 - The Uptime data center tier standards are a standardized methodology used to determine availability in a facility. The tiered system, developed by the Uptime Institute, offers companies a way to measure return on investment (ROI) and performance. The standards are comprised of a four-tiered scale, with Tier 4 being the most robust. See the table at the end of the definition for an illustration of the differences between the four tiers.
The Uptime Institute offers a certification process to address the issue of companies advertising loosely-interpreted and unverified claims of certification. As of the beginning of 2008, more than two dozen data centers had been certified by the Institute. The certification process begins with a desktop review of submitted design documents by licensed engineers at the Uptime Institute. The review is followed by a site visit where Uptime employees examine whether a facility had been built or expanded according to the submitted design. The Uptime Institute has also released a grading system for operational sustainability to augment the tier standards. The tiers focus on the design of the data center facility; the operational sustainability grades target how well the facility is actually run.
| Tier level |
Data center requirements |
| Tier 1 |
1) A
single, non-redundant distribution path serving IT equipment.
2) Non-redundant capacity components.
|
| Tier 2 |
1) All Tier 1 requirements.
2) Redundant capacity components.
|
| Tier 3 |
1) All Tier 1 and 2 requirements.
2) Multiple independent distribution paths serving IT equipment. Generally, only one distribution path serves equipment at any given time.
3)
All IT equipment is dual-powered and fully compatible within the topology of a site's architecture.
|
| Tier 4 |
1) All Tier 1, 2 and 3 requirements.
2) The facility is fully fault-tolerant, through electrical, storage and distribution networks.
3) All cooling equipment is independently dual-powered, including chillers and HVAC systems.
|
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Learn more about Data center design and construction |
| Building Blocks of Data Center Construction handbook: As organizations are forced to build new data center facilities with less, mistakes can be costly. This handbook walks you through a successful data center construction project. |
| Data Center Facilities IT Handbook: Learn how to bridge the communication gap between data center facilities teams and IT staff in order to maintain a productive and efficient data center. |
| SearchDataCenter.com Advisory Board: SearchDataCenter.com relies on our team of experts and IT folks to help us deliver the best data center content. The following individuals serve on our Data Center Advisory Board. |
| SearchDataCenter.com Products of the Year 2009: SearchDataCenter.com invites you to participate in its annual Products of the Year award nomination process. Nominate your favorite product or your company's product. |
| Data center construction runbook: Each chapter in this data center runbook outlines a specific aspect of data center design, walking you through the step-by-step process of a data center build-out. |
| CONTRIBUTORS: |
Mark Fontecchio |
| LAST UPDATED: |
02 Feb 2010
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