Data Center Risk Assessment
The Suitability of Your Data Center to Conduct Business
Highlights:
• Comprehensive independent
assessment of Critical
Infrastructure and Operational
Sustainability suitable for
investment or acquisition
guidance
• Based solely on direct
observations and in the context of
similarly positioned data centers
in the region
• Identifies Critical Infrastructure
capabilities and constraints of
Power, Space and Cooling, as
well as expansion opportunities.
• Documents the most likely Tier
rating of the topology
• Reviews: Utility, generators,
power backbone, UPS &
batteries, critical power
distribution
• Reviews: Cooling/refrigeration
plant (DX or chilled water), UPS
cooling, computer room cooling
• Reviews: Maintenance program,
staffing, organization
management, and training
program
• Reviews: Space, power, and
cooling capacity management
• Successful completion includes
the Uptime Institute
Management & Operations
Stamp of Approval
Visit www.uptimeinstitute.com for more information.
Uptime Institute’s Data Center Risk Assessment (DCRA) is a comprehensive review that
examines both existing critical facility infrastructure and operations. It provides a thorough,
unbiased assessment of a site, including achievements, risks, and the determination of the
‘most likely’ Tier rating.
The review includes recommendations for mitigation and remediation of any gaps in order to
align the site’s infrastructure and operation with the business requirements. Additionally, it
assesses the strategic value of a site to provide a reliable and stable environment to house IT
equipment and identify risks.
The DCRA evaluation criteria is drawn from Uptime Institute Standards (Tier Standard:
Topology and Tier Standard: Operational Sustainability), field experience working with
thousands of data centers around the globe, and insights gained from the analysis of the
world’s largest knowledgebase of data center incidents and outages gathered over multiple
decades. Once the client receives a satisfactory scope on the operations portion of risk
assessments, Uptime Institute’s Management & Operation Stamp of Approval will be awarded.
Critical Infrastructure • A training program to ensure
comprehension, repeatability,
The Uptime Institute DCRA focuses on consistency, and responsiveness of
critical infrastructure and the ability for the both staff and vendors
data center to operate across a wide range of • Maintenance: rigorous and effective
operating conditions. It evaluates: preventive and predictive maintenance
• As-found conditions and suitability of programs, vendor support, and
the site’s equipment to provide the tracking system
client’s desired functionality • Planning, coordination, and
• Power, cooling, and computer management consideration of space,
room/space constraints and power, and cooling capacities.
opportunities for expansion
• Ability of the critical infrastructure to Data Analysis & Final Report
meet the business requirements
The final report provides site staff and
executive management with a baseline of the
Operational Sustainability site’s principal systems and the reasonable
potential to meet business needs along with
DCRA provides a thorough review of the
the site’s principal operating practices. The
facilities management program and its
report will identify downtime vulnerabilities
execution, evaluating the existence and
and offer prudent recommendations and
effectiveness of behaviors and processes
opportunities to reduce the risk of human
based on the principles of being:
error—given the site’s challenges and
Proactive, Practiced, and Informed. The opportunities—to better align the site
review includes: infrastructure and ongoing operations with
the business objectives.
• Staffing levels, qualifications, and
skill mix
Uptime Institute is a division of The 451 Group, a leading technology industry analyst and
data company. Uptime Institute has office locations in the U.S., Mexico, Costa Rica,
Brazil, U.K., Spain, U.A.E., Russia, Taiwan, Singapore, and Malaysia.
© 2019 Uptime Institute, LLC. All rights reserved. 181020_DS_03 A