A technical document to be used as a guideline or definition is referred to as a ‘standard’. It is a method of achieving something that has been agreed upon and can be replicated. Standardisation benefits all parties by ensuring security and product quality, as well as reducing costs. As the demand for Data Centre services increases, so does the need for power and capacity. A standard for measuring and evaluating Data Centre performance is also becoming necessary.
Standards have long existed in the industry to support the construction of digital infrastructure in Server Rooms and DATA CENTRES. These are the instruments required to establish benchmarks and to better understand and continuously develop the provision of digital services, both in terms of reliability and energy efficiency.
At the Data Centre design, construction and commissioning stages, the standard defines an approach based on four levels of redundancy/reliability. The Uptime Institute was established as an independent organisation that was the first to classify and compare the reliability of Data Centres. It is a non-profit organisation that certifies the facility according to its standards.
When it comes to Data Centre operations and maintenance there are a number of ISO standards that can be applied. Not all Data Centre procedures including financial management, equipment lifecycle planning and many others are covered by ISO standardisation and this is a pity. Because ISO standards are so broad, implementing them requires a lot of work on the part of the Data Centre owner and operator. Below is an example of a standardised series:
The American Society of Heating Refrigeration, and Air-Conditioning Engineers is a non-profit organisation dedicated to advancing the science of HVAC and related industries worldwide. By promoting a more sustainable society, they set the standard for an industry that is constantly evolving in response to technological needs.
Norma ANSI/ASHRAE 90.4-2019 Energy Standard for Data Centers, sets minimum energy efficiency requirements for the design and operation of Data Centres in facilities defined as buildings with conditioned floor area greater than 20W/square foot and IT equipment loads greater than 10kW
With the new standard, operators and designers can use the latest and most efficient equipment and procedures to reduce energy consumption while avoiding potential reliability issues.
Data centre telecommunications infrastructure standard is based on the Tier standard developed by the Uptime Institute and focuses mainly on the concepts of redundancy and reliability of IT cables and networks. TIA decided to use the term ‘Rated’ instead of ‘Tiers’, which are defined as Rated 1-4 after UI requested that TIA stop using the Tier system to designate reliability levels. The TIA standard contains tables that facilitate rating for telecommunications, architectural, electrical and mechanical systems.
Best practices in the design and implementation of Data Centres
The standard covers the main areas of planning, design, construction and commissioning by the construction industry as well as fire protection, IT and maintenance. Grades 0 to 4 are used to determine the reliability standard, which are then certified by trained and qualified BICSI personnel.
The European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardization (CENELEC) is a group comprising the National Electrotechnical Committees of 34 European countries.
In the electrotechnical sphere, CENELEC develops voluntary standards that help trade between countries, create new markets, reduce costs, comply with regulations and establish the European Single Market.
The EN 50600 series is an international series of Data Centre standards that is constantly evolving. The UI, TIA and BCSI standards are reflected in many areas of this standard. Accessibility classes, ranging from 1 to 4, are used to assess facilities similarly to the above committees. Below is a breakdown of the standard:
