
	Home > Server Virtualization Tips > Server hardware > How 'critical' is your data center?

Server Virtualization Tips:

EMAIL THIS

TIPS & NEWSLETTERS TOPICS

SERVER HARDWARE

How 'critical' is your data center?

Jerry Burkhardt and Richard W. Dennis, Contributors
09.28.2006
Rating: --- (out of 5)

Digg This!

StumbleUpon

Del.icio.us

Negative implications of unplanned downtime are certainly chief concerns for every business. But often overlooked is the fact that no two downtime incidents are the same. One data center's momentary inconvenience could be another's demise.

For this reason, it is crucial to classify the criticality of each facility, which requires an understanding that the vulnerability of an organization is directly attributed to the weakest link in its chain. A wide range of relevant factors including HVAC and electrical systems, facility security, IT infrastructure maintenance and operations and disaster preparedness must be incorporated to ensure the reliability of the facility and its data center.

Assessing the availability and reliability of a business's critical facility using the aptly named Criticality Levels concept is useful for existing facilities and during the design process. This helps to select the proper components that complement the critical mission of the facility and safeguard its data center against downtime.

Below is an example of how these criticality levels can be determined:

C1 – Facilities supporting routine local office processes that are not backed up regularly. The loss of function could result in diminished productivity. However, the facility can achieve simple and rapid recovery from unplanned downtime.

C2– Facilities supporting critical business processes that are both local and remote. The loss of availability for a C2 facility could widely affect productivity. Full recovery after momentary unplanned downtime can potentially take hours. Maintenance downtime can be regularly scheduled.

C3– Back-up corporate facilities supporting and/or including critical business processes. The loss of availability widely affects productivity and directly affects customers. Full recovery after momentarily unplanned downtime can take hours or even days. Maintenance during low-risk windows can be scheduled monthly or quarterly.

C4– Primary corporate facilities that support and/or include critical business processes. The loss of availability widely affects productivity and directly affects customers. Full recovery after momentarily unplanned downtime can take hours or even days. Online maintenance with moderate risk windows can be scheduled monthly or quarterly with blackout periods, and maintenance shutdown is extremely difficult to schedule.

C5– Primary corporate facilities supporting and/or including core business processes. The loss of availability directly translates to the facility's bottom line. Full recovery after momentary unplanned downtime can take days to possibly weeks. Online maintenance with low-risk windows can be scheduled quarterly or annually with blackout periods. Maintenance shutdown cannot be scheduled.

C6– Large corporate data centers supporting and/or including core business processes and are, typically, a network of remote data centers that work together. The loss of availability poses widespread circumstances that can affect national security and public safety. Full recovery after momentary downtime can take weeks to months and all maintenance must be performed online and must be extremely low-risk.

C7 and beyond– Future levels for continued growth and evolution of the critical facility.

Enabling facility planners and IT directors to assess the importance and level of quality needed for various external components, such as standby power, security, IT configuration and IT redundancy is the primary purpose for these definitions. For example, a C6 facility such as a large corporate data center must have significantly more IT redundancy than a C1 facility that is simply supporting office processes.

When facility designers understand the level of criticality, combined with an assessment of all of the external components supporting its operations, they are enabled to provide the needed flexibility, redundancy and security to support the organization's critical mission.

About the authors:

Jerry Burkhardt is the P.E. and vice president of commissioning services at Syska Hennessy Group. He has over 21 years of specialized experience in critical and live environments.

Richard Dennis is the P.E. and vice president of national commissioning services for Syska Hennessy Group. He has over 30 years of professional engineering experience in design management, construction, and facility operations.

Rate this Tip

To rate tips, you must be a member of SearchServerVirtualization.com.
Register now to start rating these tips. Log in if you are already a member.

Digg This! StumbleUpon Del.icio.us

DISCLAIMER: Our Tips Exchange is a forum for you to share technical advice and expertise with your peers and to learn from other enterprise IT professionals. TechTarget provides the infrastructure to facilitate this sharing of information. However, we cannot guarantee the accuracy or validity of the material submitted. You agree that your use of the Ask The Expert services and your reliance on any questions, answers, information or other materials received through this Web site is at your own risk.

Search More Tips on Virtual Implementation

SEARCH

TechTarget provides technology professionals with the information they need to perform their jobs - from developing strategy, to making cost-effective purchase decisions and managing their organizations' technology projects - with its network of technology-specific websites, events and online magazines.


TechTarget Corporate Web Site \| Media Kits \| Site Map All Rights Reserved, Copyright 2006 - 2009, TechTarget \| Read our Privacy Policy