Data Centers and their Standards

It was not too long ago when using the term “data center” would draw an unsure stare. Today, the term data center is commonly used but we also know that some of you may be new to this industry and would like a simple explanation to “What is a Data Center?”A data center or computer room is a facility or room used to house mission critical computer systems and associated components for companies and organizations. It generally includes environmental controls (air conditioning, fire suppression, etc.), redundant/backup power supplies, redundant data communications connections and high security. A data center can be considered the brain of a company; without it business can cease to communicate, perceive, remember and create. The end result is a business that ceases to function.

Standards, Compliance and Recommendations for Data Centers and Management
Below you will find a listing of standards, codes, compliance and recommendations for data centers. We are continuing to compile a complete list of global standards and best practices for you.

International Construction Codes

1. International Building Code (IBC)
2. International Fire Code (IFC)
3. International Plumbing Code (IPC)

Country and Local Jurisdiction codes and requirements for data center construction and maintenance.

ASHRAE

(American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers)

• Thermal Guidelines for Data Processing Environments

ANSI

(American National Standards Institute)

• T1.336 Engineering Requirements for a Universal Telecommunications Frame (waiting publication)

EIA

(Electronic Industries Alliance)

• EIA-310-D Cabinets, Racks, Panels and Associated Equipment

NFPA

(National Fire Protection Association – US)

• NFPA 75 Standard for the Protection of Information Technology Equipment
• NFPA 1 - Uniform Fire Code™
• NFPA 13 - Standard for the Installation of Sprinkler Systems
• NFPA 96A, Standard for Installation Requirements for Lightning Protection Systems
• NFPA 780-2004, Lightning Protection Code

BSI (British Standards)

• BS15000 / BS 15000, now fast tracked as ISO 20000, was the world's first standard for IT service management. The standard specifies a set of inter-related management processes, and is based heavily upon the ITIL (IT Infrastructure Library) framework.
• BS7671: 2001 Requirements for Electrical Installations. (16 th edition IEE Wiring Regulations)
• BS 7273-1:2000 Code of Practice for the Operation of fire protection measures
• BS 6266:1992 - Code of Practice for fire protection for electronic data processing installations
• BS 6266:1992 - Code of Practice for fire protection for electronic data processing installations
• BS 7273-1:2000 Code of Practice for the Operation of fire protection measures
• BS 5839-1: 1988 Fire detection and alarm systems for buildings. Code of practice for system design, installation and servicing
• BS 6651 (Protection of structures against lightning)

a. DISC PD 1001: A Guide to Electromagnetic Compatibility and Structured Cabling.
b. DISC PD 1002: A Guide to Cabling in Private Telecommunications Systems.

• BS EN 50091-1:1993 - Specification for Uninterruptible Power Supplies (UPS). General and Safety Requirements
• BS EN 12825: 2001 - Raised Access Floors
• BS 4434 - Safety and Environmental aspects in the design, construction and installation of Refrigeration appliances and systems
• BS ISO 8995:2002 Lighting of indoor work places - Society of Light and Lighting, Lighting Guide 3: Addendum 2001

Telcordia Technologies

1. GR-63-CORE (NEBS) Physical Protection

CENELEC (Europe)

– Information Technology – Generic Cabling Systems Part 5: Data Centers
– CENELEC EN 50173-1 & -2 European Standards
– CENELEC – EN50310 – Grounding & Bonding
– CENELEC / BSI

• EN 50173:1995: Information Technology - Generic Cabling Systems.
• EN 50173:2000: Amendment to EN 50173:1995.
• Draft second edition EN 50173: Information Technology - Generic Cabling Systems.
• EN 50174-1:2000: Information Technology - Cabling Installation – Part 1: Specification and quality assurance.
• EN 50174-2:2000: Information Technology - Cabling Installation – Part 2: Installation planning and practices inside buildings.
• prEN 50174-3: Information Technology - Cabling Installation – Part 3: Installation planning and practices outside buildings.
• EN 50167: Horizontal Floor Wiring Cables with a common overall screen for use in digital communication.
• EN 50168:Work Area Wiring Cables with a common overall screen for use in digital communication.
• EN 50169: Backbone Cables, Riser and Campus, with a common overall screen for use in digital communication.
• EN 60603-7 series: 8-Way RJ Connectors. [This series will mirror the IEC 60603-7 series.]
• EN 50310:2000: Application of equipotential bonding and earthing in buildings with information technology equipment.
• EN 50098-1: Customer premises cabling for information technology – Part 1: ISDN basic access.
• EN 50098-2: Customer premises cabling for information technology – Part 2: 2048 kbit/s ISDN primary access and leased line network interface.
• EN 61000-2-2: Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) – Part 2: Environment – Section 2: Compatibility levels for low frequency conductor disturbances and signalling in public low voltage power supply systems.
• EN 50288-2-1: Multi element metallic cables used in analogue and digital communication and control – Part 2: Sectional specification for screened cables characterised up to 100 MHz. – Section 1: Horizontal and building backbone cables. (Revision in progress.)
• EN 50288-2-2: Multi element metallic cables used in analogue and digital communication and control – Part 2: Sectional specification for screened cables characterised up to 100 MHz. – Section 2:Work area and patch cord cables. (Revision in progress.)
• EN 50288-3-1: Multi element metallic cables used in analogue and digital communication and control – Part 3: Sectional specification for unscreened cables characterised up to 100 MHz. – Section 1: Horizontal and building backbone cables. (Revision in progress.)
• EN 50288-3-2: Multi element metallic cables used in analogue and digital communication and control – Part 3: Sectional specification for unscreened cables characterised up to 100 MHz. – Section 2:Work area and patch cord cables. (Revision in progress.)
• EN 50288-4-1: Multi element metallic cables used in analogue and digital communication and control – Part 4: Sectional specification for screened cables characterised up to 600 MHz. – Section 1: Horizontal and building backbone cables. (Revision in progress.)
• EN 50288-4-2: Multi element metallic cables used in analogue and digital communication and control – Part 4: Sectional specification for screened cables characterised up to 600 MHz. – Section 2:Work area and patch cord cables. (Revision in progress.)
• EN 50288-5-1: Multi element metallic cables used in analogue and digital communication and control – Part 5: Sectional specification for screened cables characterised up to 250 MHz. – Section 1: Horizontal and building backbone cables. (Revision in progress.)
• EN 50288-5-2: Multi element metallic cables used in analogue and digital communication and control – Part 5: Sectional specification for screened cables characterised up to 250 MHz. – Section 2:Work area and patch cord cables. (Revision in progress.)
• EN 50288-6-1: Multi element metallic cables used in analogue and digital communication and control – Part 6: Sectional specification for unscreened cables characterised up to 250 MHz. – Section 1: Horizontal and building backbone cables. (Revision in progress.)
• EN 50288-6-2: Multi element metallic cables used in analogue and digital communication and control – Part 6: Sectional specification for unscreened cables characterised up to 250 MHz. – Section 2:Work area and patch cord cables. (Revision in progress.)
• prEN 50xxx: Information Technology – Cabling Installation – Testing of Installed Cabling

TIA (Telecommunication Industry Association)

• TIA-942 Telecommunication Infrastructure for Data Centers
• In the U.S. & Canada key cabling standard is TIA-568 for cabling and TIA-569 for pathways and spaces.

BICSI (Building Industry Consulting Service International)

• BICSI 002 Data Center Design and Implementation Best Practices

ITIL

• ITIL is best practices for IT Service Management.

ISO (International Organization of Standardization)

• ISO 20000 is a series of best practices for IT departments to use internally. It also improves relationships with other companies or governments who want to do business with ISO 20000 certified companies.

• ISO9000x

The ISO 9000 and ISO 14000 families are among ISO's most widely known standards ever. ISO 9000 and ISO 14000 standards are implemented by some 887 770 organizations in 161 countries. ISO 9000 has become an international reference for quality management requirements in business-to-business dealings, and ISO 14000 is well on the way to achieving as much, if not more, in enabling organizations to meet their environmental challenges.

• ISO/ IEC

ISO/IEC17799

2005 Information technology - Security techniques - Code of practice for information security management.

• ISO/IEC 24764 Information Technology – Generic Cabling for Data Centre Premises (2007)
• ISO/IEC 11801 & ISO/IEC 18010 International standards
• ISO/IEC 11801:1995: Information technology - Generic Cabling for Customer Premises.
• ISO/IEC 11801:1999: Amendment 1 to ISO/IEC 11801:1995.
• ISO/IEC 11801:2000: Amendment 2 to ISO/IEC 11801:1995.
• Draft second edition ISO/IEC 11801: Information technology - Generic Cabling for Customer Premises.
• ISO/IEC 14763-1 TR3: Information Technology – Implementation and operation of Customer premises Cabling – Part 1: Administration.
• ISO/IEC 14763-2 TR3: Information Technology – Implementation and operation of Customer premises Cabling – Part 2: Planning and Installation.
• ISO/IEC 14763-3 TR3: Information Technology – Implementation and operation of Customer premises Cabling – Part 3: Testing of Optical Fibre
• ISO/IEC 8877:1992: information technology – Telecommunications and information exchange between systems – Interface connector and contact assignments for ISDN Basic Access Interface located at reference points S and T.

Uptime Institute Data Center Tier Classification

– Uptime Institute provides certifications for reliability of the physical data centers. Uptime Institute originated Tier system that places a 1-4 tier rating based on reliability of facility as a whole.

Sarbanes Oxley Section 404

– is a United States federal law passed in response to a number of major corporate and accounting scandals including those affecting Enron, Tyco International, and WorldCom (recently MCI and currently now part of Verizon Businesses).

SAS 70

– Statement on Auditing Standards (SAS) No. 70, Service Organizations, is an internationally recognized auditing standard developed by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA).

HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act – US)

– Title II of HIPAA, the Administrative Simplification (AS) provisions, requires the establishment of national standards for electronic health care transactions and national identifiers for providers, health insurance plans, and employers.

PCI Compliance

– Payment Card Industry (PCI) cardholder security program is a contractual requirement for businesses that handle cardholder information for Visa, MasterCard, Discover, American Express, and Diner’s Club.

CA 1386/1950

– The California Security Breach Information Act, 1386/1950, has made a major impact on any agency or company doing business in California that deals with computerized personal information.

BASEL II

– The Basel II Framework describes a more comprehensive measure and minimum standard for capital adequacy that national supervisory authorities are now working to implement through domestic rule-making and adoption procedures. It seeks to improve on the existing rules by aligning regulatory capital requirements more closely to the underlying risks that banks face

IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers)

• The Standard IEEE 519-1992 entitled “IEEE. Recommended. Practices and Requirements for. Harmonic Control in Electric Power Systems”
• IEEE – IEEE Standard 1100-1999
• IEEE Standard 142, Chapter 3 (IEEE Recommended Practices for Grounding of Industrial and Commercial Power Systems)
• IEEE Standard 80 (IEEE Guide for Safety in AC Substation Grounding)
• IEEE Standard 80 (IEEE Guide for Safety in AC Substation Grounding)
• IEEE Standard 142 (IEEE Recommended Practices for Grounding of Industrial and Commercial Power Systems)

CBEMA (Computer and Business Equipment Manufacturers' Association)

– The CBEMA have their own set of certifications for data center equipment

IEC (International Electro technical Commission)

• IEC-61000
• Electromagnetic compatibility (EMC)- Part 4-2: Testing and measurement techniques - Electrostatic discharge immunity test
• IEC 60603-7: 8-Way RJ Connectors for Frequencies below 3 MHz.
• IEC 60603-7-1: 8-Way Screened RJ Connectors for Frequencies below 3 MHz.
• IEC 60603-7-2: 8-Way Unscreened RJ Connectors for Frequencies up to 100 MHz. (Category 5).
• IEC 60603-7-3: 8-Way Screened RJ Connectors for Frequencies up to 100 MHz. (Category 5).
• IEC 60603-7-4: 8-Way Unscreened RJ Connectors for Frequencies up to 250 MHz. (Category 6).
• IEC 60603-7-5: 8-Way Screened RJ Connectors for Frequencies up to 250 MHz. (Category 6).
• IEC 60603-7-7: 8-Way Screened RJ Connectors for Frequencies up to 600 MHz. (Category 7).
• IEC 60874: Connectors for optical fibres and cables. •
• IEC 60950:1991: Safety of information technology equipment, including electrical business equipment.
• IEC 61000-5-2: Electromagnetic capability (EMC) Part 5: Installation and mitigation guidelines Section 2: Earthing and bonding.
• IEC 61156-*: Multicore and symmetrical / quad cables for digital communications.
• IEC 61935-1: Generic cabling systems - Specification for the testing of balanced communication cabling in accordance with ISO/IEC 11801 Part 1: Test methods.
• IEC 61935-2: Generic cabling systems - Specification for the testing of balanced communication cabling in accordance with ISO/IEC 11801 Part 2: Patch cords and work area cabling.

EN (European Standards)

• 50310-2000 – Grounding & Bonding
  
• European standard EN1047 Computer Rooms

NEC (National Electric Code - US)

– All of Code
– NEC Article 250 Grounding

ANSI/TIA/EIA Combination (ANSI – American National Standards Institute)

• ANSI/TIA/EIA-568-B.1 - Commercial Building Telecommunications Cabling Standard, Part 1: General Requirements
• ANSI/TIA/EIA-568-B.2 - Commercial Building Telecommunications Cabling Standard, Part 2: Balanced Twisted Pair Cabling Components
• ANSI/TIA/EIA-568-B.3 - Optical Fibre Cabling Components Standard
• ANSI/TIA/EIA-569-B - Commercial Building Standard for Telecommunications Pathways and Spaces
• ANSI/TIA/EIA-606-A - The Administration Standard for the Telecommunications Infrastructure of Commercial Buildings
• ANSI/TIA/EIA-607-A - Commercial Building Grounding and Bonding Requirements for Telecommunications

TIA/ EIA (Telecommunication Industry Association & Electronic Industry Alliance)

• TIA/EIA-568-A: Commercial Building Telecommunications Cabling Standard.
• TIA/EIA TSB 67: Link Performance Transmission Specifications for Field Testing of Unshielded Twisted Pair Cabling Systems.
• TIA/EIA TSB 72: Centralised Optical Fibre Cabling Guidelines.
• TIA/EIA TSB 75: Additional Horizontal Cabling Practices for Open Offices.
• TIA/EIA TSB 95: Additional Transmission Performance Guidelines for 4-Pair 100 W Category 5 Cabling.
• TIA/EIA-568-A-1: Propagation Delay and Delay Skew Specifications for 100 W 4-pair Cable.
• TIA/EIA-568-A-2: Corrections and Additions to TIA/EIA-568-A.
• TIA/EIA-568-A-3: Transmission Performance Specifications for Hybrid and Bundled Cables.
• TIA/EIA-568-A-4: Production Modular Cord NEXT Loss Test Method and Requirements for Unshielded Twisted–Pair Cabling.
• TIA/EIA-568-A-5: Transmission Performance Specifications for 4-Pair 100 W Category 5e Cabling.
• TIA/EIA/IS-729: Technical Specifications for 100 W Screened Twisted-Pair Cabling.
• TIA/EIA-568-B.1: Commercial Building Telecommunications Cabling Standard, Part 1: General Requirements.
• TIA/EIA-568-B.1-1: Transmission Performance Specifications for 4-Pair 100 W Category 6 Cabling.
• TIA/EIA-568-B.2: Commercial Building Telecommunications Cabling Standard, Part 2: 100 W Balanced Twisted-Pair Cabling.
• TIA/EIA-568-B.2-1: Transmission Performance Specifications for 4-Pair 100 W Category 6 Cabling.
• TIA/EIA-568-B.3: Commercial Building Telecommunications Cabling Standard, Part 3: Optical Fiber Cabling Components.
• TIA/EIA-569-A: Commercial Building Standard for Telecommunications Pathways and Spaces. (Addenda 1 & 2 published, addenda 3 & 4 in draft.)
• TIA/EIA-606: Administration Standard for the Telecommunications Infrastructure of Commercial Buildings. (Revision in progress.)
• TIA/EIA-607: Commercial Building Grounding and Bonding Requirements for Telecommunications. (Revision in progress.)
• TIA/ EIA - PN -3-0092 - Telecommunications Infrastructure Standard for Data Centres (Draft document)

DCML Data Center Mark up Language

– DCML was created to manage the complexity of data centre environments, facilitate exchange of information between data centre components and establish a foundation for “industry-wide utility computing.

SML Service Modeling Language

– In Development - The initiative calls for the creation of an XML-based standard, called Service Modeling Language (SML) - The goal of SML is to establish a lingua franca for computing resources — servers, networking gear, applications and the like — to exchange operating information, such as security requirements or performance problems.