Never Stop Learning - Get your Training Manuals for Critical Facilities and Data Center Design

Reliability and Redundancy Matter - Your data center / critical facilities should be kept rolling under any circumstances. Understanding the infrastructure's design and operations can minimize disruptions and avoid costly downtime.

With our high quality training courses and credential programs, you are able to gain the knowledge and best practices in data center / critical infrastructure design, operations and efficiency:

   

Budget concern? Inconvenient to travel and take the face-to-face courses? Why don't consider to purchase the self-learning kit / training manuals which are currently on sale for further learning and reference?

• Electrical Design for Mission Critical Supply
  http://www.amazon.com/dp/9887797219
  
  Total Number of Slide: 130
  Hard Copy: Black & White
  Digital Copy: DVD Included (in color and PDF format)

• HVAC Design and Cooling for Data Center Efficiency
  http://www.amazon.com/dp/9887797200
  
  Total Number of Slide: 263
  Hard Copy: Black & White
  Digital Copy: DVD Included (in color and PDF format)

• Project Management for Data Center & Critical Facilities: From Design to Commissioning
  http://www.amazon.com/dp/9887797235
  
  Total Number of Slide: 216
  Hard Copy: Black & White
  Digital Copy: DVD Included (in color and PDF format)

Each manual is edited by a team of Chartered Engineers (CEng) who has more than 20 years experience in data center design & build, building services engineering, facilities management and energy conservation in the private and public sectors. All content has been fully taken into account the requirements of international codes and standards, which prepare you to face most of the challenges in data centers and critical facilities of any size, in any location.


For order details, please contact our team (www.stmedia-asia.com/contact.html) or visit the Amazon online. Payment can be made by bank wire or credit card. Worldwide shipping will be provided.

    

    

  

  

  

About us

Strategic Media Asia (SMA) provides an interactive environment and opportunities for members of engineers to exchange professional views and experience on critical infrastructure and electrical and mechanical facilities through various training courses and site tour events.

In addition, our team is one of the CPD Course Providers of the Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE).


For details, please visit http://www.stmedia-asia.com/trainings.html.

Learn How to Design Electrical Systems for Mission-Critical Infrastructure (28 - 29 March 2019)

Course in Electrical Design for Mission Critical Supply (2-day)
(28 - 29 March 2019, approved CPD course by CIBSE UK)


Mission critical facilities have particular power requirements that significantly impact how they are designed and operated. You will gain insight into the critical supply system, from power components to distributions and efficiency; from power requirements to sizing, design, testing and commissioning:-


-- Concept on primary supply and secondary supply
-- Power flow in mission critical supply system
-- Features of major equipment for critical supply

    > Uninterrupted power supply and power storage
    > Backup generator
    > Automatic transfer switch
    > Static transfer switch
    > Isolation transformer

-- Efficiency assessment
-- Power quality review
-- Configuration diagram of critical supply (N+1 / 2N) design & analysis
-- Review of cable sizing to incorporate harmonics content
-- Earthing system design
-- Testing and commissioning requirements
-- Brief of Systems Merging Appraisal Test (SMAT)


The course details about the power system components that support typical data centers or mission-critical infrastructure. It prepares individual to fully understand the high voltage systems' design & build by exploring the international best practices and the instructors' experience.

All sections are conducted by Chartered Engineers (CEng) who have more than 20 years experience in electrical engineering, project management, sustainable engineering and facility engineering for critical services.


Date: 28 - 29 March 2019 (Thursday - Friday)
Time: 10:00 – 18:30
Venue: 19/F, New Victory House (Officeplus), 103 - 93 Wing Lok Street, Sheung Wan, Hong Kong
(Near Exit A2, Sheung Wan Station)


Fee: Special rate for (1) the HKIE / CIBSE or all professional membership classes in engineering; or
(2) more than 1 enrollment made at the same time


For course details, please refer to http://www.stmedia-asia.com/newsletter_6.html.



Enrollment & Registration

Kindly complete and return an Application Form together with a crossed cheque made payable to “Strategic Media Asia Limited” - Room 403, 4th Floor, Dominion Centre, 43 - 59 Queen's Road East, Hong Kong.


About the Organizer

Strategic Media Asia Limited (SMA) is one of the approved CPD course providers of the Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE). Our mission is to provide an interactive environment and opportunities for the engineers to exchange professional views and experience on critical infrastructure and data center services.

SMA connects IT, Facilities and Design. For details, please visit www.stmedia-asia.com/about.html.


Adverse Weather Arrangement - Events in the morning, afternoon or evening will be cancelled if typhoon signal No. 8 or above or black rainstorm warning is still hoisted after (or is announced by the Hong Kong Observatory to be hoisted at / after) 6:00 a.m., 11:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. respectively. Delegates will be notified when the class will be made up as soon as possible.

Subscribe to the Knowledge Blog in Critical Infrastructure Design

RELIABILITY & REDUNDANCY MATTER - Your facilities and IT infrastructure are complex that are different from general buildings and require special design and operation knowledge and skill. Understanding the design considerations and avoiding costly downtime are critical.

Subscribe to our Knowledge Blog (http://green-data.blogspot.com or http://data-center-design.tumblr.com), share your view and get monthly readings online. All topics focus on key components and considerations of designing / operating mission-critical facilities and infrastructure:-

(1) Site Selection,
(2) Space Planning,
(3) Cooling,
(4) Redundancy,
(5) Fire Suppression,
(6) Meet Me Rooms,
(7) UPS Selection,
(8) Raised Floor,
(9) Code & Standards,
(10) Transformers and Harmonic Distortion,
(11) Multi-mode UPS Systems,
(12) Electrical Rooms,
(13) Generator Systems,
(14) Generator Fuel Systems, 
(15) Battery Systems, etc.

P.S. Think your team might also be interested? Pass it on >

Strategic Media Asia Limited
Connecting IT, Facilities and Design

T (852) 2117 3893 | F (852) 2184 9978

Room 403, 4th Floor, Dominion Centre, 43 - 59 Queen's Road East, Hong Kong
http://www.stmedia-asia.com | http://green-data.blogspot.com

Critical Facilities & Data Center Design Consideration: Generator Systems Design (1)

Let's recap the basic concept of mission-critical facilities:-

(1) Uptime Four-Tier Levels
(2) Critical Supply Diagrams and Configurations

The terms “N, N+1 and 2N”, typically refer to the number of power supply and cooling components that comprise the entire data center infrastructure systems. An “N” system is not redundant at all. N+1 and 2N, represent increasing levels of component redundancies and power paths, roughly mapping to the Tiers 2-4.

A paralleled generator system uses two or multiple generators to form a large-capacity generator system. Paralleling multiple generators is achieved by synchronizing the output of the generators and connecting them to a paralleling switchgear (PSG) common bus. Synchronizing the output of the generators requires all of the paralleled generators to have the same voltage, frequency, and phase rotation.

With closed transition back to the utility, PSG will parallel the generators and synchronize the generator output with the utility source for a short duration before transitioning back to utility power. When connecting the generators in parallel or synchronizing with the utility, the following criteria must be met:

• Matched / proper frequency
• Matched / correct phase rotation
• Phase voltages in phase and within specified voltage range

Typical parameters that determine synchronization include a voltage difference of less than 5%, a frequency difference of less than 0.2 Hz, and a maximum phase angle of 5 electrical degrees between the sources.

Closed transition is used when it is desirable to transfer loads with zero interruption of power when conditions permit. It is used when the generator system transfers back to the utility and when load testing the generators with building loads. Closed transition can be either a soft load transfer or a make-before-break transfer. The PSG soft-load transfer synchronizes and operates the generators in parallel with the utility and transfers loads in increments between the two sources, thereby minimizing voltage or frequency transients on the generator plant and utility distribution system.

The typical soft-load-transfer overlap time is around 2 seconds. The make-before-break transfer will parallel the generators and perform a transfer of load from the generator to the utility. This can be the transfer of one large block load or the transfer of multiple block loads having time delays between the block loads. Time-delay transfer can either be programmed through the PSG or the downstream automatic transfer switches (ATS). Typical ATS make-before-break transition overlap time is usually less than 100 milliseconds.


To simplify the design of a paralleled generator system, identical generators should be used with the same manufacturer, ratings, type, output rating and alternator pitch.

If paralleling of dissimilar generators is required because of existing onsite conditions, the design of a paralleled generator system becomes much more complex. Each generator configuration must be evaluated and dissimilar components, such as speed control, voltage regulation, and alternator, must be retrofitted to match.

"Pitch" is the term used to define the mechanical design characteristics of the alternator. Paralleling a generator of 2/3-pitch alternator design with a generator of 5/6-pitch alternator design will result in circulating neutral currents. The circulating current will be disruptive to protective device operation and may damage alternators.


Configurations


The electrical loads must be classified into emergency loads, required standby loads, and/or optional standby loads that classified loads are separated, and the generator sets are sized so one generator can serve the emergency and required loads purpose.(see the following Figures)

One generator supplies emergency power to emergency loads, required standby loads and optional standby loads.

Multiple generators in parallel supply power to emergency loads,  required standby loads and optional standby loads.

Kindly note paralleled generator systems that rely on a single master control for signals to start and close to a paralleled bus actually replace one failure point with two, as the master control and the communication link between the master control and the generator systems each represent Single Points of Failure. A well-engineered paralleling system will have dual hot-backup control systems, redundant communication pathways, redundant best battery select dc power supplies, multiple breakers, multiple power pathways, and a well-documented procedure for system recovery whenever a component fails.

Benefits of Parallel Generator Systems


Paralleling multiple sources provides increased reliability, flexibility in load management, and maintenance capabilities with little to no disruption. Multiple generators paralleled to a common bus can better serve emergency and business critical loads, particularly for system response time and dynamic load response once in operation. However, more complex, parallel generator standby systems have significant advantages with respect to reliability and redundancy. These advantages include redundancy, efficiency and ease of maintenance and serviceability.

Redundancy: 

The redundancy inherent in the parallel operation of multiple generators provides greater reliability than a single generator unit for critical loads. If an N+1 configuration is adopted, one generator can be offline for maintenance while serving the required loads. Furthermore, providing a running spare, an N+1 generator configuration will increase the reliability of the generator system from 98% to 99.96% reliability.

Efficiency: 

Variations in power demand can cause a single larger generator to run at loads of less than 30% of capacity. The optimum operational point is between 75% and 80% of its rated value. The paralleling control system can be equipped with a generator load control that can add and remove generators in response to the actual load/demand of the system. If the load changes and demand reach 90% of running capacity, for example, an additional generator can be started, synchronized, and paralleled to the bus with no time delay.

Maintenance and Serviceability:

Maintenance can be performed without interrupting the availability of the generator system because one generator can be removed from the system to undergo scheduled or unplanned maintenance while the other generators are available to supply the loads.



Go to the next articles:
Generator Systems Design (2) - Generator Ratings
Generator Systems Design (3) - Generator Sizing


About us

Strategic Media Asia (SMA) is one of the approved CPD course providers of the Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE) UK. The team exists to provide an interactive environment and opportunities for members of ICT industry and facilities' engineers to exchange professional views and experience.

SMA connects IT, Facilities and Design. For the other design considerations, please visit 

(1) Site Selection,
(2) Space Planning,
(3) Cooling,
(4) Redundancy,
(5) Fire Suppression,
(6) Meet Me Rooms,
(7) UPS Selection,
(8) Raised Floor,
(9) Code & Standards,
(10) Transformers and Harmonic Distortion,
(11) Multi-mode UPS Systems,

(12) Electrical Rooms,

(13) Generator Systems, etc.

All topics focus on key components and provide technical advice and recommendations for designing a data center and critical facilities.

Course in Data Center Infrastructure and Operations

CPD Course in Data Center Infrastructure and Operations
Organized Jointly with the Society of Operations Engineers (SOE), Hong Kong



IT support is crucial to every business and public sectors. No matter a few servers in a closet or a hundred of servers in a data center, all equipment and MEP (Mechanical, Electrical and Plumb) facilities required are mission-critical to maintain the IT services.

The course outlines the infrastructure system supports a typical data center and critical services and the main components facilitate a data center operations and maintenance. It also introduces the best practices and the international standards for data centers and critical facilities.

The course is designed for facilities engineers and IT infrastructure operators to acquire in-depth knowledge in designing critical infrastructure and data center operations.

• What is Data Center
• Applications of Data Center
• Who are the Users
• Users’ Expectations
• Inside a Data Center – IT, E&M Services, Facilities Supports
• Data Center Configurations – Architectural, Structural, MEP, Network
• Glossary – Resilience, Tier Levels, Redundancy
• Operating a Data Center
• Loss Prevention
• Maintenance Management
• Facilities Supports – MEP Services
• Specific Requirements for Facilities
• Operations Highlights
• Sustainable Management
• System Performance Assessments

Speaker:           Ir C.K. Chan, BEng (Hons), MSc, BBA, CEng, MHKIE, MIET, REA /
                          Mr. Ian Ip, BSc (Hons), MSc, CEng, MCIBSE

Time:                07:00 pm – 10:00 pm (Total 15 Hours)

Venue:              Flat C, 12/F, Blk 2, Wah Fung Ind Ctr, 33 - 39 Kwai Fung Crest, Kwai Chung, HK

Fee:                  Special Rate for all SOE Members

Certification:    15-hour CPD certificate will be issued to students who completed
                         and pass the course assessment with attendance over 70%.

Inquiry:            Please contact Anna (852) 3188 0062 or email to info@soe.org.hk for registration.


For details, please visit www.soe.org.hk.

Control Systems for Data Centers

System uptime is the crucial objective of data center operations. Distribution Control System (DCS) proposes design topologies and attributes for critical network, electrical, and mechanical systems to attain these availability. If the control system does not respond quickly and appropriately, a data center may experience a destructive and rapid failure - even if redundant chillers, air handlers and power sources have been installed.

Yet in spite of these stringent requirements and the serious consequences of failure, most data centers are built with the same commercial DDC (Direct Digital Control) style control systems used in office buildings. This is in contrast to other mission-critical environments (semiconductor cleanrooms, pharmaceutical labs), where industrial controls, such as PLCs (Programmable Logic Controllers) or even Distribution Control System (DCS), perform many of the same functions.







We are going to provide an overview of the main areas where industrial and commercial style controls differ, and to help data center owners and system designers understand the value to be gained from industrial PLC control systems.


PLC systems offer more robust options


Compared to commercial systems, industrial control systems feature more accurate and rugged sensors and devices, signal types and wiring methods. Industrial controllers are more robust, have higher performance, faster networks and more flexible programming capability. Redundancy options with industrial controls can address the most difficult control issues without relying on "passive automation."





Passive automation involves providing distributed control in which small, inexpensive controllers can be dedicated to individual machines or processes. In this case, the loss of a single controller cannot shut down the entire facility if there are redundant pieces of equipment installed each with their own controller.

Commercial systems typically use a mix of "unitary" controllers to control a single piece of equipment, with larger building controllers used for facility-wide programming tasks or monitoring general I/O points. Industrial systems use PLCs, which also come in a range of sizes and intended applications. The differences between these controllers can be discussed in terms of form factor and physical robustness, I/O type and capacity, and processor programming capability and flexibility.


Performance, flexibility and higher cost characterize PLC systems


The difference between PLC and DDC programs is essentially one of flexibility. The programming functions in a PLC are more numerous and powerful. There is a richer instruction set for math, logic and bit manipulation. Many PLCs allow encapsulation of instructions to create user-defined function blocks. This is a powerful tool that sophisticated users leverage to create simple, re-usable code. These differences allow creation of more sophisticated and powerful programs. Finally, modification of PLC programs can be done "on-line," which means the controllers do not need to be stopped if the program needs to be changed.





The two types of systems conceptually can look very similar. The distinction, in a word, is performance. Industrial systems are designed for "real-time" control. Like a DDC, a PLC program looks at sensor data input, performs logic or calculations and writes outputs. However, the speed of processing and communication in PLC systems allows inputs to be read from anywhere in the system, logic solved, and outputs to be written to anywhere else in the system in real-time. Scan rates for PLCs, even in large programs with distributed I/O, are generally measured in milliseconds. DDCs have program execution times measured in seconds.

There is a cost premium for industrial control systems. A rule of thumb for control systems is this: Industrial controls total installed cost is approximately $3000/point. Commercial systems cost approximately $2000/point. For reference, a recent data center project was completed with 500 I/O points. This represents a difference of $1.5M versus $1M. This estimate does not take into account the difference in maintenance and service contract costs (which is typically higher for commercial controls) but is a reasonable idea of the difference in up-front costs.





Owners and system designers should not expect to achieve industrial control system performance on a commercial control system budget. But consider: The control system represents just 1-2% of the total facility cost. With today's ever more demanding environments, it pays to consider the long-term value represented by the increased performance, flexibility and reliability of PLC systems.

About us

Strategic Media Asia (SMA) is one of the approved CPD course providers of the Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE) UK. The team exists to provide an interactive environment and opportunities for members of ICT industry and facilities' engineers to exchange professional views and experience.

SMA connects IT, Facilities and Design. For the Data Center Consideration Series, please visit 

(1) Site Selection,
(2) Space Planning,
(3) Cooling,
(4) Redundancy,
(5) Fire Suppression,
(6) Meet Me Rooms,
(7) UPS Selection, and
(8) Raised Floor

All topics focus on key components and give technical advice and recommendations for designing a data center and critical facilities.

Data Center Design Consideration: Redundancy

So far we have discussed about the Cooling and Space Planning issues for data center design. We all note that data centers are very special purpose-built facilities providing critical and uninterrupted services. In this section we are going to explore one of the key considerations - Redundancy.

Redundancy entails providing system beyond the minimum capacity to ensure these systems continue to operate even if part of the system fails. Under the TIA-942 Standards, data centers are classified into different tiers based on their availability and redundant designs. What exactly are these designs?


For more information of Tier Levels: N, N+1, 2N, 2(N+1), please visit our previous articles:
http://green-data.blogspot.com/2014/07/data-center-tier-levels-and-uptime.html
http://green-data.blogspot.com/2014/09/more-about-data-center-tier-levels.html


N Design

An N design means the number of components and paths is exactly what is required to meet the data center requirements. There is neither spare capacity nor any standby unit. Basically, there is no redundancy and the system will totally fail when a component or path fails.

N+1 Design

An N+1 design requires the number of components installed to exceed the requirements by one. In this case, when one of the components fails, the standby unit will take over and the system would continue to operate.

2N Design

As the name mentions, a 2N design has 2 independent working systems supporting the data center. In the event a primary system fails, a secondary system would take over and continue the uninterrupted operations.

2(N+1) Design

A 2(N+1) design is an extension of the 2N design. Both the primary and secondary systems are equipped with a single group of (N+1) facilities, e.g., each system has an extra component. This design is more resilient than a 2N design and would be able to withstand a concurrent path and component failure.


It is important to understand that in 2N or 2(N+1) systems, the secondary system should be located away from the primary system which minimizes the primary and secondary system from being damaged by any incidents, such as fire, floods, etc.

The following examples illustrate the design of a UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply) system supplying 200kVA of power to a data center:

Figure 1: Various redundant design for a UPS system providing 200kVA of power

In an N Design, one UPS of 200kVA is installed. This design would meet the 200kVA requirements of the data center. Normal operation is disrupted when the UPS fail.

An additional UPS is installed in an N+1 Design. This brings the number of UPS system to 2 which allows for normal operation if one UPS fails. E.g., the remaining UPS would still able to support the minimum 200kVA power. However, the system can be still failure if the path (feeder cable) linking the UPS to the equipment is damaged.

A 2N Design offers protection for both path and component failures. This requires 2 UPS systems (Primary and Secondary) each with 1 unit of 200kVA UPS. Should a UPS fails to start or a cable feeder is damaged, the Secondary System would take over and continue to supply the required load.

The 2(N+1) Design is the most resilient of the 4 designs discussed. 2 systems with 2 units of 200kVA UPS each are installed. This design would continue to provide the necessary 200kVA power even if there is a simultaneous component and path failure. It should be noted, however, no design is 100% fail-proof and this design would still fail in the event of multiple failures.

The pictures below show the resiliency of various systems under different failure conditions:

Figure 2: Different redundant design under different failure conditions

The Blogger

Strategic Media Asia (SMA) is one of the CPD Course Providers of the Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE).

SMA, a critical infrastructure training and event organizer based in Hong Kong, provides an interactive environment and opportunities for members of IDC industry and engineers to exchange professional views and experience on critical infrastructure and E&M facilities.

For details of other data center courses and seminars, please visit our website at http://www.stmedia-asia.com/trainings.html.

Water Cooled or Air Cooled Chillers

As per the critical purpose of a data center, all equipment must be reliable and easy to operate. It’s important to make sure the company’s focus can be on the critical nature of data center operations instead of HVAC (cooling) system management.

Water cooled chillers and air cooled chillers are refrigeration systems normally used to cool fluids or dehumidify air in both commercial and industrial facilities. The components of water cooled chillers and air cooled chillers are very similar. Each product contains an evaporator, condenser, compressor, and an expansion valve. The primary difference is whether air or water is used to provide the condenser cooling.


Water Cooled Vs Air Cooled

An air-cooled chiller has a condenser that is cooled by the environment air. The air-cooled chillers are preferred for small or medium installations but lately the quality improvement in their structure, allows the usage, in modular type, for large installations also. An air-cooled chiller is preferred especially in cases that there is not enough water or the water is very expensive.

The water-cooled chillers have water cooled condenser connected with cooling tower and are usually preferred for medium and large installations where there is sufficiency of water. In addition, they are also preferred in cases that is demanded constant performance of the system, independently of the ambient temperature (industrial air conditioning, air conditioning of digital systems etc), because the capacity of the water-cooled chillers are not affected by the ambient temperature fluctuations.

Flexibility

You may also note that air-cooled chillers have a much wider range in ambient operating temperatures. The wide ambient-temperature operating range allows designers' flexibility to standardize on chiller-plant designs, regardless of the data center location.


Redundancy and Effectiveness

Redundancy is essential for mission critical purpose-built data center. You should consider how long to bring the cooling system back to full load after power outages. In addition, the difficulties and cost effectiveness for installing 2N / N+1 cooling system should be carefully evaluated. Bare in mind water-cooled system should work with cooling towers and pumps.


System Maintenance and Downtime

Each chiller has basic maintenance requirements to ensure it functions at optimal levels. Though it is difficult to find a prefect cooling system with the lowest total cost of ownership (but competitive first costs), minimal operating & maintenance costs and a reduced risk of expensive downtime, we need to judged on the specific goals for every project.


Install Location

Large industrial chillers are commonly located in mechanical equipment rooms within the building close to the process in which they are cooling. Some industrial chillers may be located directly beside the process, depending on the size of the chiller and compressor. Some may even be placed completely outdoors such as rooftop of a building. Choosing which cooling system, therefore, largely depends on the building type, location, and use of the space.




About SMA

Strategic Media Asia (SMA), a critical infrastructure training and event organizer based in Hong Kong, provides an interactive environment and opportunities for members of IDC industry and engineers to exchange professional views and experience on critical infrastructure and E&M facilities.

SMA is one of the CPD Course Providers of the Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE).

For details of other data center courses and seminars, please visit our website at http://www.stmedia-asia.com/trainings.html.

Invitation to Data Center Technical Visit (2 Sites) + CPD Course in Critical Facilities and Data Center Design

2-days CPD Course in Data Center Facilities Design and Infrastructure Engineering (23 - 24 October 2014)

(HKIE CPD Course Code: CPD1029)

The course is designed for Building Services Engineers, Facilities / Data Center Managers, IT Management, etc. to enrich and update the knowledge in critical facilities and data centers design & build. It is more than a general introductory program for data center. Topics include:

- IT strategy
- Cabinet layout
- Raised floor system

- Data center network and structure
- Telecommunication backbones, redundancy, sizing and planning
- Fiber and optical system design
- Fiber and optical cable components
- Copper cabling components
- Copper system design and high speed ethernet
- Cable distribution, layout and management
- Earthing / grounding and bounding

- Power (1) – high / low voltage system, switch system, etc.

- Power (2) – UPS, transformers, fuel tanks, generators, etc.

- Cooling (1) – cooling topology, hot / cold aisle, etc.

- Cooling (2) – chiller, CRAC, cooling towers, etc.

- Environmental management system
- Physical security
- Fire protection system

Date: 23 - 24 October 2014 (Thursday - Friday)

Time: 10:00 – 18:00 (14 Hours)

Venue: 20/F, New Victory House, 93 - 103 Wing Lok Street, Sheung Wan, Hong Kong

(Very Near Exit A2, Sheung Wan MTR Station)

Fee: Special rate for HKIE's all membership classes

For details and syllabus, please refer to the CPD Course Calendar of Hong Kong Institution of Engineers, HKIE (http://www.hkie.org.hk/eng/html/cpd/cpdviewer.asp?sn=3248).

Kindly complete and return an Application Form together with a crossed cheque made payable to “Strategic Media Asia Limited” - Room 1605, 16/F, Causeway Bay Plaza 1, 489 Hennessy Road, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong.

Half Day Technical Visit to Data Centers in Kwai Chung and Tseung Kwan O (8 October 2014)

Sponsored by IXTech (www.hkcix.com) and HKCOLO (www.hkcolo.net)

Further to the critical facilities course, a half-day technical visit is targeted to provide an interactive environment and opportunities for members of IDC industry to exchange professional views and experience on TWO data center facilities (Tier II and Tier III+) and services. 

Date: 8 October 2014 (Wednesday)
Duration: 13:45 - 18:00
Assembly Time: 13:45 - 14:00
Assembly Point: Exit D, Kwai Fong MTR Station (Kwai Yan Road, Next to the Bus Stop)

Fee: HK$100, Round-trip transportation will be provided
(Waiver for the 2-day CPD course's participants)

For details of the technical visit, please visit 

http://www.stmedia-asia.com/data-center-tour.html.

1 Day Refresher Training / Fundamental Course in Data Center Facilities and Operations

Data centers come in different sizes - whether it's four servers in a closet or hundreds of servers in a building - which provide mission critical functions for enterprises and public services.

We are pleased to announce that a 1-day Refresher Training / Fundamental Course in Data Center Facilities and Operations will be launched in Hong Kong. The course outlines a critical infrastructure system supports a typical data center and the main components facilitate a data center operation. It also introduces the standards of TIA-942, Uptime and Tier Levels.

The training is designed for junior operators, engineers and system administrators to acquire basic knowledge in data center critical facilities, on top of the IT system and daily operations.


- What is Data Center
- Applications of Data Center
- Who are the users
- Users’ expectations
- Inside a Data Center – IT, E&M services, Facilities supports
- Data Center Configurations – Architectural, Structural, MEFPD, Network
- Glossary – Resilience, Tier Levels, Redundancy
- Operating a Data Center
- Loss Prevention
- Maintenance Management
- Facilities Supports – MEFPD (Mechanical, Electrical, Fire, Plumb and Drain) Services
- Specific Requirements for Facilities
- Operations Highlights
- Sustainable Management
- Performance Assessments


DOWNLOAD DETAILED SYLLABUS


For details, please visit http://www.stmedia-asia.com/data-center-facilities-operations.html



About the Organizer

Strategic Media Asia (SMA) is one of the CPD Course Providers of the Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE).

SMA is a critical infrastructure training, seminar and event organizer for corporations and professionals specialized in data center design & build, E&M facilities, structured cabling system, telecommunication, ICT and financial IT services.

For details of other data center courses and seminars, please visit our website at http://www.stmedia-asia.com/trainings.html.

Data Center Tier Levels and Uptime

The data center industry is laden with inter-related terms such as Uptime, Tier Levels, Availability, Redundancy and Reliability. In order to make an informed decision it is important to understand what they mean and what is the actual significance for any proposals you are considering in your analysis.

The concept of “Uptime” was pioneered by the Uptime Institute which was founded in 1993 and introduced its well defined Tier Classification system: I, II, III and IV, of which Tier IV represents the highest level of projected availability. Today, its Tier Certification system is globally recognized and its members are mostly Fortune 100-sized companies having multiple data centers averaging 50,000 square feet. And while not everyone subscribes to the Uptime Institute officially, marketing references to Tier 2,3 or 4 are common among those seeking to ascribe a certain level of design or construction to a data center’s overall availability or system redundancy, which may, or may not be totally accurate.

The terms “N, N+1 and 2N”, typically refer to the number of power and cooling components that comprise the entire data center infrastructure systems. Wherein “N” is the minimum rating of any component (such as a UPS, generator or cooling unit) required to support the critical load. An “N” system is not redundant at all, and the failure of any component will cause an outage, effectively describing a tier 1 type facility. N+1 and 2N, represent increasing levels of component redundancies and power paths, roughly mapping to the tiers 2-4, however it is important to understand that redundant components in themselves do not guarantee continuous availability, nor insure compliance with an Uptime Institute certified data center tier level.

Moreover, besides redundancy, the ability to do planned maintenance or emergency repairs on systems may involve the necessity to take them offline. This involves the key concept of “concurrent maintainability” which permits systems to be bypassed, without impacting the availability of the computing equipment. The Uptime Institute is well recognized in clearly defining concurrent maintainability in their Tier Level system. This is one of the key criteria in the design or certification of Tier III and Tier IV data centers.

Besides the level of infrastructure redundancy at the facility level, consistency of procedures for operations, maintenance and support of the critical infrastructure systems are key to ensuring continuous availability. Moreover, the Uptime Institute has now also established a related sub-category called Operational Sustainability to define and evaluate data center’s operational procedures, as an addition to their well recognized Tier Classification rating system.

Whether you chose to build or buy, you should examine all of these factors very closely to understand what is being promised if it is a brand new building and/or what the operating history of a proposed data center facility provider has been.


About Strategic Media Asia Limited

Strategic Media Asia (SMA) is one of the approved CPD course providers of the Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE).

SMA, a critical infrastructure training and event organizer based in Hong Kong, provides an interactive environment and opportunities for members of IDC industry and engineers to exchange professional views and experience on critical infrastructure and E&M facilities.

For details of other data center courses and seminars, please visit our website at http://www.stmedia-asia.com/trainings.html.

How to Upgrade your Data Center and Critical Facilities?

An aging data center may no longer be able to meet the power, cooling and structural demands of advancing technologies, but few businesses have the time or the capital to build new facilities.

Fortunately, organizations can extend the working life of their data center by renovating the facility by making changes that cost little to nothing. Data center upgrades allow a business to adopt new standards and improve existing infrastructures to introduce new technologies with better performance and more efficiency.

There are several data center design changes that can extend the life of your facilities and data center


(1) Elevate your data center temperature



The data center's working temperature has long been a subject of myth and legend, but research and initiatives from industry organizations such as  the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) have found that data centers don't need to be cooled like meat lockers. Modern servers and other computing equipment can operate reliably at elevated temperatures.

A 2008 ASHRAE document recommended a temperature range from 65 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit for Class 1 data center equipment. Recommendations in 2011 broadened the allowable temperature range from 59 to 90 degrees Fahrenheit for enterprise-class servers and 41 to 113 degrees Fahrenheit for appropriately designed servers and other equipment.

In addition, the extended temperature range also makes it possible to adopt alternative or supplemental cooling schemes (at least during certain parts of the day), such as free air or air/water economizers -- cooling technologies that might not have even been considered when your data center was first built.


(2) Upgrade servers and systems for better consolidation and efficiency



Servers consume the majority of energy in a data center -- primarily in the processors and memory components. Organizations can gain significant energy efficiency by upgrading servers to more efficient models during normal technology refresh cycles where capital is already budgeted. The newer server may also provide greater amounts of memory, allowing a virtualized server to provide much higher levels of consolidation than earlier servers.

This means the same amount of computing work can be done with far fewer servers, saving equipment capital and generating only a fraction of the heat for a data center's cooling system to contend with.


(3) Change the system layout and rack layout for power and cooling efficiency


It is a matter of Hot Aisle & Cold Aisle.

Suppose you had a traditional data center where a large computer room air-conditioning unit (CRAC) cooled the room. Now imagine that a server refresh and consolidation project slashed the number of servers by 75%. With just a quarter of the original server count in this example, it may be possible to rearrange the remaining servers in far fewer racks and use containment to enclose the remaining servers. This limits the air volume that must be cooled, significantly reducing the amount of mechanical cooling needed and allowing for alternative cooling technologies.

In other cases, under-floor cooling may be more effective by reworking the electrical cabling, network cabling and water lines that cross below the floor.

A poorly designed and haphazard layout can obstruct cooling air distribution, making more work for the mechanical cooling unit. In addition, any water distribution increases the potential for damage to electrical and network wiring, so many organizations opt to route electrical and network wiring overhead -- leaving water lines under-floor -- and may even upgrade network cabling to allow for future bandwidth improvements.

Don't overlook the rack space itself. For example, fully populating racks can concentrate more equipment in less space, making any containment -- and associated cooling -- more effective. And some racks may not be deep enough to accommodate new generations of computing equipment. This can lead to wiring congestion and airflow problems.


(4) Consider supplemental or alternative cooling schemes



Mechanical heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems are a staple of the modern data center, but they are also costly, energy-hungry and a potential single-point of failure in data center availability. If the cooling system fails, a data center can overheat in a matter of minutes.

Data center renovations often focus on ways to supplement or replace traditional mechanical cooling with alternative equipment or methods that are enabled by higher operating temperatures, better containment and less equipment.

Popular alternative cooling approaches include chilled water heat exchangers (water economizers), evaporation cooling and even free air cooling (air economizers).

These methods, however, require affordable environmental resources that are suited to the task and available for much of the day. For example, using cold lake water to drive a water economizer requires a nearby lake. In many cases, these alternative methods are added to supplement traditional HVAC, lowering run times and power needs.

Organizations that must continue using HVAC are taking a fresh look at the cooling system's capacity and efficiency. The potential problem is that a large, aging HVAC system runs even less efficiently if it is used infrequently; easing the cooling load on your legacy HVAC system might actually cost more and be harder on the mechanical system.

This means that raising operating temperatures and reducing the amount of computing equipment may justify a smaller cooling system.

(5) Consider availability and reliability issues in power distribution

Upgrading the uninterrupted power supply (UPS) systems to a newer model can improve UPS energy efficiency and provide more intelligent power monitoring/measurement capabilities that complement a data center infrastructure management scheme.

When a UPS is replaced, it is hopefully with a higher efficiency system, and may also become a redundant [N+1] configuration and possibly even a modular or incremental capacity solution. Power equipment upgrades may spawn broader wiring and distribution upgrades in older buildings.

It is also a common practice to upgrade in-rack power distribution units (PDUs) to add intelligent power management, along with rack temperature and humidity monitoring. With UPS and PDU upgrades together, an organization can gather energy use data and make more informed decisions about power costs in the data center.

(6) Finally, consider the availability of data center power

Organizations with aging, unreliable or overtaxed power grids may consider local co-generation options to ensure uninterrupted power. Traditional diesel generators are quickly giving way to more efficient and environmentally friendly alternatives, including solid oxide fuel cells such as Bloom Energy Servers or solar arrays to produce some amount of local electricity. If it's not possible to install local co-generation on-site, it may be possible to contract with regional co-generation providers for supplemental electricity.

About The Blogger

Strategic Media Asia (SMA, www.stmedia-asia.com) is a leading technical training and event organizer for corporations specialized in data center design & build, E&M facilities, telecom, ICT, finance and colocation. Currently, SMA delivers a series of data center trainings and qualification programs in Hong Kong, Taiwan and Macau.

All these events / training seminars are designed to support the leadership needs of senior executives (Chief Information Officers, IT Directors / Managers, Facilities Managers, company decision makers, etc.) and to provide useful and applicable knowledge.

For detail, please visit SMA's Technical Training Seminars & Data Center Qualification Programs.

Data Center Redundant Capacity - Where Can I Add Load?

One of the key power usage metrics that we often requesting is Available Redundant Capacity (ARC). We don’t always ask for it using this name. More simply, we want to know “Where can we safely add new IT equipment without overloading and potentially bringing down my facility?”