Data Center Design

Course details

This course gives introduction to the design and project management requirements needed to reach overview knowledge of TIA-942 based data centre design.

Data centre design requires a broad spectrum of skills that encompasses architectural and structural engineering requirements, electrical engineering, heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) knowledge, fire detection, alarm and suppression techniques, security, access control and CCTV requirements, information technology and structured cabling standards. Tier levels 1-4 are covered with budgeting models.

This course identifies all the elements that must be defined before a Data Centre can be designed. It identifies all the appropriate British, European and international standards plus codes, regulations and directives that need to be taken into account.

Target Audience

• Data centre operators
• IT Managers wanting to improve their existing facility.
• Facilities managers and estates directors planning a new facility.
• Companies needing to reduce their electricity consumption in IT.
• Manufacturers and contractors wishing to understand the data centre ‘bigger picture’
• Engineering consultants working in this field.
• Architects and Civil Engineers designing data centre buildings.
• Cisco, IBM, 3Com, Alcatel, Brocade, HP ProCurve, Huawei, Juniper, and Nortel Channel Partners

Objectives

• Introduction, including understanding Tier definitions and associated costs. TIA 942, ASHRAE and other Standards
• The ‘Green Agenda’. Metrics for measuring data centre energy efficiency
• Sizing and defining the right data centre space
• Specifying raised access floors
• Optimizing room layouts including hot aisle/cold aisle formats
• Sizing and designing a resilient power supply system including UPS and generator selection. N, N+1 and 2N models
• IT grade earthen, grounding and bonding.
• Sizing and designing air conditioning plus modern low energy options.
• Fire detection and suppression techniques appropriate to data centers.
• Building Management and Physical Security requirements.
• Data cable selection, copper and fiber, and ideal interconnect models

Course Outline

• Defining Data Centers & Computer Rooms
• The market size and shape
• Basic cost models for constructing data centers
• Understanding the Tier 1-4 resilience philosophy
• Reliability models
• Standards and sources of information
• Defining the size and shape
• Developing the essential ‘Spaces’ within a data centre
• Estimating the sizes of the rooms used
• Designing an effective work environment
• The location and strength requirements of the building
• Facilities management and H&S issues
• Designing a raised access floor
• Designing a raised access floor: the foundation of a good computer room design
• Server and Communications Racks
• Defining appropriate racks and cabinets
• Rack location for optimized cooling
• Internal rack organization for optimized cooling
• Health & safety requirements
• Air Conditioning for the IT environment
• How air conditioning works
• Estimating heat loads and air conditioning sizing
• IT cooling options
• Maximizing the efficiency of air cooling
• Liquid cooling methods
• Tier 1-4, N, N+1 and 2N designs
• Power Supplies
• Basic electrical theory, kVa, KW, power factor and three phase
• Calculating average and peak load power draws
• UPS options and sizing
• Standby generators
• Safety versus ‘clean’ earthing/grounding
• Tier 1-4, N, N+1 and 2N designs
• Fire safety systems
• Designing for low risk e.g. low fire hazard cabling
• Fire detection for IT installations
• Automatic Fire suppression techniques for IT installations
• Cabling & Interconnection
• Defining copper and optical cables available
• Gigabit and ten gigabit cabling requirements
• Designing the ideal interconnect model