage:
Is your memory usage between 15-20% if you are using windows or less than 10% if you
are using Linux? Yes  No
3) Disk Usage:
Does the Disk Usage exceeding than 90%? Yes No 


Phase 5: Security Requirements:
How many network disruptions have occurred in the past 5 years? Network disruptions 6
How long (were) the disruption(s)? 10 minutes
What are the current Safeguards to ensure continuous connectivity?
Access control 
Antivirus and antimalware software 
Application security 
Data loss prevention 


Email security 
Firewalls. 
Intrusion prevention systems 

a) Access control:
Is Network servers, which contain sensitive or critical applications, are protected from
unauthorized physical access? Yes  No
Is access to the Internet from servers prohibited? Yes  No

Is access to operating system and application software limited to authorized personnel? Yes  No
Can IT staff access network equipment remotely? Yes  No
Do all of the systems on the network have anti-virus software installed and configured to
detect and remove viruses? Yes No

c) Application security: 
Do you have an application security that can prevent attackers from penetration of network
server? Yes  No
Does Network server security software prevent unauthorized personnel from uploading,
forwarding, or even printing critical information in an unsafe manner? Yes  No
e) Email security:
Do you have an email security application? Yes  No

f) Firewalls:
Are periodic test conducted for firewall technology to ensure compliance with security
Yes  No
policies?
Does firewall technology have security logging turned on? Yes  No
Do you utilize an Intrusion prevention System? Yes  No

Does Network server security software prevent unauthorized personnel from deleting,
changing or adding Network server system software? Yes  No
2) Data Security:
How Frequently do you take backups of data? Hourly
Daily 
Weekly
Are backups taken offsite? Yes  No
Are Backup tapes Stored in Computer room? Yes No 
And probably the worst cause of failure in a recovery: have the backup tapes been tested? Yes  No
a)Alarms:
Is there is an alarm alert for high temperature? Yes No 

Is there is an alarm alert for high Humidity?
Yes No 
Is there is an alarm alert for water leakage? Yes No 

b) Fire protection:
Do you have a Very Early Smoke Detection system in the Data Center for early warnings
Yes  No
of fire?
Do you have a Gaseous Fire Suppression system in the data center?
Yes No 
Which method of water fire protection system do you have? Wet pipe fire protection 
Single interlock pre-action fx

Dual interlock pre-action
Phase 6: Tier Classification:

Which Tier your data center is in according to Uptime Institute Standards? Tier 1  Tier 2 Tier 3 Tier 4

vi. Conclusion:
One of the important tasks in the design of data centers for scientific research is the evaluation of data centers
Infrastructure. From the case study that is presented and being evaluated through an interview model, it is obvious
that there are many issues in the design of data center in Egyptian universities. This interview model can be used for
the evaluation of other universities data center and in any sector.
The main issue that was found and was resolved:
In evaluating performance of the server we found that:
 Servers’ equipments aren’t updated since 2010.

 IT people can handle most of the problems in server from their homes as they have access on all
servers from their homes as they have system running on their mobile phones so they can monitor
some of the issues from their place facing the data center
 The processor speed isn’t too fast.
 The memory space of the disk is low.
In evaluating building we found that:
 It was observed that a few of data center wasn’t build on a raised floor, all the doors are designed
with windows.
 Few of the data centers doesn’t have backup generator.
 The security for the data centers isn’t powerful as there is no card access, CCTV cameras. no sensor
for temperature and humidity.
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A Proposed Framework for Evaluating Performance of Data Center

Article in International Journal of Computer Science and Information Security, · November 2018

Manal A. Abdel-Fattah Yehia K. Helmy

SEE PROFILE SEE PROFILE

Alaa Mohamed El-Sayed

Big Data View project

Semantic Web View project

The user has requested enhancement of the downloaded file.

A Proposed Framework for Evaluating

II. PROBLEM STATEMENT:

IV. A Proposed Framework for Evaluating Performance of Data Center:

The framework is comprised of six phases or levels:

Phase 1: Building Requirements

Phase 2: Electrical Requirements

Phase 3: Cooling Requirements

Phase 4: Server Performance Requirements

Disk Usage CPU utilization

Figure 1. A Proposed framework for Evaluating Performance of Data Center

(Synthesized by the authors)

A. Phase 1: Building Requirements:

Building Requirements Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Level 4

TABLE II phase 1(Buliding Requirements)

Phase 1: Building Requirements:

Is the data center built on a raised floor? Yes No

Does data center have windows in any of the doors? Yes No

Is Computer room/data center Enclosed (no visibility from outside) Yes No

In which level is data center monitored? Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Level 4

B. Phase 2: Electrical Requirements:

Figure2.Data center backup power

1) Uninterruptable power supplies (UPS):

PUE is defined by the following formula in “Fig. 3” below:

PUE= Total facility power/ IT equipment power [2]

Figure3.Power Usage Effectiveness 1

3.0 33% Very Inefficient

Electrical Requirements Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Level 4

TABLEV summarizes phase 2

Phase 2: Electrical Requirements:

1) Uninterruptable power supplies (UPS):

Is the power regular, without spikes or Surges? Yes No

Is the data center provided with generators? Yes No

3)Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE):

C. Phase 3: Cooling Requirements:

Figure4. Air re-circulation and by-pass in data center racks[18]

c) Computer Room Air Handler (CRAH):

TABLE VI ASHRAE - Recommended Temperature and Relative Humidity Range:[21]

Property Recommended Value

2) Rack based Cooling:

Cooling Requirements Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Level 4

Dual water source to Dual water source to

TABLE VIII Summarizes phase 3

Phase 3: Cooling Requirements:

1) Room based Cooling:

a)Computer Room Air Conditioning units (CRACs):

Is there a regular maintenance for the air conditioning? Yes No

Is the room provided with hot-aisle and cold aisle? Yes No

2) Rack based Cooling:

a) Air filtration system:

Is the racks provided with air filtration system? Yes No

Is the racks provided with the rack coolers? Yes No

Is the racks provided with EC fans? Yes No

Is the racks provided with a separate humidity control system? Yes No

D. Phase 4:Server Performance Requirements: