PHYSICAL ARCHITECTURE OF DATA CENTRE
Power
In order to ensure quality, efficiency and continuous operation, the power aspect must be planned and designed to include access to redundant high-capacity power supplies as well as scalable for future expansion.
Electrical power distribution systems are fundamental infrastructure for Data Centre in terms of safety, reliability and ease of maintenance.
It is imperative that Data Centre is equipped with Un-interruptible Power Supply (UPS) systems and standby diesel generators capable of supporting the site in the event of grid-power failure.
Grounding
Grounding system is an active functioning system that provides protection for personnel and equipment. Proper grounding is essential for efficient network performance. It creates a low impedance path to earth ground for electrical surges, transient voltages, lightning, fault currents and circuit switching (motors turning on and off). An effective grounding system minimizes the unfavourable effects of these electrical surges.
Metallic component that is part of the data centre infrastructure (such as equipment, racks, ladder racks, enclosures, cable trays, etc.) must be bonded to the grounding system.
Cooling
Climate control is an important part of the data center’s infrastructure. Data centre requires precise, stable environments in order for sensitive equipment to operate optimally. Computer Room Air Conditioning (CRAC) unit monitors and maintains temperature, air distribution and humidity within the data centre.
Cabling
Data center house large numbers of devices with complex networking scheme, so structure cabling topology is essential.
Backbone and Horizontal Cabling
This cabling topology consists of backbone cables, main cross-connects, horizontal cross-connects, mechanical terminations, and patch cords that are used for backbone-to-backbone cross-connection. Horizontal cabling connects the equipment to the cross-connect located in MDF.
Horizontal Cabling
This cabling topology consists of horizontal cables, mechanical terminations, patch cords, and may include a zone MDB. The horizontal cables are typically routed out to the cabinets and terminated on patch panels.
Rack and Physical layout
The basic principle of floor planning is to maximize the number of rack locations possible. The layout will affect the efficiency of the CRAC unit. This is due to the temperature circulation of the return air and the cool air of the CRAC units.
A poor layout yields a reduced efficiency of the CRAC units and causes them to dehumidify the air. This will increase energy-consuming.
Small variations in the location of walls, existing IT devices, air conditioners, and power distribution units will have a surprisingly large impact on the number of possible rack locations. This effect is magnified when high power densities are required.
Management
In order to have reliable facilities, it is essential to have visibility of all the components of the physical infrastructure. It includes system, such as building management system (BMS), network management system (NMS), element managers, and other monitoring system.
Fire protection
Data centres feature fire protection systems, including passive and active design elements, as well as implementation of fire prevention programs in operations.
Since most of the data centres are unattended, smoke detection is a fundamental part of data centre fire protection strategy. It is critical when a fire is detected in an early stage so that appropriate action can be taken by triggering the automatic fire suppression system. An automatic notification will also be sent to inform the on-site or off-site personnel.
In the event when the active fire protection systems fail or not installed, a passive fire protection elements play a critical role in restricting the fire to a portion of the facility for a limited time. This can be done by installing fire walls around the data centre.
Security
Security plays a large role with data centres. Physical access to the site is usually restricted to selected personnel. Video camera surveillance and permanent security guards should always be present if the data centre is large or contains sensitive information on any of the systems within.