How to Build, Refresh or Rebuild Your Datacenter on Time and Under Budget

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How to Build, Refresh or Rebuild Your Datacenter
on Time and Under Budget

• 5 Keys for Success
• 5 Pitfalls to Avoid
• 5 Must-have Technologies

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5 Keys to Success

• Comprehensive budget and time-line
• Careful design and capacity planning
• Savvy equipment purchasing
• Choosing your contractors wisely
• Effective construction and project management

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Getting Started

• Preliminary questions to ask yourself
• Why am I undertaking this project?
• What are my growth projections for the next 3
  years?
• Revenue
• Servers and equipment
• How much can I realistically afford to spend?
• How am I going to fund this project?
• How soon do I need the center to be operational?
• What server form factors will the datacenter
  house?

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Budget and Timeline

• How much can I afford to spend?
• How much do I want to spend?
• Funding from operating cash vs. financing
• Phases
• Finding a location and signing a lease
• Design
• Purchasing equipment
• Bid process and selecting contractors
• Implementation and construction
• Time to bring the center online after the last
  contractor finishes
• Best and worst case timelines
• Having a good plan B

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Sample Budget Framework

• Construction
• Generator
• Equipment -
• Install -
• UPS
• Equipment -
• Install -
• HVAC
• Equipment
• Installation
• Electrical
• Electrical contractor
• Transformers -
• Lights -
• Circuits -
• Panels
• Miscellaneous -

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Choosing a location

• Important Considerations
• Square footage requirements
• Parking
• Access to fiber / Internet connectivity
• Electrical service capacity
• Flex warehouse space vs. office
• Flex warehouse space
• Much more affordable per square foot
• Be prepared to bear nearly all of the build-out
  costs
• Office space
• Landlord may bear some of the build-out space
• Higher price per sq. ft. may be partially offset
  by lower upfront costs
• Pitfall!
• Choosing a location without affordable and
  readily available access to fiber and Internet
  connectivity can greatly devalue your datacenter.

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Space layout

• Do I need an architect?
• Sealed drawings for permit process
• Basic rooms required
• Workshop / staging area
• Main datacenter (server room)
• Power / infrastructure room
• Bathrooms
• Recommended
• Office space
• Shipping and receiving area
• Secure storage

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Capacity planning and design Sizing Electrical
and HVAC Systems

• HVAC systems
• What types of servers do I use or plan to use?
• What is their typical power draw (this relates to
  heat dissipation)?
• Rated heat dissipation vs. actual
• Liebert vs. other brands
• Down flow air and raised floor vs. up flow air
  and ductwork
• Split system vs. rooftop
• Choosing systems for main server room, power
  room, staging area, and offices
• The bottom line how many tons of cooling do I
  need?
• N1 redundancy

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Capacity planning and design Sizing Electrical
and HVAC Systems

• Electrical systems
• What types of servers do I use or plan to use?
• What is their typical power draw (this relates to
  heat dissipation)?
• Rated current draw vs. actual empirical data
  is best if available
• 480 volt vs. 208/120 volt power
• Powering HVAC equipment
• Transformers and harmonics
• Sizing the generator(s)
• UPS system
• Central vs. in the rack
• Sizing the UPS
• Runtime and expandability
• Maintenance bypass

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Capacity planning and design Sizing Electrical
and HVAC Systems

• ESSENTIAL TECHNOLOGIES
• K-Rated Transformers
• Handle non-linear loads from computer power
  supplies
• Standard transformer will overheat and fail
  prematurely
• Manufactured with heavier gauge copper and a
  double sized neutral conductor
• Central UPS System
• More cost effective in the long run
• More reliable than in the rack systems
• More manageable small units overload quickly

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Capacity planning and design Sizing Electrical
and HVAC Systems

• Pitfall!
• Underestimating the importance of properly sizing
  electrical and HVAC systems
• Do I need an engineer?
• How does this phase impact the rest of the
  project?
• How can I structure my build to minimize the
  impact of a mistake?

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Capacity planning and design Raised floor and
cable management

• Tightly tied to HVAC and electrical planning
• Cost comparison vs. ductwork for air delivery
• Fire suppression concerns
• Fire code may require under floor suppression,
  especially with gas systems
• Ramps, steps, and ADA accessibility concerns
• Impact on overall square footage

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Capacity planning and design Raised floor and
cable management

• ESSENTIAL TECHNOLOGY
• Networking overhead, electrical under floor
• Should I deliver networking cable under the
  floor?
• Raised floors can become cable graveyards
• Overhead ladders recommended for network cable
• Excellent for delivering power circuits to racks
• Benefits for air distribution

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Capacity planning and design Security

• Keycard access
• Multi-room access restrictions
• Secure storage area for equipment
• Biometrics worth the cost?
• ESSENTIAL TECHNOLOGY
• Centralized monitoring of security, climate, and
  various sensors
• Cost effective to outsource
• Under-floor water detection
• Detect condensate leaks from air conditioning
• Catch problems early to prevent disaster

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Capacity planning and design Fire Detection and
Suppression

• ESSENTIAL TECHNOLOGY
• Dual method smoke and fire detection
• Photoelectric
• Chamber that gets clouded or obstructed
• If light beam doesn't bounce back it alarms
• Sees" fire
• Ionization
• Invisible state of fire
• No smoke but detects chemical change associated
  with fire in air molecules

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Capacity planning and design Fire Detection and
Suppression

• Clean agent gas systems
• FM 200, FE-227, FE-25 Halon replacements
• Single zone vs. multiple zone systems
• Inspection and fan test
• Training staff on usage and response to alarms
• Wet pipe sprinklers
• Dry pipe pre-action sprinkler systems
• Complying with fire code and passing inspection
• Cost comparison

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Savvy equipment purchasingNew vs. Used

• New equipment
• From manufacturers and resellers
• Benefits of new equipment
• Readily available
• Factory warranties
• Latest technology
• Less likely to have problems or be DOA
• Main drawback of new equipment cost

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Savvy equipment purchasingNew vs. Used

• Used equipment
• Used equipment is ideal for all non-critical or
  highly redundant systems
• Reconditioned equipment in like new condition
  is a great option
• Used equipment is available for things you might
  not expect
• Used and reconditioned raised flooring systems
  are readily available

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Savvy equipment purchasingSourcing

• Buying from your contractors vs. direct
• What to procure yourself
• Big items generator, data center HVAC units,
  central UPS
• Can save 10-20 on high cost items
• What to let your contractors handle
• Miscellaneous electrical gear (panels, etc),
  rooftop air conditioning units, construction
  materials
• New equipment is also available on the secondary
  market through vendors that also sell used
• Creative sourcing on high dollar items can
  significantly reduce project costs

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Choosing your contractors wisely

• Selecting the companies for bids
• Preparing your RFP
• Bidding out the jobs
• Pitfall!
• Failing to provide sufficient detail to
  contractors.
• Failing to get detailed proposals in writing.
• Avoid costly change orders as a result of
  miscommunication
• Give yourself solid footing in the event of a
  dispute

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Choosing your contractors wisely

• Building solid relationships
• Interacting with and evaluating contractors
  during the bid process
• How to evaluate bids
• High and low bids
• Evaluating outliers
• Is the cheapest bid always the best?

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Effective construction and project managementDo
I need a General Contractor (GC)?

• GCs and construction management companies
• What they offer
• What they cost
• Why you might want one
• How you can avoid them
• Pitfall!
• Permit and inspection processes can cause
  significant delays in your build.
• If you choose to bypass the GC, which can
  substantially reduce project costs, make sure you
  choose contractors that are well connected and
  have a thorough knowledge of the permit processes
  in your area. Especially important with
  construction, electrical, and fire suppression.

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Effective construction and project
managementCoordinating contractors

• Project planning
• Coordinating facility access for contractors
• Jobs are interdependent
• Examples
• Ductwork and sprinklers before ceilings
• Electrical work required for HVAC
• Electrical work before drywall
• Etc
• Keeping things flowing in order
• Contractor meetings

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Effective construction and project
managementManaging disputes and accidents

• Handling a dispute with a contractor
• When to disburse payments
• Taking a hard line when necessary
• Contingency plans
• Accidents
• Broken equipment, damage to facilities
• How to protect yourself
• Insurance requirements

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Effective construction and project
managementManaging disputes and accidents

• Pitfall!
• Failing to hire a rigging company to manage
  delivery and placement of heavy equipment.
• Hire a rigging company that is insured and
  experienced at receiving, handling, and
  delivering heavy machinery.
• Schedule delivery of large pieces to the rigging
  company.
• Have the rigging company deliver the equipment
  and set it in place in your datacenter.
• The rigging company should store the equipment
  until the proper time in the construction cycle

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Effective construction and project
managementAfter the job is done, the work begins

• Walkthroughs and punch-lists
• Final payment disbursements
• Once your contractors finish, your work begins
• Factoring this piece into your timeline
• Installing your networking gear
• Network cabling
• Staffing and monitoring

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Must-have Technology Summary

• K-Rated Transformers
• Central UPS System
• Raised flooring with overhead network cabling
• Central monitoring and under-floor water
  detection
• Dual method smoke and fire detection

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Pitfall Summary

• Choosing a location without affordable and
  readily available access to fiber and Internet
  connectivity can greatly devalue your datacenter.
• Underestimating the importance of properly sizing
  electrical and HVAC systems
• Failing to provide sufficient detail to
  contractors and failing to get detailed proposals
  in writing.
• Failing to hire a rigging company to manage
  delivery and placement of heavy equipment
• Permit and inspection processes can cause
  significant delays in your build.