How to Build, Refresh, or Rebuild Your Datacenter

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

• Comprehensive budget and timeline
• 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

• Raised Flooring
• Fire Suppression
• Gas system
• Wet Sprinklers
• Pre-action dry pipe sprinklers
• Security
• Keycard access
• Alarm and monitoring
• Architectural Services
• Misc. Professional Services
• Fiber and/or Telecom Construction
• Delivery and Rigging

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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 sq. ft.
• 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 Design HVAC Electrical
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 and power
  rooms, staging area, and offices
• The bottom line how many tons of cooling do I
  need?
• N1 redundancy

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Capacity Planning Design HVAC Electrical
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 Design HVAC Electrical
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 Design HVAC Electrical
Systems
Pitfall! Underestimating the importance of
properly sizing electrical and HVAC systems 1)
Do I need an engineer? 2) How does this phase
impact the rest of the project? 3) How can I
structure my build to minimize the impact of a
mistake?
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Capacity Planning Design Raised Floor Cable
Mgmt.

• 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 Design Raised Floor Cable
Mgmt.

• 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 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 Design Fire Detection
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 Design Fire Detection
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 Purchasing New 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 Purchasing New 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 Purchasing Sourcing

• Buying from your contractors vs. direct
• What to procure yourself
• Big items generator, datacenter 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 and failing to get detailed proposals
in writing. 1) Avoid costly change orders as a
result of miscommunication. 2) 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 Project Management

• Do 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 Project Management

• Coordinating 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 Project Management

• Managing 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 Project Management
Pitfall! Failing to hire a rigging company to
manage delivery and placement of heavy
equipment. 1) Hire a rigging company that is
insured and experienced at receiving,
handling, and delivering heavy machinery. 2)
Schedule delivery of large pieces to the rigging
company. 3) Have the rigging company deliver the
equipment and set it in place in your
datacenter. 4) The rigging company should store
the equipment until the proper time in the
construction cycle
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Effective Construction Project Management

• After 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.