Traditional Server room Versus a Micro Data Centre

Design of the Server Room

When your business requires a new server room, it is essential to consider several factors.

When thinking about how to design the Server room, consider your current requirements and then plan for future development to expand your IT estate as your business grows.

The issue is that you either underestimate your future development and run out of space quickly, or you over-engineer the solution, allowing for far more racks than you will ever need, resulting in it being underutilised yet still requiring significant CapEx and OpEx.

Space for the Server Room

On-Premise server rooms take up valuable space within a building. If, as with many businesses, you are leasing a Building, not only will you need to obtain the landlord’s approval and building control for the construction of the room, but you will also need to factor in reinstatement costs at the termination of your lease.

To establish the proper environment, all new walls must go slab to slab to create fire integrity. However, because modern buildings require allowance for what is above the suspended ceiling (typically data baskets, illumination trunking, and fresh air ducts), achieving a fire-sealed environment isn’t simple.

You’ll also need to keep the environment cool, so install complete AC units that include humidity control. But how do you size it on day one, and how can you future-proof it as you expand?

There are many cooling devices, Downflow, Upflow, InRow, Inrack, DX, and chilled water, so how do you select the correct unit? Most server rooms grossly oversize the AC units and condition the whole space, which is wasted energy and impacts your Opex costs.

Now we need to look at fire detection and suppression. Firstly we need to consider the gas type; we then need to house the bottles, which are bulky and heavy, so we need to strengthen the floor; we need to install pressure relief dampers and a gas extract which typically means making holes in walls to the outside world.

The gas suppression is calculated on volume, so it must be calculated correctly; too little won’t suppress the fire. Too much, and you over-pressurise the room, which could create a catastrophic failure, plus Capex increases considerably, and most importantly, you need to ensure the room is 100% airtight.

We then need to consider Security and ensure that the room is secured at a minimum and possibly each rack. Then we need to consider the electrical distribution, Data, Containment for both, separate lighting within the room, and the list goes on.

Achieving the correct environment involves a Specialist Designer, several trades, a competent Project Manager and most importantly, a reasonable Landlord