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A data center is not just a warehouse for servers. Instead, the modern data centers are sophisticated data networking facilities offering endless possibilities to their customers and empowering them to build the required infrastructure to push their business forward.
Therefore, it is necessary to consider several critical data center design standards when evaluating and designing a data center.
Here are four essential standards for data center you must keep in check:
Power supply and related concerns count for a critical design standard when it comes to data centers.
What can be intuitively perceived about data centers is that they demand an abundance of power. For instance, U.S. data centers use more than 90 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity annually, requiring 34 massive (500 megawatts) coal-powered mines.
Last year, global data centers used roughly 416 terawatts (or about 3% of the total electricity( National Research Development Corporation). Researchers expect the growth of the power demands to hold steady, at least through 2021.
Just because data centers require so much power doesn’t necessarily mean that the data centers cannot be optimized. Much of the power issues can be curbed with efficiency improvements.
Not only the large data centers, but even the smaller ones also operate much more efficiently than they did a decade ago. Well-designed facilities are better capable of power distribution, ensuring they do not let electricity go to waste. They implement sophisticated automated systems that manage power-intensive processes much more efficiently to keep energy use in check even as the facilities expand and become more powerful.
A good example is that the data center power consumption has drastically reduced by 80 percent through lower-powered chips and solid-state drives instead of the higher power-consuming spinning hard drives.
In addition, many facilities adopt green data center design standards to ensure sustainability without compromising performance.
One of the primary reasons data center infrastructure consumes so much energy is that companies deploy far more powerful servers than necessary. These servers, therefore, have higher wattage requirements, which means more infrastructure is used up to provide higher energy density racks. While a data center server rack once required around 3 to 5 kW, the average power density required today is between 7 and 10 kW. Many hyper-scale mega facilities deploy larger racks in the 16 to 20 kW range.
This change in power-dynamic has led to the data center infrastructure consuming so much energy to accommodate the performance standards set by the advanced and high-performance equipment. In addition, high-density server racks also tend to be significantly larger, forcing many companies to rethink how to deploy assets in an optimized manner on the data floor.
Suppose a data center is not designed keeping in mind the modern and advanced high-density racks. In that case, it may forcefully use inefficient means that limit scalability, flexibility and potentially compromise performance drastically.
Cooling infrastructure is probably the most essential design standard to consider for a data center. It has evolved a long way, from innovations in traditional air handlers to innovative strategies to make the best use of natural cooling with outside air and water sources.
While many facilities to date rely on primitive computer room air conditioners (CRACs), the increasing power demands of modern servers have spurred the rapid advancement and demand for new solutions like direct-to-chip liquid cooling and calibrated vector cooling (CVC).
Even though most facilities fail to incorporate these advancements mentioned above into their data center designs due to their sizable legacy infrastructure, they can still make significant improvements to their cooling efficiency through analytical and automated systems driven by Machine Learning (ML) and Artificial Intelligence (AI).
For example, the tech giant Google made headlines in 2018 when it announced it would be handling cooling systems of its hyper-state data centers through an advanced Artificial Intelligence (AI) Algorithm developed by the deep mind (Source: MIT Tech Review).
This instance shows that technology advancement and incorporating them have significant potential for reducing cooling costs for data center operations.
Data availability and server uptime are an integral part of anyone allocating assets with a data center. Therefore, every facility must have a backup system to safeguard customer data to prevent loss due to malware attacks or run-down.
These systems will mean implementing fault-tolerant levels that provide full hardware redundancy by operating the backup systems in tandem to avoid even a millisecond of service interruption.
Considering high Service-level agreement (SLA) Uptime, redundancy strategies are a must. The difference between 99.99999% and 99.99% uptime may not seem much, but it adds up to almost an hour of data availability each year.
Given the high loss incurred to the working capital due to system downtime, it’s no surprise that companies invest heavily in backup systems that keep their infrastructure up and running, keeping customer data safe and always available.
You cannot undermine physical security measures to safeguard valuable data and software assets with all the focus on cybersecurity. Therefore, leading data center designs standards must provide the best possible defense against physical data breaches. This includes multiple layers of security that incorporate both physical and logistical measures.
From simple security measures like perimeter fencing with cameras and motion sensors to more sophisticated tools like biometric scanners, a well-designed and secured data center provides only authorized personnel access to the customer assets.
Regular compliance audits are another method to protect customer data and assets. With most customers facing various regulatory requirements as a part of their businesses, data centers must design their infrastructures and operations with compliance in mind.
A good facility should promptly produce the necessary certificates and attestations to demonstrate their compliance with relevant rules and regulations.
Designing a data center is an arduous task that requires a lot of time, effort, and money. However, when set up correctly and optimized, it can house servers and IT equipment for decades to come.
Whether planning out a modest facility or a massive million-plus square foot center for cloud technologies, properly designing a data center is critical. Here are some tips to start your data center design journey.
Investing in a data center expansion or construction is a very costly affair. This is why many businesses ideate a data center design that meets their current needs but doesn’t invest in the future.
Instead, consider these factors when looking at the needs of your company for the road ahead:
Floorspace: How many square feet is needed today? Is it expected to increase over time? Is it much less expensive to build it now than expanding to suit its needs later.
Power Requirements: The electricity requirements of a data center can be enormous. Take some time to forecast the potential needs expected to arise in the future.
Cooling Requirements: As a data center grows, more and more hardware is installed, making it imperative to eliminate the excess heat. New cooling systems are incredibly costly, so investing in the correct ones upfront is critical to saving your working capital.
Server Space: Choosing the right server tracks will accommodate your equipment correctly now while leaving room for expansion in the foreseeable future. Few extra racks are kept empty by few data center facilities to help facilitate proper air ventilation until they are filled.
When designing a data center, most of the effort is focused on the facility where the equipment and servers are stored. However, another important aspect not to be neglected is the office area where the support team must work.
This team must use advanced monitoring systems to keep an eye on the data center at all times. In a good data center facility, the staff is IT professionals adept in providing support to the software and hardware trouble arising within the facility, such as the cooling systems, humidity levels, wiring, physical server racks, and more.
The cooling methods you choose will depend on various factors such as budget, region of the world, electricity cost, and more. However, these are some of the most popular cooling methods used by most facilities:
Traditional Air Cooling: Industrial air conditioners create chill air and move it via ducts to where they are deployed. While they are energy-intensive, they help keep the data center at the precise temperature needed.
Water Cooling Units: It is much more efficient than many others; it uses nearby water bodies to cool the facility.
Outdoor Air Cooling: In areas with a cold climate, outdoor air cooling is used to cool the facility.
Localized Cooling: A cooling unit faces each “warm row” of the data center, so air does not need to be transported via ducts, making the cooling process more optimized. It also allows precision cooling.
At Mechartes, we focus on providing accurate simulation-oriented results with a professional approach using advanced engineering tools. We provide Data Center Validation Services that includes the pre-design stage, design stage, and construction stage.
We adhere to all the industry-leading Data Center design standards and guidelines to provide the perfect simulation and design for the best utilization of resources and performance.
Our specialty includes Data Center Architecture and Engineering. The different stages we design, and the specific technologies we use are:
Pre-Design Stage: We use External Flow CFD analysis for the chiller and generator yards present in the Data Center sites. We carefully assess the wind directions and weather conditions to judge the perfect placement of the chiller and generator units.
Design Stage: We use CFD Analysis to validate and optimize the HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning) design of the following areas per specific project requirements: Data Hall, Generator room, and DRUPS room.
Construction Stage: Stress analysis is used to analyze the existing piping networks as it helps analyze the design’s compatibility with its weight, pressure, and thermal stress. We provide support and design suggestions for the most effective design based on the detailed stress analysis report.
For expert consultation on designing or expanding your data center, visit Mechartes and get the best guidance adhering to the guidelines and standards set for optimum performance.
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