Building a new data center or server room is a very complex project, whether you're building a small 1,000-square-foot server room or a 100,000-square-foot data center. Here are some important facts your IT department needs to think about prior to beginning:
- Determine design requirements early in the process:
- IT hardware load projections and cabinet load densities (blade servers?).
- Electrical and HVAC redundancy options.
- Fire detection and suppression systems options.
- Site selection:
- Square foot requirement.
- Structural requirements (ground floor or upper floor loading issues).
- Proximity to utilities (power, cooling, communication).
- Comprehensive, coordinated design documents ensure a successful construction project:
- Partner with a data center consultant with specific experience in this industry.
- A design consultant with data center construction and service experience will incorporate maintainability into the design.
- Engineering site reviews during construction ensure that the design criteria are incorporated into the build-out.
- Properly document warranty and service agreements:
- Part of the construction project close-out should include warranty documentation.
- Warranties typically carry some level of parts replacement, but do not include preventive maintenance agreements.
- Service and maintenance agreements during and after the warranty period should be planned and can be budgeted at the close of the construction project.
These are just a few critical things that need to be looked at during the construction of your data center - if you don't have staff with the skill set to manage this process, it is extremely important that you hire a construction company who focuses on building data centers or to hire a data center consultant to represent them during the construction.
Submitted by Jim Stark, Design/Build Manager - Electronic Environments Corporation
