Data Center Design Guide

Your data center is the heart of your organization. It’s where all your mission critical information is stored and processed. Use this data center design guide as you construct your new in-house data center.

Data center design standards can be complicated. Between ensuring your systems have the proper power and cooling abilities and meeting all key criteria for HIPAA compliance, there are dozens of elements to consider. 

Here is a checklist of what you’ll need for data center planning and design.

Critical Data Center Components

The first part of the data center checklist is to gather all internal and external components:

• Servers
• Racks
• Network connectivity infrastructure
• Security measures
• Storage infrastructure
• Monitoring systems
• Cooling system
• Documented policies for procedures and data security

Remember, not all hardware is created equal. Integration is key for such a complex system. It’s important to research components to ensure they meet your needs and work together to ensure smooth performance.

Data Center Architecture Design

Setting up your data center is just as important as selecting the right components. The three-tier design is the most common type of architecture design. It’s called “three-tier” because it can be broken down into three layers:

• Core – Large switches with advanced routing capabilities and extremely high throughput.
• Distribution – Middle-of-the-road switches focused on uplink speed between access and core layers. Firewalls and load balancing services are typically found in this layer.
• Access – Traditional switches between 24 and 48 ports and 1 or 10Gbps speeds that connect to individual devices.

There are other variations available, so what works for other businesses might not be ideal for you. Do your research and choose the architecture design that best fits your needs.

Data Center Design Best Practices

Even with the best hardware and architecture, your data center might not perform at its best. Use these data center design best practices to maximize your network efficiency:

• Server Performance – Servers use a lot of power. Make sure your data center electrical design can provide enough energy to sustain current and future servers. Use multiple power connections and a backup generator to prevent outages.
• Data Center Cooling Design – Data centers create heat. Keep them cool with a dedicated A/C unit or data center-specific cooling system. Leave enough space between racks for airflow.
• Security Considerations – A data center redundancy design is essential for both security systems and disaster recovery. Make sure data is stored in multiple locations and that there are multiple network routing options in case one or more go down.

Use these best practices to ensure your data center can hold up to your company’s needs.

Get Expert Insight for Data Center Design and Implementation

There are dozens of considerations to design the perfect data center for your business’s needs. Between the components, architecture, and best practices, it’s always a good idea to work with an information technology expert.

Quadbridge is one of the fastest-growing IT companies in Canada. We’ve helped businesses identify and implement the perfect data center solutions since 2007. 

Using our time-tested data center evaluation checklist, we can perform a data center audit to identify areas of improvement in your existing infrastructure.

Don’t waste time comparing data centers. To get the most reliable, cost-effective data center consulting services to fit your needs, contact the experts at Quadbridge today to get started.