This document provides guidance on planning and designing a data center computer room. It discusses key considerations such as room dimensions, floor loading, cooling, power, security and cabling infrastructure. Proper planning is important to optimize space utilization, provide redundancy, allow for maintenance and expansion, and ensure adequate cooling and power distribution. Structured cabling solutions with centralized distribution areas help manage cables and allow flexible changes to equipment configurations.

1. DATA CENTER
Computer Room
Planning
Jeffrey Lam RCDD

2. What is a data center?
Data Centers
– “nerve centers” of the
organisation
– centralize & consolidate IT
resources
– support critical business
operations.
– provide uninterrupted service to
mission critical applications
• 7 x 24 x 365 availability
• Power & network redundancy
• Physical & network security
• Environmental monitoring
• Air-conditioning / thermal mgt
• Fire suppression systems

3. Different Tiers of data centers
Data center space is precious, use it wisely.

4. FM200 cylinders
FM200 cylinders
MDA
MDA Operating Console
Operating Console
C
C
R
R Reserved for future racks
Reserved for future racks
A
A
U
U TYPICAL
racks
racks Computer Room
C
C racks
racks
R
R
A
A
U
U
Elect.
Elect.
UPS
UPS UPS
UPS UPS
UPS
Batteries
Batteries

5. EIA/TIA 942 recommendations for computer room
• Minimum height = 2.6m
• Minimum door = 1m wide, 2.13m high
• Minimum floor loading = 7.2kPa (distributed)
• Recommended floor loading = 12kPa (distributed)
• Dedicated air conditioning
– temperature 20° to 25 °C
– relative humidity 40% to 55%
EIA/TIA 569 recommendations for equipment room
• Lighting
– 500 lux measured 1 m above finished floor
– Install light fixtures 2.6 m above floor
• Local disaster regulations
– seismic rating

6. Batteries
Batteries
Elect.
Elect. Operating Console
Operating Console
Group your
equipment into
C
C zones
R
R Reserved for future racks
Reserved for future racks
A
power required
A
U
U •heat generated
LAN / WAN / routers
•amount & type of
switches & security cables
•maintenance
C
C SAN / applications/
R
R
A
A storage server
U
U
Elect.
Elect.
UPS
UPS UPS
UPS UPS
UPS Lower power & cooling
Highest power & cooling

7. MDA
MDA Operating Console
Operating Console
Group your
equipment into
C
C zones
R
R
SINGAPORE
INDONESIA
MALAYSIA
A
THALAND
A Consider ease of
U
LAN &
U
WAN
operation
Spread out the
power / cooling
C requirements
C
R
R
A
A
U
U
Elect.
Elect.
UPS
UPS UPS
UPS UPS
UPS

8. MDA
MDA Operating Console
Operating Console
Ramp to bring
equipment up onto
C
C raised floors.
R
R Reserved for future racks
Reserved for future racks
A
A Suggested slope 1:12
U
U Suggested width 1.8m
racks
racks (but consider the width
of your largest piece of
equipment)
C
C racks
racks
R
R
A
A
U
U Barriers / handrails
Elect.
Elect.
UPS
UPS UPS
UPS UPS
UPS for safety purposes.
Suggested height
>0.8m

9. MDA
MDA Operating Console
Operating Console
Allow space for
C
C expansion
R
R Reserved for future racks
Reserved for future racks
A
A
U
U Near entrance for
easy install where
racks
racks possible.
C
C racks
racks
R
R
A
A
U
U
Elect.
Elect.
UPS
UPS UPS
UPS UPS
UPS

10. MDA
MDA Operating Console
Operating Console
Cold aisles Hot & Cold aisles
C
C •Cold air directed to
R
R Reserved for future racks
Reserved for future racks cold aisles through
A
A raised floors.
U
U Hot aisles •Hot air return through
racks
racks ceiling space
Cold aisles •Computer Room Air
handling units (CRAU)
C
C racks
racks located along hot aisle.
R
R
A
A •Under the raised floor,
U
Hot aisles
U cables are routed along
Elect.
Elect.
UPS
UPS UPS
UPS UPS
UPS hot aisles to prevent
obstruction to
incoming cold air.

11. MDA
MDA Operating Console
Operating Console
.
Separate comms
C
C
and electrical
R
R Reserved for future racks
Reserved for future racks cables where
A
A possible
U
U
racks
racks
Opposite ends of
room
C
C racks
racks Top and bottom entry
R
R
A
A
U
U
Elect.
Elect.
UPS
UPS UPS
UPS UPS
UPS

12. MDA
MDA Operating Console
Operating Console
Maintenance space
Suggested 1m
C
C
clearance in front &
R
behind racks
R Reserved for future racks
Reserved for future racks
A
A Suggested 1.5m bend
U
U Minimum 1m
Minimum 1m radius around access
corners
racks
racks
Min.1.5m
Min.1.5m Consider depth of your
radius
radius Minimum 1m
Minimum 1m Min.1.5m
deepest equipment
Min.1.5m
radius
radius
C
C racks
racks
Floor loading
R
R Loading depends on
A
A Minimum 1m weight of equipment
Minimum 1m
U
U
Recommended for
Elect.
Elect.
UPS
UPS UPS
UPS UPS
UPS CR = 7.2kPa min.
High traffic Areas =
CR loading +50%

13. MDA
MDA Operating Console
Operating Console
C
C If operating
R
R Reserved for future racks
Reserved for future racks Console needs to be
A
A Possible
U
U
in computer room,
Maintenance / MAC
racks
racks
Work Area Near entrance for easy
access & escape
C
C racks
racks Not affected by any
R
R
A maintenance / MAC
A
U
U work
Elect.
Elect.
UPS
UPS UPS
UPS UPS
UPS

14. MDA
MDA Operating Console
Operating Console
Vision panel
C
C •showcase data center.
R
R Reserved for future racks
Reserved for future racks
A
A •Security issue.
U
U
•Reinforced glass.
racks
racks
C
C racks
racks
R
R
A
A
U
U
Elect.
Elect.
UPS
UPS UPS
UPS UPS
UPS

15. FM200 cylinders
FM200 cylinders
MDA
MDA Operating Console
Operating Console
C
C
R
R Reserved for future racks
Reserved for future racks
Minimise items
A
A inside computer
U
U room
racks
racks
FM200 cylinders
C
C racks
racks
R
UPS batteries
R
A
A Operating console
U
U
Elect.
Elect.
UPS
UPS UPS
UPS UPS
UPS
Batteries
Batteries

16. MDA
MDA Operating Console
Operating Console CCTV camera
At entrance
•with people counter
C
C functionality
R
R Reserved for future racks
Reserved for future racks
A
A •complements log
U
U book
racks
racks
at aisles
C
C racks
racks •monitor access to
R
R equipment
A
A
U
U
Elect.
Elect.
UPS
UPS UPS
UPS UPS
UPS

17. MDA
MDA Operating Console
Operating Console
C
C
R
R Reserved for future racks
Reserved for future racks
A
A Access control
U
U
At least 2 forms of
racks
racks
recognition
•what you know
C
C racks
racks •who you are
R
R
A
A •what you have
U
U
Elect.
Elect.
UPS
UPS UPS
UPS UPS
UPS
2 levels access control
prevents tailgating.

18. MDA
MDA Operating Console
Operating Console
Risers
C
C
R
R Reserved for future racks
Reserved for future racks •accessible from outside
A
A
U
•must be locked
U
racks
racks
•remotely monitored
preferred
C
C racks
racks
R
R
A
A
U
U
Elect.
Elect.
UPS
UPS UPS
UPS UPS
UPS

19. Structured vs. Unstructured
Cabling Solutions

20. MDA.
MDA. Operating Console
Operating Console
Distribution Area
•Main distribution
C
C •Top of rack
R
R Reserved for future racks
Reserved for future racks
•central cross connect to
A
A
U
all cabinets in the
U
computer room
racks
racks
•no. of cables depend on
equipment housed in the
racks.
C
C racks
racks
R
R •24 UTP ports/rack
A
A
U
U •6 LC fiber ports per
Elect.
rack
Elect.
UPS
UPS UPS
UPS UPS
UPS

21. STRUCTURED VS. UNSTRUCTURED
CABLING SOLUTIONS
The cabling starts with a few connections . . .
Server Changes made at active equipment
racks • adding cables = accidental pulling adjacent cables
• pulling of cables = longer installation times
• Mess under the floor = poor air flow
• Long patchcords = long lead times
Storage
Switch racks

22. STRUCTURED VS. UNSTRUCTURED
CABLING SOLUTIONS
The alternative...
Server rack
DISTRIBUTION AREA
Server Ports
Storage
Switch Ports
Switch rack
Storage Ports

23. Typical Data center
Backbone
cabling
Horizontal
cabling

24. MDA
MDA Operating Console
Operating Console
Distribution Area
C
C
R
R Reserved for future racks
Reserved for future racks •Horizontal distribution
A
A area
U
U
•End of Row design
HDA
HDA
C
C
R
R
A
A
U
U
Elect.
Elect.
UPS
UPS UPS
UPS UPS
UPS

25. MDA
MDA Operating Console
Operating Console
Distribution Area
•Zone distribution area
C
C
R
R Reserved for future racks
Reserved for future racks
A
A
U
U Hot aisle
what’s wrong with this
ZDA
ZDA Cold aisle picture?
C
C
R
R
A
A Cabling should be
U
U routed in hot aisle to
Elect.
Elect.
UPS
UPS UPS
UPS UPS
UPS prevent obstruction
to air flow

26. Zone cabling boxes
Ceiling boxes Raised floor boxes

27. MDA
MDA Operating Console
Operating Console
CREMS
Computer
C
C Room
R
R Reserved for future racks
Reserved for future racks
A
A
Environmental
U
U Monitoring
racks
racks
System
•power
•humidity
C
C racks
racks
R
R •temperature
A
A
U
U •airflow
Elect.
Elect.
UPS
UPS UPS
UPS UPS
UPS •sound

28. Final design
Comms.
Comms.
Cold aisles
C
C MDA
MDA Reserved for future racks
Reserved for future racks
R
R
A
A Hot aisles
Operating Console
Operating Console
Operating Console
Operating Console
U
U
racks
racks
Cold aisles
C
C racks
racks
R
R
FM200 cylinders
FM200 cylinders
A
A
U
U Hot aisles
Batteries
Batteries
Elect.
Elect.
UPS
UPS UPS
UPS UPS
UPS
Ramp / Console areas outside CR
Separate support Area.
2 security points before entering CR

29. Security
Access Control IP CCTV
Card & Numerical pad
access control
IP CCTV - fixed
Iris scan access control IP CCTV - Pan/Tilt/Zoom

30. FINAL DESIGN

31. Final design
Comms.
Comms.
C
C MDA
MDA Reserved for future racks
Reserved for future racks
R
R
A
A
Operating Console
Operating Console
U
U
racks
racks
C
C racks
racks
R
R
FM200 cylinders
FM200 cylinders
A
A
U
U Batteries
Batteries
Elect.
Elect.
UPS
UPS UPS
UPS UPS
UPS
Separate comms. and electrical cables
Different ends of room.
Top and bottom entry

32. Final design
Comms.
Comms.
C
C MDA
MDA Reserved for future racks
Reserved for future racks
R
R
A
A
Operating Console
Operating Console
U
U
racks
racks
C
C racks
racks
R
R
FM200 cylinders
FM200 cylinders
A
A
U
U Batteries
Batteries
Elect.
Elect.
UPS
UPS UPS
UPS UPS
UPS
Separate comms. and electrical cables
Different ends of room.
Top and bottom entry

33. THANK YOU!
Jeffrey Lam RCDD
Jeffrey.lam@anixter.com
+65 97849870